Blackwing (Blackwing Organic Meats)
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Antioch, IL |
| Products | Chicken, turkey, ostrich |
| Website | www.blackwing.com/about_us.php |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 735 |
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1800) | 735 | 3-Bird Rating | Very Good |
Family Farms and cooperatives receive the most points. Corporations and companies with poor or negligible farm oversight receive the fewest points. Ownership structure | 75 | Corporate/investor owned—deep roots/ties with farmers with limited contact with suppliers. |
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100% organic brands receive the most points. Split operations receive fewer with increased penalties for poor segregation at the processor and farm level. Dedication to Organic Production | 70 | Brand markets both organic and conventional poultry products with good segregation (different facilities, including processing facilities) |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure | 50 | Moderate level of disclosure |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certifier | 75 | California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) |
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To receive full points, flocks must number 500 birds or fewer (200 for turkeys). Flock size | 40 | Over 4001 birds per flock with moderate dedication to high welfare |
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No more than 1.5 lbs of bird per square foot is required for full points. Stocking Density | 40 | Space provided per birdsmaller than ideal, at 10-12 inches each, exceeding 4.5lbs per square foot near end of grow-out period. |
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Mobile housing receives the highest number of points. Housing Style | 30 | Static (fixed) housing |
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Heritage varieties receive the highest number of points. Strain and/or Breed and Slaughter Age | 40 | Fast-growing breed, with chickens processed at 6 weeks |
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Birds must spend 3/4ths or more of their lives outdoors for full points. Timing for Outdoor Access | 0 | Did not answer |
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Enrichments include but are not limited to shade structures, water, novel feedstuff (greens, mealworms, sprouted grains), and dust baths. Enrichments (outdoor and indoor) | 60 | Indoor and outdoor enrichments provided, including novel feedstuff, shade structures, etc. |
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Points awarded for labels that go above and beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 60 | Certified Humane |
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Maximum points given for high quality, rotated pasture. Non-rotated pasture adjacent to fixed housing with lower than 90% vegetative cover receives fewer points. Outdoor Management | 50 | Birds moved 2x a month |
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100 points for on-farm production and/or milling of feed. Fewest points given to feed that cannot be verified as domestic and/or birds get poor or no supplementation from outdoor foraging. Feed Sourcing | 75 | Brand dictates what producers must feed; 100% of turkey feed is produced on-farm |
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Methionine needs met by outdoor foraging receives 100 points. Synthetic supplementation receives 70 points. Synthetic Methionine | 0 | Did not answer |
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Under 5% cull and death rate required for full points. Cull/death Rate | 0 | Did not answer |
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Chicks and poults that are certified organic since hatching, or are hatched on-farm receive 100 points. Off-farm or conventional chicks and poults receive 70 points. Chick and Poult Sourcing | 0 | Did not answer |
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No physical alterations required for full points. Permitting beak tipping results in fewer points. Physical Alterations | 0 | Did not answer |
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Measures farm oversight. Farmer owned brands, or daily visits by management required for maximum points. Farm Support | 70 | Representatives visit a minimum of once a year |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Slaughter Method (non-scoring) | 0 | No answer |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Soy Free Ration? (non-scoring) | No | |
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Maximum transparency, sharing of the organic systems plan, and/or novel practices that sets the brand apart from the rest of the industry can result in extra credit points. Extra Credit | 0 | None |
