I am always interested in more data, so please post the links. Free ranging prey most certainly are healthier...anyone who has seen the carcass of a feedlot steer vs. a pasture steer can tell you that, but I still like to have data.



Unless you are feeding leaner, laying types, the genetics of the commercially bred fryer or broiler chicken are going to make it fatter, regardless. Besides, these heavy varieties can't even support their own weight correctly (having been "designed" to grow from hatch to 8 lbs in 8 weeks), and I don't think they can "free range" effectively. There is also the issue of micronutrients, which are very important in large, fast growing snakes. One good choice might be bronze turkeys, we used to raise them along with the standard white variety and the bronze were always much leaner at slaughter time.



I'm not sure how you would go about free range raising rabbits, though! LOL



That said, wild varieties of our common prey species are almost always healthier than our domestic breeds. Take the Black tailed jackrabbit, for example...a bit more protein than a domestic (which has been bred for muscle mass, mind you) and 1/3 the fat! Too bad we can't crossbreed them with our domestic strains!

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