[breakersrevenge]

2 Chickens for a fiver!!

Anyone watched Hugh's Chicken Run last night.

I thought it was great tv!!

On again tonight at 9 on Channel 4 and channel 4HD

Part of the big food fight series

http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/t...ood-fight.html

Love the adverts for it, you may of seen them! -

[youtube]Jr8nU7K2U_w[/youtube]

[Stuart Wright]

Interesting TV, yes. I specifically had a look round the Tesco poultry isle tonight and they had sold out of Free Range chickens. The first two people I asked said they had settled for normal chickens.
As a keeper of 50 or so free range chickens, I believe it's important that we change our eating habits.

[metalhead72]

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

Interesting TV, yes. I specifically had a look round the Tesco poultry isle tonight and they had sold out of Free Range chickens. The first two people I asked said they had settled for normal chickens.
As a keeper of 50 or so free range chickens, I believe it's important that we change our eating habits.

Agree

[Kelltic]

Dont forget its Jamie Oliver's turn tonight, C4 9pm - Jamie's Fowl Dinners.

[jerryfb]

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

Interesting TV, yes. I specifically had a look round the Tesco poultry isle tonight and they had sold out of Free Range chickens. The first two people I asked said they had settled for normal chickens.
As a keeper of 50 or so free range chickens, I believe it's important that we change our eating habits.

How do you kill your chickens Stuart? When I was a kid my mum and dad just used to break their necks (with sometimes zombie like results). On the HFW programme they seemed to electrocute them and then slit the neck. Is this now the standard approach? It looked a bit technical and put me off keeping chickens again.

[DRFielding]

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

As a keeper of 50 or so free range chickens, I believe it's important that we change our eating habits.

WHY ? If there is some real measurable nutritional benefit then fine, but if the only reason is 'Poor Chickens, what a horrible life' then no I don't agree, do these chickens even know they have an horrible life, I doubt it, this is again about humans and there feelings!!.

As always the media picks a subject and bombards the consumer with one view point, I've heard no mention of the bigger picture, if we follow this through to it's logical conclusion and all our food is produced more ethically / organically then shopping bills will be much higher, which will result in higher inflation etc, people are already struggling with the effects of the credit crunch, higher interest rates etc. Also it's the consumer being targeted with these programs, but what about the fast food industry, restaurants, process foods etc, I very rarely buy a chicken so I don't have an effect on this issue directly however I do eat a lots of foods that contains chicken, I've heard no criticism of these industries, which must use more chickens.

And a final though if this is all about cruelty then I can think of a lot more important issues in the world that could do with our attention before we try to save the chicken, but then that would take some real effort wouldn't it rather than just making a TV show!!!!

[Simon_143]

I thought these 3 programmes were excellent, we changed to free range and organic meat a while back and although it does cost extra the quality and taste are in my opinion worth it.

I know these chickens are only bred for us to slaughter and eat, however I do believe there short lives should not be spent couped up together in almost constant light, eating almost continually just so they reach an acceptable killing weight within 40 days.

[mattrixdesign2]

Originally Posted by DRFielding

WHY ? If there is some real measurable nutritional benefit then fine, but if the only reason is 'Poor Chickens, what a horrible life' then no I don't agree, do these chickens even know they have an horrible life, I doubt it, this is again about humans and there feelings!!.

As always the media picks a subject and bombards the consumer with one view point, I've heard no mention of the bigger picture, if we follow this through to it's logical conclusion and all our food is produced more ethically / organically then shopping bills will be much higher, which will result in higher inflation etc, people are already struggling with the effects of the credit crunch, higher interest rates etc. Also it's the consumer being targeted with these programs, but what about the fast food industry, restaurants, process foods etc, I very rarely buy a chicken so I don't have an effect on this issue directly however I do eat a lots of foods that contains chicken, I've heard no criticism of these industries, which must use more chickens.

And a final though if this is all about cruelty then I can think of a lot more important issues in the world that could do with our attention before we try to save the chicken, but then that would take some real effort wouldn't it rather than just making a TV show!!!!

Right I am not a vegetarian, nor am I some animal rights activist, but I think its high time we start to respect the food we eat, and understand how it got to the plate. Although programs like this can sensationalise the subject, they are useful for educating the public, as a lot of people don't think how the meat got there - all they seem to care about is how cheap it is. I know people who won't eat meat of a bone, because it reminds them of what there are eating

I don't presume Chickens are thinking "if only it had a better life" but we can see they live miserable lives, and we have the power to change it. I am also a believer that a healthier/happier animal will help make a better more nutritional meat. There are studies to show that the average chicken now contains more fat than a chicken for the 50'/60's - WHY? Because they have been inbred and treated to grow large quickly and in a confined space - so more fat on the damn freaky thing.

I only buy free range chicken and eggs now (getting there with other meats - but the choice is limited unless I travel further to a good butchers). The extra price isn't that much, and IMO the (organic) chicken goes further as there are more usable bits (decent meat / not fatty meat).

[dan1979]

Originally Posted by DRFielding

WHY ? If there is some real measurable nutritional benefit then fine, but if the only reason is 'Poor Chickens, what a horrible life' then no I don't agree, do these chickens even know they have an horrible life, I doubt it, this is again about humans and there feelings!!.

Yes there is nutritional and taste benefit due to the better diet the chickens have, slower growing also means it will have better taste and texture.

Aside from anything else:

Do you want to a grossly obese chicken that could barely stand and sat in its own extrement for its entire life or would you rather have one that was fit and healthy running about outside?

I'd happily pay a couple of quid extra for the latter.

Whether you think it's a worthwhile issue or not it's only right that people are informed about these things.

[oakie]

I used to work as a chicken / turkey catcher, i have been to literally thousands of farms, what you see in these programs represent the very best factory farmed sheds, reality is they get a lot lot worse

[mattrixdesign2]

Originally Posted by oakie

I used to work as a chicken / turkey catcher, i have been to literally thousands of farms, what you see in these programs represent the very best factory farmed sheds, reality is they get a lot lot worse

and that is what really bothers me.

By the way "chicken/turkey catcher" I just love that job title!

[broooce]

Is this on again?

[breakersrevenge]

Last week I bought some eggs from a house in our village, You know the ones, they have a little stall and the usually sell fresh veg along with the free range eggs.

I got 1 dozen eggs for £1.20

Went to get some today and the price was £1.40!!

I've got a feeling he's trying to cash in!

[mjn]

Originally Posted by dan1979

Yes there is nutritional and taste benefit due to the better diet the chickens have, slower growing also means it will have better taste and texture.

And be free from growth hormones!!

It is said to be these growth hormones that are being blamed for girls as young as 3 hitting puberty!!