Becki Walker writes about farmers market manners on Fridays and crafts recipes. We're running a recipe a day until May 22nd.

I consider myself a somewhat philosophical person, as do, I imagine, a goodly number of people who read this blog.  Chewing over questions in our brains is a good exercise for our mental mastication muscles, but I’ve taken the teeth out of one question: for the purposes of this blog, the chicken comes after the egg. Yesterday we ventured into the shelled world, today we’ll focus on our feathered friends.

Illustration courtesy Chuck Groenink

Most of our domesticated fowl is believed to have descended from a hybrid of the Red and Gray Junglefowl, which originate in India. Chickens in nature may live for up to eleven years, but meat chickens (even the free range ones) are picked out at the age of 14 weeks. Conventionally farmed meat chickens only live for about six weeks. Egg-laying chickens may make it for up to a year, at which point they’re usually slaughtered and used in pet food, baby food, or other processed foods. During this time, they can produce up to 300 eggs.

The meat chicken's short lifespan is due in part to a stressful life. Poor conventionally farmed chickens are often pumped full of chemicals and antibiotics to keep them healthy in cramped quarters. They’re also bred to have heavy, large breasts, which can make it hard for them to walk. They can develop problems with their legs, or experience heart failure. The concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) where these conventional birds live can cause problems for the environment, in addition to being inhumane. Chicken waste can get into the water and pollute it with excessive nitrates and phosphates, which lowers the dissolved oxygen content in water, making life difficult for salmon and other fish.

Organic, free range chickens usually have a better lot in life than their factory farmed counterparts, and if they’re on a small-scale farm, it doesn't have as much impact on the environment.

To make sure you’re getting a kindly-raised chicken, visit the farm or the farmer’s market, and ask questions. Are the chickens fed a vegetarian diet (if not, they could be eating other chickens)? How long are they outside each day? How much space do they get indoors? How is their waste disposed of?

If you can’t visit a farm, look for labels that are regulated while at the grocery store. Words like “natural” and “eco-friendly” don’t mean much of anything – make sure there’s a USDA label on the package. Don’t discard a small farm if it’s not certified, though – sometimes the cost of certification can be prohibitive. I’ve visited many farms doing everything organic and sustainable that aren’t certified, simply because they can’t afford it.

Another sustainable thing to do is eat more than the chicken. When a rooster in France is past his prime, he’s often turned into coq au vin – cock with wine. The slow simmering tenderizes stringy muscle, and turns it into something delicious. I usually serve this dish with risotto, salad, and Bordeaux. Enjoy your chicken, whether it’s a cock or a hen, and invite some friends for dinner, too – nothing’s more sustainable than cleaning your plate!