Why Is Chicken So Cheap At The Grocery Store?

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July 13, 2021

Have you ever picked up a package of chicken at the grocery store and see a big sticker that says:

Or what about Costco's famous rotisserie chickens at $4.99 for a whole cooked chicken!

It's a pretty magical feat to be able to offer chicken so crazy cheap considering that the chicken had to be hatched, fed for 6-8 weeks, butchered, cut/wrapped, transported multiple times, and then put in a grocery store for its final sale.

Who do you think makes the most money in this transaction when the final product is only $0.99/lb on a 5 lb chicken?

I can guarantee you...It ain't the farmer.

As a typical rule of thumb, the further you are down the line from the final product, the lower your percentage of the price. The chicken farmer is way down the production line and receives very little for that chicken that ends up on the shelf.

Chicken is so cheap because people want cheap chicken, so the corporations demand the farmers to raise cheap chicken.

Farmers enjoy raising their animals, but they do not want to market their products. Instead, they get into contracts with big corporations like Tyson or Costco that make it "easy" for them to sell their chickens. In reality, it locks them into a long-term contract where they are forced to keep up with the newest technology and equipment or lose their contract. Most chicken farmers are basically enslaved to these big corporations, and often, the only way to get out is to sell the farm. This is due to the high debt loads that are taken on to build the infrastructure required to raise chicken, which doesn't pay for the upgrades.

Financially it's a terrible choice for farmers, and that doesn't even address the health of the land, the farmers, and the community when these gigantic chicken houses are built, and their waste is spread back on the land.

Cheap Food = Cheap Production = Cheap Labor = Cheap GMO Feed = Broke Farmers

There's just no way around it.

If we want farmers to make a living and be true stewards of the land, not just factories on the farm ground, we must be willing to pay higher prices to make a good living raising quality food for our families.

Our pricing philosophy is simple at Cunningham Pastured Meats.

Allow our producers to set the price that lets them make a good living.

We then figure in marketing/shipping costs, and then our final price is determined.

We do not beg the producers to get their prices cheaper. We do not beg our processors to offer cheaper processing.

We want both the producer and the processor to have a quality life and a good living without sacrificing the quality of our product.

Realistically, in the end, Cheap Food = Sick People and Sick Land.

All this being said, this is why we create relationships with small-scale producers who want to raise their animals right without sacrificing quality. In fact, that's why we started Cunningham Pastured Meats in the first place. Before, the only avenue we had available was selling our cattle was through an auction that would eventually land them in a feedlot somewhere in the cheap meat cycle. We wanted more stability in our family and our business, and we wanted to provide quality grass-fed beef to people in the Boise Valley.

We believe transparency is important for a safe, healthy, and renewable food supply.

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Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Standing Together During the Big Grass Fire July 25th-27th 2026. When wildfires threaten our communities, they don’t stop to ask whose land they’re on. They move quickly, changing lives in a matter of hours. But in rural communities like ours, something else moves just as quickly—neighbors stepping up to help neighbors. As the Big Grass Fire continues to impact parts of Idaho and Oregon, Sean Cunningham of Cunningham Pastured Meats has joined countless ranchers, volunteers, firefighters, and first responders working tirelessly to support those directly affected. But, in spite of the effort to mitigate the damages, the devastation is real to life and property. While the Cunningham ranch has not been directly impacted by the fire, Sean has been spending long days assisting neighboring ranchers whose grazing lands, livestock, fences, and livelihoods have been threatened. Whether helping protect cattle, building fire lines, moving equipment, or supporting firefighting efforts wherever needed, the work reflects something deeply rooted in ranching culture: when one neighbor is hurting, everyone shows up. With but a brief reunion with Sean after his 3 days of fire service. As you can imagine, while Sean is all smiles to finally be home for some much-needed rest, tears were shed by the littles in his reunion with the family! As many of you know, Liz and Sean, while still only in their late 30s, have seven children and one on the way. To date, Liz and Sean have spent days apart, each taking on the role in their own capacity against the fires. Sean on the dozer in the field and Liz capturing the story in a digital war to garner the attention of news agencies like KTVB7, the Lt. Governor's office, the White House, electric company CEOs and others for much needed assistance and support for the communities who are now at the mercy of a rogue grass fire, The Big Grass Fire and simultaneous fires stretching thousands of acres throughout the Jordan Valley and beyond. That spirit of service and capitalizing on each person's strengths to wage the war against the fires is nothing new to ranchers. Across the West, ranchers have long been among the first to respond when wildfire strikes. Their knowledge of the land, equipment, water sources, and terrain often makes them invaluable partners alongside local, state, and federal fire crews. Many volunteer through Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, organizations that have become an essential part of wildfire response throughout Oregon and Idaho. These partnerships help firefighters respond more quickly while protecting communities, grazing lands, wildlife habitat, and homes. For ranching families, these fires aren’t simply headlines—they’re deeply personal. A single fire can erase years of stewardship, destroy fencing, eliminate forage needed to feed cattle, and disrupt generations of hard work. Yet even in the face of tremendous loss, ranchers continue helping one another because that’s simply what neighbors do. We are incredibly grateful to every firefighter, volunteer, dispatcher, law enforcement officer, ranch family, and community member working around the clock to protect lives and property. Their courage and commitment remind us that the strength of rural communities isn’t measured only by the land we steward—it’s measured by the people willing to stand together when it matters most. Please continue keeping the families directly affected by these fires in your thoughts and prayers. Recovery will take time, but our communities have always been built on resilience, compassion, and a willingness to lend a hand. As of Wednesday July 29, 2026 at 8 am the non-official update includes official agencies holding the line with the yellow circles area in the image below a wild card. With potential winds pushing north again, critical barriers may not be enough to hold the fire from encroaching on Silver City. The blue circled area on a post seen here with images is the most difficult to manage, with juniper trees, canyons, and rock formations making it difficult terrain to navigate intervention and support. See more details and images here From all of us at Cunningham Pastured Meats and Cliff’s Country Market, thank you to everyone serving on the front lines and behind the scenes. We are honored to stand alongside a community that continues to embody the very best of what it means to be neighbors helping neighbors. We continue to remain steadfast in prayer in the midst of a very active and devastating fire season.🔥Behind the Fire Line July 28 Yesterday, Sean came home long enough to grab a few hours of sleep. By sunrise, he was headed back to the fire. As the Big Grass Fire continued to spread across the rugged country surrounding Jordan Valley, every hour mattered. While air tankers and helicopters often grab the headlines, much of the work happens on the ground—behind the controls of heavy equipment. This time, Sean's office wasn't a pickup. It was a bulldozer. 🔥Farmers Wear Many Hats A donated dozer has become one of the most valuable tools on this fire, helping create what firefighters call fire lines—strips of bare ground that give crews a fighting chance to stop the flames before they race into new country. Out here, there aren't many roads. The canyons are steep. The terrain is unforgiving. So before firefighters can defend the land, someone has to build the path they'll fight from. 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Now, we wait for the calvary to come to our assistance. My role as a digital warriror, is a continued effort to push emails to the governor's office, spread the word of our mayor of Jordan Valley as she makes herself heard on social media in a plea for help. I make posts that are intentional and tagged to the White House seeking attention to what looks to be a dangerous situation brewing in the fires that surround us. And, I share our neighboring rancher's stories as the fire consumes the land and much needed grazing property. 🔥🔥🔥 While Sean continues serving on the fire line, our team back at the Cunningham Pastured Meats continues packing every order from our warehouse at Cliff's Country Market in Caldwell, Idaho. Every order you place helps keep our family business moving while our ranch family helps serve the community. Thank you for standing with us. It means more than you know. Watch Sean's interview with KTVB news.

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Why Is Chicken So Cheap At The Grocery Store?

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