1 Empire owns breeder chickens that lay eggs, which hatch at Empire’s own hatchery

2 The new chicks are taken to family-owned, independent farms where they grow for six or eight weeks and are raised very specifically for Empire’s needs.

3 The independent farms raise the chicks and feed them a unique vegetarian feed blend that’s made at Empire’s feed mill. This allows a very consistent product outcome — every time you buy an Empire chicken it will taste the same. Empire knows exactly where they’ve grown, who raised them, how they were raised, and every aspect of their growth — from humane handling to kashrus concerns. It’s all managed and monitored entirely by Empire.

4 The chickens are raised in indoor coops with access to the outdoors, so they get exercise and have the freedom to move around.

5 The grown chickens are transported to Empire’s facility in Mifflin Town, Pennsylvania, where they’re greeted by a team of 60 shochtim and mashgichim. Over the last six to eight months, Empire has introduced a new hashgachah under Rabbi Yechiel Babad. The team of shochtim live in Mifflin Town from Sunday to Thursday and return home to Lakewood, Boro Park, Monsey, and Baltimore for the weekends.

6 The shochtim shecht for a few hours per day, with a break every number of minutes so a bodek can check their knives to ensure that nothing nicked the blade. The system is set up so that if the knife had a problem or the bodek saw something he didn’t like, he could pull everything that was shechted in the last few minutes off the product line and discard it.

7 All the chickens and turkeys get inspected by USDA staff. They’re on site every day and inspect every one.