Free Range Chicken

HappyIdiotTalk

davetaylor wrote: »

I hope that consumers don't go back to cheap chicken whilst waiting for the Free Range to become available?

Dave

Knowing how fickle people can be I'd say that was a very real possibility. I'm hoping my butcher can do better than the supermarkets and keep up the supply. The only thing is he wont be doing fillets, he told me that three times yesterday when I was talking to him. So it looks like I'll have to teach myself how to joint a chicken for myself.

mumoftwo

Had a lovely corn fed free range chicken today. I had ordered online from Asda, just free range and the corn fed one was the substitution, the colour of it was quite yellow but that disappeared after roasting, it was really delicious and the whole family commented on it. The only trouble with it was that is was quite small (1.17kg) but I have picked the bones clean and am making stock as I type.. so chicken and leek soup for the freezer..
Won't go back now for cheap chicken

Any suggestions for chicken fillets? I use them a lot for stir fries, are free range fillets readily available, I have to ask some butchers..

Olliebeak

There were lots of 'ordinary chicken fillets' in Asda today - so much so that they were being drastically marked down and people queueing up for them at 4.15 as I was leaving the store - the 'girl with the gun' was pricing them and handing them straight out at one pack per person - the queue was like a lynch mob!

nooksky

When I watched Hugh's programme, what it reminded me is how we have come to treat chicken as an everyday food and not as a treat these days.

I always remember when my mum gave me some 'normal' chicken breasts backalong and at the time my dogs were poorly so I cooked them up for the dogs and gave them chicken and rice for dinner which is supposed to help. When mum asked if I had eaten the chicken and I told her what I had done with it she thought that was a real waste of chicken as in her day it was a real treat to have chicken and they would not have it very often as it was expensive then.

I think now we just expect to have it regularly and we need to re-educate ourselves that it is better to pay more for a free range chicken and have it less often.

skintscotslass

iwanttosave wrote: »

The willow farm ones arn't free range, they just apparently have nicer living conditions than normal intensive birds (somewhere to perch and fresh air coming in) but they don't get to go outside so still arn't free range in the proper sence of the word.

Just a note, just because its organic doesn't mean it is free range, although I suspect at that price it will be free range.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.......I thought Willow Farm was free range!!!! I spent ages in Tesco today trying to buy chicken breasts. I couldnt see any free range/organic ones, so I got Willow Farm thighs instead.

TroysMum

i bought the Tesco finest corn fed thighs and drumsticks and they were really awful. I usually boil them skinless in a casserole, take them out when cooked and peel the meat off the bones and put the meat back into the casserole. Its the first time buying these free range (i always buy free range eggs). They were really awful, the meat usually falls off the bone but it was chewy and very sinuey, it had layers or sinue on nearly every bit and it wasnt easy to get off the bone and not easy to eat.
I was so dissapointed, i have got another lot in the freezer so will try again, hopefully the next batch will be better.
I also have a free range whole chicken , again i hope this is better!! Gutted!!

TroysMum

tesco finest corn fed free range thighs and drumsticks, sorry!

DonnaP

Hi

The farm shop I use were selling off chickens reduced today (they aren't fully free range, but are partially free range so can't be labelled as such). It seems people have been put off by chicken generally.

Donna

LittleTinker

Hmmmm....Am I the only person on here that saw the investigation into Free Range Chickens on TV a few weeks ago? I think it was the Tonight team that did the programme.It basically said that Free Range Chickens are NOT a kinder option in most cases.I dont know really......Im a bit hazy on the details.....but I do have opinions about jumping on the band wagon....and it seems that people have with this chicken thing. Best thing is.......Dont eat Chickens. Keep 3 or 4.....like us....for the eggs and eat other meat instead :-)

charlies_mum

LittleTinker wrote: »

Dont eat Chickens. Keep 3 or 4.....like us....for the eggs and eat other meat instead :-)

Nice idea, but when you live on a housing estate surrounded by cats and the odd fox, keeping chickens isn't really an option

As for jumping on the bandwagon, I have simply reacted to seeing the programme Hugh F-W did, and if they did the same investigation on other meat, I would probably think twice about eating that too