Hugh's Chicken Run (Merged Discussion)

Seakay

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

One thing I have decided tonight is to try and eat more British Veal after watching the other programme. So many calf bulls are needlessly slaughtered and incinerated due to lack of demand for veal meat due to lack of demand for the meat, and all because it hasn't been properly promoted as a good healthy option. Many of us, including me until I saw the programme, don't realise that veal production in this country is now one of the most ethically and humanely produced out of all the meat and poultry we eat!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/food_matters/veal.shtml

It has to be BRITISH veal though as continentally produced veal is still not up to our standards. Does anyone here buy it already that can tell me where to source it at a reasonable price (not from Tescos :mad: ) please?

I've found this site so far http://www.alternativemeats.co.uk/asp/product.asp?recorprod=&product=106&cat=&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=

Surely if we start eating more veal so demand goes up then it will mean fewer calf bulls are slaughtered as waste, and in turn it will help subsidise the dairy farmer if he can gain value from those too :T

Google "British pink veal" for loads of info; found this from M&S:
http://www.meatinfo.co.uk/articles/51715/M/S-backs-British-veal.aspx?categoryid=9016

Frugal_Fox

I've not read all the posts - so forgive me, but I have been watching this. We have a tight food budget and can still afford free range chicken - not often! I always make it last more than one meal and this is the big problem, people just don't 'know' how to cook anymore. I've always got fresh stock inthe freezer - because its part of what I do when I cook a roast. Thus I don't have to spend money on stock cubes either. I don't buy gravy granules either. All this adds up and means on my budget of £40 for 4 people plus dog and 3 cats per week I can STILL afford Free Range.

The bit that made me smile was last night when the people in the pub said they couldn't afford the free range... the difference in price is probably less than the price of two pints. I don't think Hayley should be criticised for her attitude - she needs to be shown how she can make her money go further/work harder for her.

boo81

As well at the chicken out petition there is one for the RSPCA, they need loads more signatures!!

www.supportchickennow.co.uk

Frugal_Fox

chardonnay wrote: »

2. hayley did say she was a single mum, but didn't mention benefits and in the second episode she was wearing a paramedics uniform - so it would appear she does work. [/qutote]

It was a St Johns uniform. My DH - who is a paramedic was not impressed with her wearing her St Johns uniform down the 'lottie' !

chardonnay_2

frugal - does that mean she is a volunteer?

bunty109

After Monday's show, I added a free range chicken to my Tesco shop. I only wanted a small one as OH is away but the picker gave me one that was 2.35kg (it was £8.76). It looks huge!

Anyway, I've just checked the prices online and the 2 for £5 chicken are 1.4 kg each. So you're getting 2.8kg for £5. Thing is that's 2 chickens, so a lot of that is carcass on those 2 chickens, rather than meat. It is a cheaper way to buy chicken, but in terms of the amount of meat you get, I'd wager it isn't massively more on the cheaper 2 chickens in spite of the cost saving.

kevana

Thanks to Margaret for her comments - she said many of the things I had wondered about. I also wondered about this attitude we seem to have about the amount we must eat, I think there are many people who do not have a clue (myself included). I was watching one of the dieting programs the other night that gave an indication for recommended portion sizes for meat, carbohydrates etc. This was nowhere near the portion sizes I dish up for my family, although I do know I have a tendency to do too much food. I do think a lot of these problems are connected, advertising by 'big business', reducing price of food, epidemic of health problems and obesity, over spending etc.

Just slightly off topic and addressing an earlier post that compared the chickens to children - a large portion of our purchasing lifestyle is based on some horrendous working and paying conditions for people in China, India etc, there are plenty of people who simply do not care.

I do think a lot of HFW and anyone else for trying to bring about some change. I am trying to change our families lifestyles and genuinely believe that doing something however small is better than nothing.

Must admit to being shocked about the culled chickens too - do we really have to have chickens of a certain size, surely it would be better to sell them at a proportionate price than just kill and dispose of them?

Pandora123_2

chardonnay wrote: »

i think it is sad that some posters have resorted to name calling (bullying) because hayley has a different opinion to them.

I don't think that it's because she has a different opinion, it's that she obviously can't be truthful about WHY she does not want to buy free range chickens. She CAN afford it, if she wanted to.

If she had simply said, "I don't give a toss what kind of lives these chickens had or how they have suffered, I'm going to buy whatever is cheapest", at least it would have been an HONEST reply. To pretend that she "couldn't afford" them, well perhaps she was trying to make herself out to be someone she isn't.

(Not that it is an excuse for name-calling... but people can obviously see through her fake-ness.)

daveyjp

Never mind Hayley - what about all those in the pub buying beer at £3 a pint saying they weren't on high enough wages to buy free range chicken!

There is a middle way and that is to buy RSPCA approved chicken.

peb

I had the dilemma last night. Reduced - 5 chicken breasts for £2.50. Part of me was saying that they are now dead - it does not matter. Part of me was saying that it wasn't right. I went to the chilled section and it took a while ot find the free range - there was value, healthy living and these with the farm assured sticker on. There is a picture of the farmer telling me how keen she was on keeping the chickens healthy! I didn't buy any in the end. However I have had a closer look at the packaging on some willow farms one I had in the freezer - are they free range? they have bales of hay to play with but have they been outside? I will have a look at the websites mentioned above as it is all too confusing......