The sawdust was certainly kicked up, but is the UK now any nearer to enjoying widespread chicken contentment? It’s two media-frenzied weeks since Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall launched his Chicken Out! campaign, and his series ‘Hugh’s Chicken Run‘ highlighted the less than ideal conditions that intensively farmed chickens have to endure to bring the British consumer a value-for-money bird.
Part of Channel 4′s ‘Big Food Fight‘ season, the three-night series told the story of how standard birds are reared and readied for the supermarket shelf, and what a miserable life they have compared to the Free Range chickens which frolic and wander in the great outdoors. The shows also highlighted the fact that most of the standard birds are now sold at rock bottom prices, with many outlets offering ’2 for £5′ deals.
Turning his home town of Axminster Free Range by the end of the last programme, the TV chef’s campaign has steadily gained support, and by this evening, the sign-up counter rolled over its 114,210th name (well done Chloe from York).
The series made for shocking viewing, made worse by the fact that 95% of the UK’s birds for eating are reared this way. Of course, caged battery hen conditions are even worse, so it does seem that if you do want to have a conscience and give the birds a better life, Free Range birds and eggs are the only way to go.
Ethically-minded and of a compassionate nature, I see no reason why anyone cannot afford to shell out (pun intended) the little extra cost the Free Range products attract. A friend pointed out to me last week that at the end of the day, whether a chicken has roamed the countryside, or roamed (or tried to roam) in its own droppings in an intensive barn, the end result is the same; the chicken is still killed.
Fair point, I thought, but if you were told you had a choice of a nice life or a miserable one, which would you choose? It’s not hard to work out the answer.
It’s the same for other meat, too, I guess. And, the argument goes that if you’re really against all cruelty to animals, then go vegetarian, or at least pescetarian. And yes, I do have chicken breast fillets in my freezer, and I very much doubt they are Free Range. I did buy them before the programme, though, but I will look to seek out the Free Range option when I next need to buy.
That’s if I can. The Chicken Out! campaign website reports that both Tesco and Sainsbury’s have reported a huge increase in Free Range and higher welfare poultry sales since the TV programmes were aired (Sainsbury’s even say that there are availability issues with their Free Range stock), and farmers also state that Free Range birds are very much in demand. As are eggs, which are enjoying their best sales for over 15 years.
The other argument is that free-range produce are much more expensive. This is true, but the price differential isn’t that great. On the Sainsbury’s website tonight, a large standard chicken weighing 2.5kg was £2.19/kg, with the free range West Country bird coming in at £3.99/kg. yes, that’s £1.80/kg more, but it’s not that much more, when economies can be made elsewhere, and is still better value and endlessly healthier than your local KFC.
I’m on a budget, and yes, I only have to worry abut myself, but if other non-necessities are culled from the weekly shopping bill, then free range birds are in the realm of every shopper. It’s only if people want to change things, they’ll buy the kinder option.
The 800 million chickens reared in these awful conditions need our support. So, go on, go Free Range, and get those chickens out.