Chicken and turkey provide the most protein and are leaner meats that lessen health risks like heart disease, while duck, goose and pheasant are higher in sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Some fowl are high in fat that raises bad cholesterol, so limiting portions of fatty birds like duck and goose helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Cooking methods also impact health - grilling, roasting or braising is healthier than frying, which adds fat, and limiting salt in sauces prevents rising sodium levels. Organic free-range chickens are healthier than conventional chickens as they are fed organic feed without hormones or antibiotics and contain more beneficial fatty acids and nutrients but less overall fat.

1. Fowl and Health @ http://everythingfowl.com/home/nutritional-
information-of-fowl/
In reviewing the connection between
fowl and health, it is good to know
how each fowl type differs from the
other in terms of its nutritional value.
Those that produce leaner meats,
such as chicken and turkey, will
provide healthier benefits compared
to the ones that are high in sodium,
saturated fat and cholesterol like
duck, goose and pheasant meats. By
choosing leaner meats, you lessen the
risks of heart disease and related
diseases.
Fowl is a good source of protein, with chicken and pheasant having
the highest amounts. According to the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), “proteins function as building blocks for bones,
muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. They are also building blocks for
enzymes, hormones, and vitamins.”
A big concern in fowl and health is that some species of fowl are high
in fat, which raise the bad cholesterol in the body. The USDA suggests
limiting the amount of foods that have high saturated fats, like duck
and goose, so that your blood cholesterol levels remain healthy and
sound.
Aside from portion control, the cooking method and seasoning of
poultry and game birds also play a direct role in maintaining a healthy
diet with fowl. While crisp, deep fried chicken and turkey as well as
duck confit or dishes fried in goose fat are most delicious, frying adds to
the fat content of these foods. So instead of frying, fowl should be
grilled, roasted, or braised instead. Limit also the salt you put in the
sauces and gravies so the sodium levels do not rise.
There are also movements for the health benefits of organic free range
chickens over conventionally raised and mass-produced chickens. In
an article published in National Geographic under Green Living, writer
Angela Brady notes that organic free range chickens are raised with
organic feeds (meaning feeds grown with no chemical fertilizers or
pesticides of any sort) and have never been injected with hormone or
antibiotics, which causes food borne illnesses. So eating organically
raised fowl contributes also to your health and well-being as well.

2. Organic chickens were also found to taste better and have more
nutrients. Brady cites registered dietician Nancy Goodwin of the
American Dietetic Association, who said that these free-range animals
such as the chickens “contain more omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-linoleic
acid and conjugated linoleic acid, but less overall fat than their
traditionally raised counterparts, making them healthier for your heart.”