'Are cheap chicks chic?' Poll discussion & results

wishiwasarichgirl

gritts wrote: »

Who decides on what is acceptable? And do 'they' ever get things wrong?

It seems so far 80%+ may think the chickens deserve a better level of acceptability.

As far as I remember from living on a farm, they are inspected by defra or an animal health group working on behalf of them.

LouBlue

Just because I eat a chicken doesn't mean I want to see it treated badly during its life. I only buy free range but not every week as it is more expensive, but hopefully if the demand increases, then the prices will drop.

JCD_Capulet

I eat the cheapest of chicken whenever I can find it and will continue to do so untill I have more than five pounds per week to spend on food shopping to sustain myself.

As the old saying goes, beggars can't be choosers.

gritts

simondo wrote: »

I fail to see the difference it makes as regardless of how they kept, they are executed after approx, 40 days. The solution is not to eat any meat.

The same situation exists if they lived in the wild. They would likely end up being 'executed' by a fox or disease. Whatever situation I think it is better to have a good life before the guaranteed eventual death that befalls us all.

brooksie77

We should just be letting the farmers get on with bringing us inexpensive poultry that we want to eat. It's hard enough already with all the regulations. It is quite remarkable to be so ungrateful about cheap, quality food (they may not be Bresse chickens, but they're not bad) – and these complaints usually emanate from the same kind of person who then rants about poor people going hungry. Or does that only apply to poor, photogenic brown people four thousand miles away?

Saucepot

MARTINS_DOLL wrote: »

The difference being though is that the poor Chickens have not committed any crime to be treated so appallingly...

In my view you cannot make a comparison, Prisoners have done the crime, and are doing the time.
They deserve to be locked up.

To go all Glen Hoddle, maybe they were really evil in a previous life and have been reincarnated as battery chickens.

Nail_Lad

As was said in the program, if we rule out the production of cheap chickens in this country and the demand still exists then supermarkets will simply import the chickens from cheap chicken producing nations which may (I stress may) have less regulation or less adherence to regulation. A fine line here, that will only be changed by consumers buying habits. Proof enough, that cheap isn't always ethical as is mentioned often throughout this forum.

LouBlue

brooksie77 wrote: »

We should just be letting the farmers get on with bringing us inexpensive poultry that we want to eat. It's hard enough already with all the regulations. It is quite remarkable to be so ungrateful about cheap, quality food (they may not be Bresse chickens, but they're not bad) – and these complaints usually emanate from the same kind of person who then rants about poor people going hungry. Or does that only apply to poor, photogenic brown people four thousand miles away?

But thats the point, they are not quality, battery chickens sold in the supermarket. Yes they are cheap but I have tasted both and the difference is very clear. I would prefer to have chicken less times a month as it costs a little more, knowing it is much better tasting and that they had a better life as well.

Pint_of_Gem

LouBlue wrote: »

But thats the point, they are not quality, battery chickens sold in the supermarket. Yes they are cheap but I have tasted both and the difference is very clear. I would prefer to have chicken less times a month as it costs a little more, knowing it is much better tasting and that they had a better life as well.

Spot on!

The choice is down to the individual, however my view is that in order to be at ease with my own view on animal welfare I will always get a minimum of free range chicken - organic if I can afford it at the time. The affordability issue is clear though - if you can't afford it then don't have it!

The cheapest option is not always the best policy but this issue is all about your own personal view on how you would like your meat reared. If you are fine with the battery-style farming then continue to buy it.

In reply to someone further up the forum, if everyone started buying only free range organic chickens then I doubt the prices would fall, as surely this is the core of the current issue? There also could be a case for saying that prices would actually increase due to demand outweighing supply - simple economics. It would be interesting to see if any of the supermarkets increased their free range and organic ranges this week.

Interestingly, in Sainsburys in Bristol on Sunday there was barely any free range or organic chicken left, whereas the shelves were full of 'cheap chicken' - proof that people had been watching TV?!

LouBlue

Pint_of_Gem wrote: »

Interestingly, in Sainsburys in Bristol on Sunday there was barely any free range or organic chicken left, whereas the shelves were full of 'cheap chicken' - proof that people had been watching TV?!

Yes they have. My local farm shop had been inundated all week, asking for free range, they are getting a lot more in next week.