OAKWOOD, Ga. – A new premium chicken product originally developed for foodservice customers is being expanded to include distribution at retail outlets, according Wayne Farms LLC. Wayne Farms R&D officials launched its ready-to-cook, Ladybird branded products initially for a targeted base of current customers but realized the broader appeal of attributes such as humanely raised, aged on-the-bone for optimum tenderness and taste and sourcing from all female chickens for consistent size.

Meeting the demand for more tender and better-tasting chicken breasts, tenderloins and wings, Ladybird products are being launched first in cash-and-carry stores in the Northeast with plans to expand distribution regionally in the next several months and ultimately distribute nationally. Each of the five varieties of chicken is available in 10-lb. bags and are billed as super-trimmed, minimally processed chicken using birds raised humanely where reliable shelter, stress-free conditions and quality nutrition is emphasized. The products available include chicken breast fillets; boneless, skinless breast fillets with rib meat; clipped tenderloins; and whole and split wings.

“We’re market-driven and our customers are experts in their marketplace so we partnered to create a product we knew would get quick market penetration,” said Clint Rivers, president and CEO of Wayne Farms LLC. “Success told us there was a niche in the larger marketplace for Ladybird chicken.”