Overview

Full Moon Chicken Jerky is the treat that makes you realize how low the bar has been for pet food transparency. Open the bag and you are looking at actual strips of chicken that look and smell like something you might find in your own kitchen. That is because it is USDA-certified human-grade chicken, meaning it was produced, processed, and handled according to the same federal regulations that govern the food you eat for dinner.

In a market saturated with treats that list "chicken meal" or "poultry by-product" as their lead protein, Full Moon takes the opposite approach: single protein source, minimal ingredients, full traceability back to US farms. The jerky format is a double-edged sword. It delivers a rich, satisfying chewing experience that dogs universally love, but the strips need to be torn into smaller pieces for training use, which slows you down during active sessions. At $17.99 for a 24oz bag, the per-ounce cost is reasonable for the quality tier, and the generous bag size means you are not constantly reordering. This is the treat you buy when you have read one too many recall headlines and decided you are done guessing about what is in the bag.

Features Deep-Dive

USDA Human-Grade Certification

The term "human-grade" gets thrown around loosely in pet food marketing, but Full Moon holds actual USDA certification, which is a meaningful distinction. This means every step of the production process, from sourcing to packaging, meets the same standards required for food sold in your grocery store's meat aisle. The practical implication is rigorous testing, documented supply chains, and manufacturing oversight that most pet treat brands do not submit to voluntarily. It also means that in the event of a quality issue, the traceability systems are in place to identify and address it quickly. For owners who followed the jerky treat recalls of the early 2010s, that traceability is not an abstract feature; it is the entire reason to choose this product.

Single Protein Simplicity

Full Moon's ingredient list is almost aggressively short. Chicken is the protein. That is the story. There are no secondary protein sources competing for space, no plant proteins padding the nutritional profile, and no ambiguous ingredient categories that could contain almost anything. For dogs with sensitivities, this simplicity is practical: if your dog reacts to a treat with twelve ingredients, you are left guessing which one caused the problem. With Full Moon, the diagnostic process is straightforward. Single-protein treats also make it easier to rotate proteins intentionally, which some veterinary nutritionists recommend to reduce the likelihood of developing sensitivities over time.

Made-in-USA Traceability

Full Moon sources its chicken from US farms and manufactures domestically, with supply chain transparency that extends from farm to finished product. This is not just a patriotic selling point. Domestic manufacturing means compliance with FDA and USDA oversight, and it eliminates the supply chain opacity that contributed to past contamination issues with imported pet treats. The company publishes information about their sourcing practices and invites scrutiny in a way that most competitors in this price range do not. If ingredient origin is a factor in your purchasing decisions, Full Moon provides more verifiable information than nearly any other brand at this tier.

Jerky Format: Rewards and Tradeoffs

The jerky strip format is what makes Full Moon immediately appealing to dogs. The texture is chewy and satisfying, the aroma is strong, and the visual resemblance to real cooked chicken is unmistakable. However, the strips are designed as a snack-sized reward, not a training treat. If you use treats for repetitive training exercises, you will need to tear each strip into smaller pieces by hand, which is messy and slow compared to grabbing a pre-sized treat from a pouch. The calorie density is also higher per piece than purpose-built training treats, so you need to account for that in your dog's daily intake calculations.

Pricing Analysis

At $17.99 for 24oz, Full Moon works out to approximately $0.75 per ounce, which is firmly mid-range for jerky-style treats and surprisingly competitive for a USDA human-grade product. For comparison, many "premium" treats that lack human-grade certification cost more per ounce while offering less ingredient transparency. The 24oz bag is generous enough to last most single-dog households several weeks, which reduces the per-session cost significantly. Where the value calculation gets complicated is if you are using these for training: tearing strips into small pieces means some waste, and the higher calorie density means you may need to reduce meal portions to compensate. For reward-based treating and general snacking, the value is excellent. For daily training use, a dedicated training treat will be more economical.

Who Is This For?

• Safety-first pet owners who followed the jerky treat recalls and now scrutinize ingredient sourcing, manufacturing origin, and regulatory certifications before buying any treat. Full Moon's USDA human-grade status and domestic production directly address those concerns.

• Ingredient minimalists who believe the best treats have the shortest ingredient lists. If you have spent time researching what "meat meal," "animal digest," or "natural flavors" actually mean and decided you want none of it, Full Moon's radical simplicity is exactly what you are looking for.

• Dogs with mild sensitivities who do well on chicken but react to treats containing multiple protein sources, grains, or artificial additives. The single-protein, minimal-ingredient formula reduces the number of potential triggers significantly.

• Owners who treat as bonding, not training. If your primary use case is handing your dog something special after a walk, during a quiet evening, or as a weekend reward, the jerky format shines. It delivers a satisfying, extended chewing experience that feels like an event, not just a training transaction.

Who Should NOT Use This

• High-frequency trainers. If you are running multiple training sessions daily and dispensing dozens of small treats per session, the jerky format is impractical. You will spend more time tearing strips than training. Zuke's Mini Naturals or Fruitables Skinny Minis are purpose-built for rapid-fire reward delivery.

• Calorie-restricted diet households. Full Moon's jerky strips are calorie-dense compared to lightweight training treats. If your dog is on a strict calorie budget and you still want to treat frequently, you will burn through the daily allowance quickly. A 3-calorie-per-treat option like Fruitables gives you far more treating occasions per calorie.

• Dogs with chicken allergies. This seems obvious, but it bears stating: Full Moon is a single-protein chicken product. If chicken is the allergen you are avoiding, this is not your treat. Consider Jiminy's cricket protein or a fish-based alternative.

Bottom Line

Full Moon Chicken Jerky delivers on a simple promise: real chicken, minimal ingredients, verifiable quality. The USDA human-grade certification is not marketing theater; it represents a genuinely higher standard of production. Best suited for owners who prioritize ingredient transparency and safety, and who use treats primarily for rewarding rather than rapid-fire training.

FAQ

Can I see the difference between human-grade and regular jerky treats?

Yes, and it is obvious. Full Moon jerky looks and smells like dehydrated chicken breast you might make at home. Standard pet jerky treats tend to be more uniform in color and texture, often with a slightly artificial sheen from added glycerin or preservatives. The difference is immediately apparent when you open the bag.

How long does the 24oz bag last?

For a single medium-sized dog getting two to three strip pieces per day, expect the bag to last roughly three to four weeks. If you are tearing strips into small training-sized pieces, it stretches further per session but may not last as long overall due to increased handling waste.

Do I need to refrigerate these after opening?

Full Moon recommends storing in a cool, dry place and using within the timeframe listed on the package. The jerky format is naturally shelf-stable, but in hot or humid climates, resealing the bag tightly after each use helps maintain freshness and prevents the strips from becoming overly dry or developing off smells.

Is the chicken sourced from factory farms?

Full Moon sources from US farms and publishes general information about their supply chain. They do not make specific free-range or pasture-raised claims, so the sourcing likely includes conventional poultry operations. The human-grade distinction is about processing standards and regulatory oversight, not necessarily about the farming conditions of the birds.