Chicken is one of the most popular and widely consumed meats in the world. The origins of the chicken we eat today can be traced back thousands of years to the jungles of Southeast Asia. Over time, chickens were domesticated and bred into the layers, broilers, and other specialized breeds we are familiar with today.
One of the most popular chicken brands in the United States is Mar Far chicken. So where exactly did this ubiquitous brand of chicken come from?
The History of Mar Far Chicken
Mar Far chicken was founded in 1950 by David Marshall and Frederick Farber. The company started as a small family farm in rural Arkansas, focused on raising chickens and selling eggs. In the early days, Marshall and Farber were dedicated to producing high quality, farm fresh chickens.
Within a decade, Mar Far chicken began to expand distribution beyond Arkansas into neighboring states. By the 1970s, Mar Far had grown into one of the largest poultry producers in the country. Their chickens could be found in grocery stores and restaurants in all corners of the United States.
Mar Far chicken continued to grow rapidly through vertical integration, owning the entire supply chain from hatchery to processing plant. Cost efficient mass production allowed Mar Far to deliver affordable chicken to consumers nationwide. Today, Mar Far chickens account for nearly 15% of all chicken meat sold in American grocery stores.
Mar Far Chicken Breeding and Genetics
Mar Far chicken is carefully bred to produce birds with ideal characteristics for modern mass poultry production. Over decades of breeding programs, Mar Far has created proprietary chicken breeds optimized for yield, growth rate, feed conversion, and other commercially valuable traits.
The parent breeding stock for Mar Far chickens are kept at highly secure pedigree breeding farms in Arkansas. Only select birds from lines that have undergone multiple generations of trait selection are chosen as breeders. Traits like body conformation, growth rate, and temperament are all closely analyzed in the selection process.
Mar Far relies heavily on artificial insemination for reproduction of the parent breeding stock. This allows for greater control over breeding decisions. Pedigree hatcheries supply chicks to Mar Far grow out farms at just one day old.
Advanced genomic testing is now used to screen Mar Far chicks for favorable meat production genes even before hatching. This includes genes involved in breast muscle development, efficient feed conversion, and overall growth rate. Selective breeding has allowed Mar Far to achieve a 35% increase in breast meat size over the past two decades.
Mar Far’s Core Commercial Chicken Breeds
Mar Far chicken focuses on producing two main types of chicken:
- Broilers – Fast growing chickens bred specifically for meat production. The most common Mar Far broiler breed is the Mar x-tra Yield bird. This genetically enhanced breed achieves market weight around 6 weeks of age.
- Layers – Chickens bred and raised primarily for egg production. Mar Far’s top layer breed is the Mar Golden Hen, prized for both egg quantity and quality.
Within each breed, specialized lines are maintained to provide birds optimized for different end products like whole birds, breast meat, wings, etc.
Mar Far Chicken Feed and Nutrition
Feed and nutrition are crucial for growing healthy, high quality Mar Far chickens. Mar Far poultry nutritionists carefully formulate feed recipes to promote rapid muscle growth and efficient feed conversion in broilers. The feed formulas depend on the bird’s age and production goals.
A typical Mar Far broiler diet contains:
- Corn
- Soybean meal
- Dried distillers grains
- Vitamin and mineral premixes
- Amino acids supplements
- Bone meal for calcium
- Fat and oils for energy
Feed mills owned by Mar Far manufacture thousands of tons of feed each day to supply Mar Far grow out houses around the country. Sophisticated computer monitoring ensures each flock receives feed formulated for their current age and weight.
Mar Far also emphasizes good gut health in their chickens. Probiotics, prebiotics, and enzymes are added to the feed to support digestion and immune function. Mar Far complies with the FDA’s strict standards on the judicious use of antibiotics in poultry production to slow the development of resistant bacteria.
Mar Far Chicken Feed Conversion Ratio
One metric Mar Far closely tracks is the feed conversion ratio (FCR). This measures how efficiently chickens convert the feed they eat into body weight. The typical FCR for Mar Far broilers is around 1.45. This means for each 1.45 pounds of feed consumed, the average broiler gains 1 pound of body weight. Achieving an optimal FCR minimizes feed costs and maximizes productivity.
Mar Far Chicken Farming and Grow Out
Mar Far chickens are raised in large grow out houses until they reach market age and weight. Each grow out house may contain tens of thousands of chickens being grown out simultaneously under carefully controlled conditions.
Mar Far manages over 5,000 grow out houses across 15 states in America. Local family farmers sign contracts to raise Mar Far chicks according to the company’s exacting standards. While the farmers own the poultry houses, Mar Far provides the chicks, feed, veterinary care, and operational guidelines.
Inside the grow out houses, automated systems control ventilation, lighting, and temperature for optimal growth. Chicken density is kept between 0.7 – 0.8 square feet per bird. The houses feature litter covered floors, often with built-in watering and feeding systems. Sophisticated sensors track flock health and performance.
Broilers reach slaughter weight at around 6-7 weeks of age. Crews are brought in to catch and load chickens into trucks for transportation to Mar Far’s processing facilities. There the chickens are humanely harvested and packaged for retail and food service markets.
Layer hens are kept in production for 12-15 months before slaughter. Their high output of quality eggs makes them valuable for extended production cycles. Spent layer hens are used for soups, broths, and other further processed poultry products.
Mar Far Chicken Grow Out Statistics
| Grow Out House Capacity | 25,000 birds |
|---|---|
| Grow Out Length | 42 days (broilers) |
| Stocking Density | 0.7 ft2 per bird |
| Feed Consumed Per Flock | Over 150,000 lbs |
Mar Far Chicken Processing
Once chickens reach target weight, they are transported from grow out farms to Mar Far’s processing facilities. Mar Far owns and operates 12 poultry processing plants located strategically across the major chicken producing states.
At the processing plant, chickens are humanely harvested using modern techniques to minimize suffering. The chickens are then put through an efficient production line which includes:
- Stunning – Rendering the birds unconscious before slaughter
- Killing – Severing the carotid artery and jugular vein
- Bleeding – Draining blood from the carcass
- Scalding – Loosening feathers in hot water
- De-feathering – Removing feathers by machine
- Evisceration – Removing internal organs
- Chilling – Rapidly cooling carcass temperature
- Cutting – Portioning chicken into parts
- Deboning – Mechanically removing bones
- Packaging – Weighing, sealing, and labeling chicken products
Mar Far’s processing plants each handle over 2 million birds per week at speeds exceeding 140 birds per minute. Strict food safety procedures are followed to produce wholesome products for consumers.
In addition to fresh chicken parts, Mar Far’s processing facilities churn out cooked, breaded, and otherwise further processed chicken items. These value added products include chicken nuggets, patties, wings, and strips for retail and food service markets.
Mar Far Processing Plant Locations
| Plant Location | Processing Capacity |
|---|---|
| Springdale, AR | 2.4 million birds/week |
| Albertville, AL | 2.2 million birds/week |
| Marshville, NC | 2.5 million birds/week |
| Heard County, GA | 2.3 million birds/week |
| Buena Vista, GA | 2.1 million birds/week |
Mar Far Chicken Distribution
Mar Far utilizes an extensive distribution network to deliver their chicken products to customers around the country. Their logistics operations are focused on maintaining product quality and freshness during shipping.
Chickens are packaged in chill packs within a few hours of processing to keep products refrigerated. Mar Far’s trucking fleet quickly transports chicken products from plants to regional distribution hubs located near major metropolitan areas.
From these chilled distribution centers, Mar Far works with logistics partners to coordinate timely delivery to customer locations. Route optimization software ensures the most efficient routing of deliveries. GPS tracking allows real-time monitoring of truck locations and freight conditions.
To serve export markets, Mar Far ships chicken globally through cold chain container shipping. Refrigerated cargo ships maintain ideal temperatures throughout overseas transit to destinations like Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Mar Far Distribution Reach
- Over 150,000 retail locations served
- Products sold in all 50 US states
- Export to over 30 countries worldwide
- 6 million lbs of chicken shipped daily
Impact and Criticisms of Mar Far Chicken
As one of the largest vertically integrated poultry companies, Mar Far chicken has had a significant influence on the US chicken market and availability of chicken as an affordable protein source.
However, Mar Far has also received criticism regarding:
- Treatment of contracted farm growers – Many say they struggle financially while Mar Far reaps large profits
- Environmental impact – Water pollution from manure, energy use, land use
- Animal welfare – Close confinement housing for chickens
- Working conditions – High speed processing results in repetitive strain injuries
- Consolidation of poultry industry – Mar Far’s size crowds out small producers
In response, Mar Far contends they provide economic opportunities to rural communities and meet consumer demand for affordable chicken. The company says they have worked to increase sustainability, automate processing for safety, and follow humane protocols.
Despite criticisms, Mar Far chicken dominates grocery stores and restaurants across America. Their efficient production model has made chicken an inexpensive meat option for families nationwide.
The Future of Mar Far Chicken
Mar Far is investing heavily in automation, analytics, and technology to drive future improvements and cost reductions. Their processing plants utilize advanced robotics for cutting and deboning chicken carcasses.
Machine learning algorithms are being implemented to optimize complex production variables like chick pricing, feed formulation, and bird harvest schedules. Big data will continue enhancing Mar Far’s output volumes, quality control, and profitability.
Consumer trends toward organic, free range, and locally raised poultry may also push Mar Far to diversify product offerings beyond traditional factory farmed chicken. However, Mar Far’s sheer size and entrenched position make it unlikely they will fundamentally alter their successful business model anytime soon.
Conclusion
From humble roots as a family farm in Arkansas, Mar Far has grown into one of the dominating forces in the US chicken industry. By mastering vertical integration and scaling production, Mar Far now supplies 15% of all chicken consumed in America.
Through selective chicken breeding, proprietary feed mixes, technologically advanced grow out houses, and efficient processing, Mar Far delivers consistent, affordable poultry products to consumers across the country. Their distribution network brings refrigerated Mar Far chicken to grocery store meat cases and restaurant kitchens nationwide.
Mar Far’s rise exemplifies the industrialization and consolidation of modern poultry production into vertically integrated conglomerates. While this has resulted in inexpensive chicken prices, Mar Far’s practices have also come under scrutiny for environmental, worker, and animal welfare impacts.
Nevertheless, Mar Far chicken remains a go-to option for shoppers and diners seeking an economical meat. With investments in automation and data-driven farming, Mar Far aims to further entrench itself as the leader in mass produced chicken.