You've likely seen these birds in your supermarket and noticed that they're more expensive than conventionally produced chicken.

Organic poultry is fed a diet of pesticide-free grain with no hormones or antibiotics. (Actually, hormones have been banned in the poultry business for decades.)

Free-range poultry has more growing space than conventionally produced chicken and access to open spaces, though that doesn't necessarily mean that the birds walk around outside. More movement means these birds develop more muscle, which can contribute to more full-flavored meat.

We tried both kinds side-by-side with conventionally farmed chicken to see if we could tell a difference. What we found was that both organic and free-range chickens have a "cleaner" chicken flavor and better texture than conventionally farmed varieties. But are these birds worth the extra trouble or expense? Unless you're cooking simple roasted chicken, probably not.