Hugh's Chicken Run (Merged Discussion)

kethry

From the River Cottage website:

RiverCottage wrote:

At the time we made the decision to set up our experimental farm (in June 2007) we had not been able to gain access, either for ourselves or for local shoppers, to any intensive poultry farms.

Not strictly true. Anyone who saw "Jamie's Fowl Dinners" will know that Jamie was given access to a couple of poultry farms - both for meat and egg chickens. Jamie's visit was facilitiated by Lloyd Maunder. Hugh was given the same opportunity, but the decision was (apparently) made not to take up on that because of the potential clash with Jamie's programme.

you can find more info on that here, although the link to the press release, sadly, no longer works. The gentleman who runs this blog is a smallholder himself, farms chickens, pigs and vegetables, and has since written a number of other blogs on similar subjects, raising concerns of people taking on chickens, thinking they're easy to look after, then the first time they need to go away on holiday, getting rid of them. He's also written an informative, thoughtful piece on intensive farming.

i do have a couple of blog entries written by someone else on how to keep chickens properly, if anyone is interested then i will post the links to there as well.

Personally, while i admire HFW, Jamie etc. for running these campaigns, i do agree with what stoney said (to paraphrase): if you're gonna throw stones at people, make damn sure you don't live in a glass house.

HTH

keth
xx

~Chameleon~

geordie_joe wrote: »

It matters to me.

If the plan was to raise one crop of chickens to show us the difference then fine.

But to me it's beginning to look like and advert aimed at getting us to eat more of something he has just started selling, or at least intends to start selling.

Did he have one eye on the chicken's welfare and the other on his bank balance?

And besides, if he has decided to go into largescale free range chicken production that can only be GOOD thing! We need more free range farmers to keep up with the increased demand and I'm certain I for one would much prefer to buy one of his chickens than from some Bernard Matthews wannabe who might have $$ for eyes and cut corners to produce sub-standard "free range" poultry at reduced cost

geordie_joe

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I can see where you're coming from but you appear to be overlooking quite a major issue, which if you've read the articles on the River Cottage site will tell you that it#'s highly unlikely Hugh is continuing to use that farm to produce chickens. The farm itself failed inspections on so many levels that it would cost an absolute fortune to get it up to standard, and we saw in the programme the difficulties he faced in even getting it to a standard they could feasibly use for the programme.

I did read the articles, but the farm doesn't have to be in that place. That shed not being up to standard is not a barrier to him producing chickens. Every chicken producer has had to buy/build or adapt a shed, it never stopped them doing it.

I also think he has the money to have a shed built or even buy a ready built one.

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I think Hugh was rather naive in thinking it would be easy to set-up and replicate such a farm so I think it highly unlikely he will continue to use it.

I don't, after all he is a farmer, he already makes money from other types of farm produce. He also runs courses about keeping free range chickens so he also has the people with the skills and experience.

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I'm sure if he were to then it would be more highly publicised and more people would be talking about it, but I'm struggling to find any reference whatsoever that the farm is still in production. I can't view the interview you linked to as for some reason it refuses to load on all 3 of the PC's I've now tried it on

I to can find no evidence that the farm is still in production, or that production has been moved to another site.

However, I would do it if I were in his position and I think most others would too. I'm not saying it was his aim to be in this position all along, but he is now in a perfect position to start producing free range chickens and not may would pass it up.

The one and only "real" thing that makes me think he will continue to produce chickens is him saying he has harvested his last crop (of chickens) for this year.

Suppose you had grown one crop of chickens, and you were only ever going to grow one crop. Those chickens had been killed, then someone asks you if you still have them, would you reply "We've harvested our last crop for this year" ?

It would only make sense to me if he had started, or was planning to start another crop which would not be harvested until after the new year.

PS. The clip doesn't work for me, but works if I use the "Launch in external player" link which is just under the play controls.

Lotus-eater

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

And besides, if he has decided to go into largescale free range chicken production that can only be GOOD thing! We need more free range farmers to keep up with the increased demand and I'm certain I for one would much prefer to buy one of his chickens than from some Bernard Matthews wannabe who might have $$ for eyes and cut corners to produce sub-standard "free range" poultry at reduced cost

I agree, HFW's chickens will never be widely sold anyway, because they are too expensive. Unless he goes into large scale production, which I just can't see tbh.

People campaign about things they know about and are involved with. Can't see what all the fuss is about. Celeb chefs are everywhere, thats what he is, a celeb chef turned celeb smallholder. They all try to sell their books/cooking gear and they all try to get on tv as much as possible.
He really believes in what he says, that comes through, same as Monty Don actually.
Although, my lord isn't he on tv alot

geordie_joe

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

And besides, if he has decided to go into largescale free range chicken production that can only be GOOD thing!

I agree, but if that is what he was planning to do before the program went on air then I question his reasons for making the program in the first place. Not to mention his honesty.

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

We need more free range farmers to keep up with the increased demand

Yes but he played a large part in creating that extra demand, and I think he should have declared an interest.

A simple "I hate the way chickens are kept in battery farms and think we should all eat free range ones. There are not enough FR chickens available so I am going to start produce them to enable more people to switch, and here's why" and then show the program.

Of course we have no concrete proof that he is/or plans to produce chickens for selling. If he is/does then I for one will think his program was more on an underhand trick to make him money that a genuine attempt to help chickens.

If he doesn't then I will think the opposite and my respect for him will go up.

Lotus-eater

kethry wrote: »

Not strictly true. Anyone who saw "Jamie's Fowl Dinners" will know that Jamie was given access to a couple of poultry farms - both for meat and egg chickens. Jamie's visit was facilitiated by Lloyd Maunder. Hugh was given the same opportunity, but the decision was (apparently) made not to take up on that because of the potential clash with Jamie's programme.

I wondered about that. And "we've got to get the shed ready as I've already ordered 4000 chicks" who orders that unless they know they have somewhere to put them :rotfl:
On the other hand it does make good tv, building a intensive poultry farm and adding a bit of drama.

geordie_joe

margaretclare wrote: »

Hello geordiejoe, was interested in you saying you live between towns and to get a free-range chicken you'd have to walk to Tesco which is difficult for you.

Thanks, I've had a quick look at the site and the prices don't seem as high as others I've looked at. Nice to have a personal recommendation too.

We do have a butcher, used to have two but one closed down. I think this one is struggling to survive too. As he says "people don't want to use the butchers these days".

~Chameleon~

geordie_joe wrote: »

Of course we have no concrete proof that he is/or plans to produce chickens for selling. If he is/does then I for one will think his program was more on an underhand trick to make him money that a genuine attempt to help chickens.

If he doesn't then I will think the opposite and my respect for him will go up.

Having been a fan of HFW for some years now - I've watched him on tv, participated in his forum and bought his very excellent MEAT book - I can say hand on heart that I think he is a truly genuine bloke and very passionate about what he believes in, hence making the programme in the first place. I really do doubt that he would be so devious as to do all this only to further his own financial interests. He simply doesn't need to

~Chameleon~

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I wondered about that. And "we've got to get the shed ready as I've already ordered 4000 chicks" who orders that unless they know they have somewhere to put them :rotfl:
On the other hand it does make good tv, building a intensive poultry farm and adding a bit of drama.

He'd already got the shed before he ordered the eggs to be incubated. What he didn't realise though, hence my earlier comment as to his naivety, is that the shed would need so much work doing to it just to bring it up to bare minimum standard. In fact, if you recall from the programme, it wasn't until the Irish stockman he'd hired came over to see where the chickens were going to be raised that he was made aware of exactly how much work would be involved in getting it up and running.

Lotus-eater

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Having been a fan of HFW for some years now - I've watched him on tv, participated in his forum and bought his very excellent MEAT book - I can say hand on heart that I think he is a truly genuine bloke and very passionate about what he believes in, hence making the programme in the first place. I really do doubt that he would be so devious as to do all this only to further his own financial interests. He simply doesn't need to

I agree exactly, I really liked him when he did the wild food thing, the first time he was on tv I think. It wasn't till he came across smallholding that he truly found his niche and he still has the same passion for it, as when he started.