'Hugh's Chicken Run' A Moral Dilemna for DFWs?

rog2

I have just watched Hugh Fearnley-Whittington's programme about the 'morals' of intensive chicken farming versus the 'Free-Range' chicken.
Whilst I agree, wholeheartedly, that 'Free-Range' meat - whether chicken, Pork or whatever - not only tastes better, but it is immensely satisfying to see that the animals in question have at least been given a 'decent quality of life' before their inevitable slaughter.
The problem remains, though, that 'Free Range' meat is so much more expensive - especially when, as most of us on this forum, we are living on a very tight budget.
We buy the 2 for £5 chickens, as opposed to the Free Range birds which can cost in excess of £7 each - should we feel guilty?

thefuturesbright_2

Depends what your financial state is.Id rather miss out on that pint of beer or a new pc game so long as i'm helping those poor chickens.

I'd be a veggy if i could but i can't so i want to give the animals i eat a good life before they give me a good meal.

cazziebo

Yes we probably should...

I'm going to try to have chicken as a treat and only buy free range from now on. I've usually found some in the reduced section in Morrison's or Sainsbury's. going to try to find some more veggie recipes instead..

Raising food like that cannot be good for you, so we might all be better off by boycotting it.

I'm not very imaginative though...

itsnever2lateisit?

Perhaps we should go back two or three generations when the back garden wasnt lawn cluttered with swings et al but a vegetable garden, my Grandfather grew all his own fruit and veg, but always bought the best meat he could from the butcher.


PS Even the pea pods were not thrown away, but made into wine:beer:

slowlyfading

I must admit that if I buy any chicken, whether its a whole chicken or fillets or whatever, I buy free range. That program just made me feel more strongly about it! I do see the point about how they're more expensive, but for me the animal wellfare comes first. just my opinion though

skint_spice

I refuse to feel guilty about it just because it's the latest middleclass crusade. Sorry Rog but Jamie Oliver and Hugh are getting right up my nose at the minute.

If I had the money I would buy organic, free range everything but I don't so I'll just live with it and try to save the planet in my own small ways.

rog2

itsnever2lateisit? wrote: »

Perhaps we should go back two or three generations when the back garden wasnt lawn cluttered with swings et al but a vegetable garden, my Grandfather grew all his own fruit and veg, but always bought the best meat he could from the butcher.

I must admit that I, too, am from that generation - we had chickens, both for eggs and meat, and would always raise our own turkeys for Christmas. My father stopped short of keeping pigs as we lived in the city, but our uncles, who lived in the country, all kept pigs, and cured their own bacon.
Perhaps we have become lazy, but also the excessive 'regulations' of today make it more difficult to be 'self sufficient'.
We are trying, though - my son's Christmas present, to us, was a very nice 'chicken coop' and in the spring we are going to get a couple of 'point of lay' hens - hope we don't annoy the neighbours. :rolleyes:

pania

i'm sadly very sad, I only buy my eggs from the local farm shop where i can see the chickens running around. They still have straw attached!! If i'm buying meat for OH I buy it from tesco but free range, also would love to find a local butchers that sells meat that they have raised or slaughtered themselves. Norfolk is the battery farming capital of the world and it makes me so sad when i drive past one of the barns.
Animals are intelligent, feeling, emotive creatures and deserve the best of life until they go. Some DFW's don't have a choice but to buy value or battery raised meat which is perfectly understandable. The supermarkets need to take more responsibility to make the kinder food more cost effective for consumers. at the end of the day what price a life?

rog2

skint_spice wrote: »

I refuse to feel guilty about it just because it's the latest middleclass crusade. Sorry Rog but Jamie Oliver and Hugh are getting right up my nose at the minute.

Exactly why I asked the question s_s. We certainly can not afford to buy free range or organic, unless of course it has been 'yellow-labelled'.
I also agree that these 'campaigns' tend to be led by people to whom the pennies don't really matter. It was suggested, on the programme, that Hugh FW, had his own agenda, since he sells his 'River Cottage' free range chickens in his own shop at something like £20 a bird.

pania

rog2 wrote: »

I must admit that I, too, am from that generation - we had chickens, both for eggs and meat, and would always raise our own turkeys for Christmas. My father stopped short of keeping pigs as we lived in the city, but our uncles, who lived in the country, all kept pigs, and cured their own bacon.
Perhaps we have become lazy, but also the excessive 'regulations' of today make it more difficult to be 'self sufficient'.
We are trying, though - my son's Christmas present, to us, was a very nice 'chicken coop' and in the spring we are going to get a couple of 'point of lay' hens - hope we don't annoy the neighbours. :rolleyes:

I'm not sure it's laziness. I think it's more that a lot of consumers couldn't physically handle the idea of killing pinky or henrietta, if the meat comes in a polystyrene tray with no blood or gristle attached then there is a massive element of disassociation of what that product actually is.
If you gave a person a chicken and said kill it, pluck it, gut it and cook it you'd suddenly have a vegetarian on your hands!:rotfl: I think as the older generation grew up with keeping gobble for the christmas table they didn't have the element of squeamishness around today.
Yay to the sons christmas pressie! would love to keep chickens!!

pania

There is reasonably priced chickens and other meat in the supermarket that has the RSPCA freedom food stamp on it. we don't have to buy the mega expensive stuff to make it better.