Hugh's Chicken Run.............

[Rats]

Sorry, put that on twice! Was meaning to edit, but pressed quote by accident!!

[honeybee]

I think what HFW has done is really good and I think he's great although I havn't actually watched the progs because it will upset me too much. I think he's made a big impact on a lot of people and opened up the debate again about the whole industry. There's been a lot of coverage in our local paper but i can't find the article on the net archive although there's a couple of stories of interest:

this is gloucestershire - news, sport, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars


this is gloucestershire - news, sport, entertainment, jobs, homes and cars

I think a lot of people have been enlightened by the coverage and some people will change their ways (and it's causing a bit of a stir with politicians) however I also think that (to be a bit general) that the sort of people (no offence) who do buy cheap and processed meats are not always the sort of peeople who really care and who wouldn't watch these programmes.
Sorry for that sentance but hope you get the gist.

I would like to have my own chickens because I don't eat meat but do eat eggs. I don't feel entirely happy with buying free range/organic eggs from supermarkets because there's no real way of knowing how those animals are treated and I presume they end up being killed in the long run? I tend to buy eggs direct from farms where you can see the chickens scratching about happily and the eggs are so much better; really big, yellow yolks - much tastier.

As for free range chicken - I presume they killed in the same way as deep litter/ battery birds and they don't live a great deal longer but it's pretty horrendous that battery cages still exist. I have to bite my lip when I see people buy cheap eggs in the supermarket. Although free range egg demand exceeds supply. I'm a bit skint at the mo but still try to be as ethical as possible in my shopping. As HFW said it's insulting to say people on lower incomes can't be ethical. It's a question of conscience and making informed choices. I think it's great M&S and waitrose dont stock or use battery eggs. You also have to remember that 'the other' supermarkets and food producers put battery egg in other foods for example a tesco quiche unless stated that it's made with free range egg, it will have battery eggs in it.
The world would be a better place if people only ate meat once a week and it was decent, high welfare meat. People would be healthier. Let's not forget that intensive farming is also hugely damaging to the environment in several ways and the poor animal husbandry an ideal icubator for disease.
I think if the demand for battery eggs and chickens (and let's not forget other incarcerated animals such as pigs) were to drop obviously it would change things so the consumer has a duty but supermarkets are hugely influential and they could have the power to stop the supply in the first place.
Sadly it comes down to money and these poor animals are not seen as creatures with feelings or rights, they're just pound signs and rappidly churned out for high turnover.

[nightshade]

Hugh seems to have given the supermarkets collective tails a real twist
(although no one mentioned imports of Chinese chicken to this country)
The price of anything effects demand but better education and cooking
techniques to make the most of a better quality bird would pay dividends
Two birds for a fiver appeals to the laziness (only one trip to the shops)
of people not necessarily hunger or financial reasons.Just looking at the
legs and seeing the different amounts of cutaway to conceal defects
should be enough to put anybody off

[zharca]

Hi, it's all very well looking for free range eggs and maybe buying your meat from a known farm shop, but the huge majority of livestock ends up in processed food.
The chicken soup, ready meals, pies, take-aways and restaurants are where the battery-raised animals are going and it will be a huge uphill struggle to make the producers change their minds.

Personally, I find it a pain in the butt to have to go around avoiding a huge amount of what's on offer - there's times I really fancy a pork pie, but the only source of outdoor-reared, home-killed ones I know is 120 miles away - but it's a lot easier on the conscience.

[honeybee]

BBC - Radio 4 You and Yours - Home

Some more points raised and Jamie Olliver interviewed.
We also need to remember the huge amount of male animals (chicks in this case) killed as they're surplus to requirement.

[hammock monkey]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

I did what you seemed to do in the 90's then monkey. Pretty well lived off potatoes for quite some time.
I agree with you to a point, although I'd stop clear of blaming it on "lack of knowledge".
Most people know what a battery chicken is. SURELY?!
HFW may have brought it round again (briefly) to some peoples attention sure, but its not the "knowledge" thats the main problem. Its the MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of people (not the minority, the overwhelming MASSIVE majority), that simply don't care, or care enough.

Doug

agreed, but i feel its easy to assume the modern standard chicken is reasonably well treated until your told any different...i guess that highlights how draconian the intensive farming method is.

[Xanadu2]

Originally Posted by Tinypixi

Anyone watching the Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall Chicken shed on CH 4??

It's a campaign for everyone to convert to buying free range chickens,and to stop Intensive farming of chickens......

Please follow the link and sign up...
Home

xx

I keep trying to access this site but the stupid computer throws a tantrum every time!

[Kayleigh]

I herd the government are going to ban either battery farms or intense farming or both. Any one else herd this??

[coasty]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I herd the government are going to ban either battery farms or intense farming or both. Any one else herd this??

Think you have dreamt that ....

[Xanadu2]

I missed the first programme and wonder when it wil be repeated. I have the other two on video and was glad to catch up on 'The lie of the land' which I have heard about but never seen before.

What really annoyed me was the woman banging on about how the chickens had never known anything else (so presumably had no feelings!) just so she could feed her kids on cheap meat...

Why can't she find something else nutritious to feed them on instead?

[Dogghound]

Signed up to it.

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Xanadu2

I missed the first programme and wonder when it wil be repeated. I have the other two on video and was glad to catch up on 'The lie of the land' which I have heard about but never seen before.

What really annoyed me was the woman banging on about how the chickens had never known anything else (so presumably had no feelings!) just so she could feed her kids on cheap meat...

Why can't she find something else nutritious to feed them on instead?

I am very aware that there are many (including me once) who REALLY cannot afford free range and organic food.
I often find it amusing / bemusing / dismaying though, when many of the people shown on television who claim this, seem very often to be clinically obese...

Doug

[Brocker]

The program itself certainly made me think and opened up a lively debate between me and the wife. . Is it possible to buy free range on a limited budget? We came to the concusion, Yes. If we put this into context and think how often would and average family eat chicken every week, my guess is the answer would probably be once or twice. Therefore, one whole 3-4lb bird should last over two meals for a family of three if you had a roast one day and maybe chicken stir fry another. If that is the case then we are only talking about an extra of £2.00 per week. I wonder how many low income families could really and honestly NOT find two pounds a week. If us as humans put our mind to it we can adapt that budget to suit the pocket. If 'standard' chickens were banned, we would undoubtably find the money to buy free range. I guarantee it. So why not now and put an end to this hideous reality. . . .

[ChrisJB]

Interestingly, whilst doing the weekly shop at Morrisons (forgive me), after work, all the organic chickens were sold out today! I have been buying organic chicken here for about two years and there has always been plenty on the shelves every time previous.

So, the great H.F.Ws message has even filtered it's way up north to Lancs (probably a flash in the pan, but I hope not).

Regards, Chris

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I herd the government are going to ban either battery farms or intense farming or both. Any one else herd this??

I caught the tail end of this the other day on the news, something Hillary Benn said. I'm not sure it's quite as dramatic as this, but definitely some move in the right direction.

Regards, Chris

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Interestingly, whilst doing the weekly shop at Morrisons (forgive me), after work, all the organic chickens were sold out today! I have been buying organic chicken here for about two years and there has always been plenty on the shelves every time previous.

So, the great H.F.Ws message has even filtered it's way up north to Lancs (probably a flash in the pan, but I hope not).

Regards, Chris

Might be something to do with the full page colour ads regarding "ethical chicken" most supermarkets popped in the national press today ("thanks" to HFW's programme, no doubt).
Doug

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

I caught the tail end of this the other day on the news, something Hillary Benn said. I'm not sure it's quite as dramatic as this, but definitely some move in the right direction.

Regards, Chris

Battery cages as we know them are planned to be phased out by 2012. Hillary Benn says he's been under pressure to set this date further in the future but thank god he thinks it should have been done already. Certain farmers are saying they havn't got enough time to change (something like 80% off eggs used in this country are battery sourced-they think they'll have to change too much too quickly).
However I think the conditions are only set to improve a little with 'embelished cages', giving the chickens slightly more room. Apparently years ago one chicken would only lay a few eggs a year, say one a week or less. Battery chickens lay around 300 a year (if they live that long).

[Xanadu2]

Originally Posted by Brocker

The program itself certainly made me think and opened up a lively debate between me and the wife. . Is it possible to buy free range on a limited budget? We came to the concusion, Yes. If we put this into context and think how often would and average family eat chicken every week, my guess is the answer would probably be once or twice. Therefore, one whole 3-4lb bird should last over two meals for a family of three if you had a roast one day and maybe chicken stir fry another. If that is the case then we are only talking about an extra of £2.00 per week. I wonder how many low income families could really and honestly NOT find two pounds a week. If us as humans put our mind to it we can adapt that budget to suit the pocket. If 'standard' chickens were banned, we would undoubtably find the money to buy free range. I guarantee it. So why not now and put an end to this hideous reality. . . .

My niece is a vegetarian with three kids, and she never has a job. However I am amazed at the amount of money she spends on food! So if she can find it, the others can find it too.

Me? I once looked into a broiler chicken house run by friends and was impressed by the amount of space the birds enjoyed. I can't remember how they described the birds, but I don't recollect them having outdoor access. Now I know that's not typical, I'm not eating chicken unless I can afford free range, as I already do when I buy eggs.

[Tinypixi]

Originally Posted by Rats

I don't have much money, but would never, ever eat battery chicken or eggs, I buy outdoor reared pork too, as pigs aren't very well looked after either. If I don't have the money, then I go without, there is plenty of other food to eat! I have been of this mind for about 4 years now and would never go back. It is downright cruel and if everyone started buying freerange, then the price would go down. It tastes so much better too and ultimately the meat is much, much healthier. When the animals just sit around all day, with no exercise and just eating grain (no natural plants, worms etc.) then the meat will be full of fat and basically not much nutrition. After all we are what we eat and so are the chickens.

I couldn't agree more!! If only everyone thought like this.......

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Rats

I don't have much money, but would never, ever eat battery chicken or eggs, I even buy outdoor reared pork. If I don't have the money, then I go without, there is plenty of other food to eat! I have been of this mind for about 4 years now and would never go back. It is downright cruel and if everyone started buying freerange, then the price would go down. It tastes so much better too and ultimately the meat is much, much healthier. When the animals just sit around all day, with no exercise and just eating grain (no natural plants, worms etc.) then the meat will be full of fat and basically not much nutrition. After all we are what we eat and so are the chickens!

I think you have just solved the nations obesity problem

[Dutchess]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

I am very aware that there are many (including me once) who REALLY cannot afford free range and organic food.
I often find it amusing / bemusing / dismaying though, when many of the people shown on television who claim this, seem very often to be clinically obese...

Doug

Ooooh! Big bad Black Rabbit! 'Must admit those were my thoughts, too. If they cut down on whatever it is that is making them obese, they'd perhaps be able to afford free range?? Well....that's a better suggestion than my young friend here made - he suggested they should eat each other!

[peppermint]

i watched the programmes and thought Hugh did a great job in trying to open the eyes of the nation to the broiler chicken industry.

I think the next step would be to do something similar but in the processing plant.

I have recently read a book called not on the label by Felicity Lawrence and the first chapter was about chicken. I was quite horrified by how much water is pumped into the chickens, i am sorry but i cant remember the percentages, and that also proteins from various other animals such as pig and cow were being injected to the chicken in order to make the chicken able to hold more water, to add weight and hence cost. Tests can be done in laboratories to detect the adulteration of the chicken in this way but as reported in the book i mentioned (which came out in 2004) the processors have come up with a way to add cow/pig proteins which can escape detection when tested. If they can do this, it makes me wonder how their methods have progressed and what else we are blissfully unaware of.

I personally dont eat much meat these days, maybe once a week. I like to know where if possible my meat has come from and that it is free range, or even better, organic. Money is a bit of an issue but i would rather not buy meat than eat the cheap stuff that has been so cruelly reared with no space, very minimal light and riddled with health problems.

[Stewy]

Jamie Olivers got a programme on tonight about chickens on C4 at 9pm

[Dan Salter]

Originally