Dried chicken is dehydrated chicken meat (like jerky). Chicken is unprocessed raw chicken with moisture content (like ordinary raw grocery store chicken). Chicken meal is processed chicken that has been heated and cooked down into a powdered meal. Then when added to make kibble it is cooked again. This one is the most processed of the three.
For me, in a kibble, ideally I would chose chicken and dried chicken. Second choice would be chicken and chicken meal. Next choice is chicken meal as chicken by itself loses much of it’s weight after cooking so you end up with not much chicken after it is cooked down. There is a few good foods without meals like Now Fresh. Halo is ok too but it has alot of plant matter in it. And if you chose a food with just chicken, then you can always add a high protein topper to the kibble whether that’s canned food or fresh food like eggs and meat or sardines.
It just really depends on what level of animal protein you prefer to feed your dog. I feed varying ranges.
