Where Does Walmart Chicken Come From in 2024?

Walmart sells an astonishing amount of chicken every year—over 660 million pounds! But with the rock-bottom prices Walmart is known for, many customers have wondered: where exactly does this chicken come from?

I decided to dig into the details on Walmart‘s chicken supply. Here’s a comprehensive look at where your Walmart chicken originates from, how it’s raised, and what your options are for buying better quality chicken.

The Vast Majority of Walmart Chicken Comes from Just a Few Major Suppliers

While Walmart sells its Great Value brand of chicken, it does not actually raise or process chicken itself. Almost all of Walmart’s chicken comes from a handful of the largest poultry suppliers in the US:

• Tyson Foods – Provides approximately 25% of all chicken sold at Walmart. They supply hundreds of millions of pounds per year. Tyson has faced controversies over worker safety and pollution.

• Sanderson Farms – Supplies both fresh and frozen chicken. Sanderson was the 3rd largest poultry producer in 2021.

• Perdue Farms – Contracts with Walmart to produce their branded frozen chicken items. Perdue is the 2nd biggest chicken company in America.

So why does Walmart rely on just a few major suppliers for their chicken? It guarantees a consistent, affordable bulk supply they can sell cheaply in all their stores.

Most Walmart Chicken Comes from Factory Farms

The vast majority (over 95%) of the chicken produced in the US comes from industrial factory farms, and most Walmart chicken follows this same model.

In these crowded “CAFO” style farms, tens of thousands of chickens are cramped together in massive warehouses. The chickens are also bred to grow extremely quickly. As a result of these conditions:

• Chickens have less than 1 square foot of space each
• Outbreaks of disease are common
• Millions of pounds of polluting waste are produced

Due to the low operating costs of factory farming, it enables Walmart to sell chicken to consumers cheaply. But many have criticized the ethics and sustainability issues it causes.

Walmart Has Started Offering Some Better Options

Recently, Walmart has responded to customer concerns by starting to source a small portion of their chicken from more humane and environmentally sustainable farms.

For example, some Walmart chicken now comes from producers that are Certified Humane or Global Animal Partnership approved. This means:

• Chickens are raised in less crowded spaces – 6 hens per square meter instead of 10+
• Chickens have enrichment materials like perches and pecking objects
• Chicken producers adhere to more stringent health protocols

Walmart also has an initiative to sell chicken from farms located within 100 miles of its stores to reduce transportation emissions. However, these efforts still represent a tiny fraction of their overall chicken supply.

Chicken Arrives to Walmart Stores Already Packaged

Walmart eliminated in-store butchers back in 2000 and now only sells pre-packaged chicken. According to one former employee, trucks deliver packaged Tyson chicken each morning, which workers unload directly onto store shelves.

So while you can find a wide selection of chicken parts, frozen items, and ready-to-eat options, nothing is butchered fresh in Walmart stores.

You Have Lots of Options Besides Walmart for Fresh Chicken

If you want high-quality chicken that is humanely raised or locally sourced, Walmart may not be the best option for you. Instead, you may want to check out:

• Local butcher shops
• Farmers markets
• Natural food stores like Whole Foods
• Kroger or Costco, which have fresh meat counters

Although Walmart chicken‘s origins are mostly confined poultry farms, they do provide large quantities of chicken affordably across the country. But if you’re concerned about food ethics and sustainability, it pays to explore alternative sources for fresh chicken produced in a way that better aligns with your values.