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

fc123

ZTD wrote: »

No! No! No!....OK go on then...



Actually I'm currently in the middle of selecting a few books to get, so if you have more suggestions to add to the "weeding list", then go ahead. "Not on the label" has popped up quite often, so that'll be a definate.

"Fooled by Randomness" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb made me feel better about my life (when you get low moments and compare it to others...irrationally I may add )

I refer people to that book when they judge others lives, errors etc. Mind you, a decade ago (when 30) I was the same!
The only bonus of ageing is the wisdom that accompanies it!!:D

nearlyrich

I buy my meat from one of two butchers, both can supply a decent farm reared chicken for less than a fiver which I think is a reasonable amount to spend on a chicken to feed four adults for a main meal with sandwiches for a couple of days from the leftovers.

When I was a child money was tight and we rarely had meat, I can remember having a chicken or a capon for christmas dinner (it was a big one as there were 8 of us and my grandma would have been there too).

I think you have to eat what fits into your budget and when I had little money and big debts we ate cheaper food, I don't feel guilty about that.

ZTD

fc123 wrote: »

"Fooled by Randomness" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb made me feel better about my life (when you get low moments and compare it to others...irrationally I may add )

I've already got that in my "weed list", but it's probably going to lose out to "black swans" that he also wrote.

fc123 wrote: »

The only bonus of ageing is the wisdom that accompanies it!!:D

And that you needn't buy textured stuff anymore...

ZTD

red74 wrote: »

it's not uncommon to go into our local supermarket and it to have totally sold out of all eggs except the battery farm ones (which means toast again for breakfast). Whether or not it's because they don't have as big a supply or because they have ethical customers I don't know.

That's probably more due to their poor supply chain management, than difficulties in supply. There is never any shortage here, but if there was, I know of at least 5 places (of the top of my head) that sell free-range eggs.

But you may live somewhere decidedly less rural.

boredofbeingathome

This thread is turning out to add quite a few extra dimensions, what a wealth of knowledge there is out there. I agree with the supply comments, maybe everyone should move up north as there seems to be a lot of suppliers who cater for demand and pocket, i'm off to my local college tomorrow armed with booklist then i am going to look atsome other retailers in area-without websites to check on prices- should get me out of the house for a bit then i can change the moniker!

ZTD

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

maybe everyone should move up north as there seems to be a lot of suppliers who cater for demand and pocket,

Noo...don't move up north...I'm used to not having a rush-hour...

red74

ZTD wrote: »

That's probably more due to their poor supply chain management, than difficulties in supply. There is never any shortage here, but if there was, I know of at least 5 places (of the top of my head) that sell free-range eggs.

But you may live somewhere decidedly less rural.

Yep, rural it's not. The supermarkets are the only grocery retailers around, there's no butchers, bakers or greengrocers. But a 45 minute drive away and you can find a llama farm. The delights of suburban living - up north!

boredofbeingathome

ZTD wrote: »

Noo...don't move up north...I'm used to not having a rush-hour...

we be in t' country so only a few sheep to woory about until we hit the big town, but apart from roundabouts not to bad:D

competitionscafe

ZTD wrote: »

No! No! No!....OK go on then...



Actually I'm currently in the middle of selecting a few books to get, so if you have more suggestions to add to the "weeding list", then go ahead. "Not on the label" has popped up quite often, so that'll be a definate.

Specifically on the chickens issue I can recommend

Planet Chicken: The Shameful Story of the Bird on Your Plate by Hattie Ellis which (new) is cheapest at Play.com (£5.99 for the paperback) although I got mine secondhand from amazon marketplace. Bad Food britain by Joanna Blythmann is good too and so is her first book The Food We Eat: What You Need to Know to Make a Better Choice, although it is a bit dated (published 1996) there are a few copies on amazon marketplace for 1p (+ hefty postage charge.........)

sammiboo

Geenie wrote: »

As someone who has kept bantams and chickens in the past I wouldn't associate intelligence with these birds!! Have you seen the size of their heads and what brains they could possibly contain? !!! They are programmed to eat and follow a food source, nothing more, so will follow you if they have seen before that you give them food and a nice environment. But that aside, I agree with you totally and they deserve a decent life like any other creature on this earth.

I hate caged birds of any sort, whether for food or as a family pet stuck in an aviary or cage in a house.

You serious?

Of course they have intelligence. I have worked with these birds for years, i think becuase their heads are small as you put it then obviously they must be stupid?!

They know the dangers of their environment and will do what they can to aviod danger, I have reared many of these birds and they make good "pets"

Whether you agree or disagree to caged birds is your opinion. When I worked at the bird sanctuary they were in aviaries for different reasons: diasbled, process of rehabilation back in wild etc.

One of my pet hates are some "animal rights" who go round "releasing" whatever they can without thinking of the concequences.....

When I worked at this sanctaury there was mink farm a few miles away, the animal rights broke in and let all the mink go.

Consequently these mink were killing everything in site, wild birds were being attacked and ripped to pieces. Mink arent native to this country and the local wildlife couldnt cope.

They did the same with a chicken farm, realsed a load of chickens. Now how are chickens supposed to survive in the wild?

I am against animals being kept intensley but letting animals go in the wild really isnt doing them any favours either. I really wish people would stop doing what I have said above, its nice in theory letting them go but in realality its doing more damage than good.

Anyway, I didnt mean to go off topic

But i do want to keep Chickens myself - but will have to wait till i have a bigger garden