Geoid Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Went to Tesco today, and there was no free range chicken at all (apart from 1 whole one) but there was this notice on the empty shelves: Those campaigns are working! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luthien Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Thats been on our tescos but I think from January/feb and its still not resolved ...Its a real struggle to find any free range chicken there now (esp a whole one) but mum and I won't have any till we get free range chicken...got some for 2nite with a new recipe (maple syrup and sesame seeds YUM!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 **This** was in last night's Sheffield Star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 found this on Chicken Out forum (don't know how antic the info is) *** All products shown on the Freedom Food website (www.freedomfood.co.uk) have the Freedom Food logo displayed on the packaging and are available in all or a significant number of stores. For a product to carry the Freedom Food label not only must it have come from a Freedom Food accredited farm but it must have been transported, processed and packed according to RSPCA and Freedom Food standards. This means that in the case of chickens they have been reared, transported and slaughtered according to strict RSPCA welfare standards and that all the standards have been met. All our members are re-inspected by a Freedom Food trained assessor once a year. In addition, RSPCA farm livestock officers carry out monitoring visits on a percentage of the membership each year to make sure the standards are being maintained. Full traceability must be established throughout the supply chain before any product bearing the Freedom Food logo can appear on supermarket shelves. In the case of Willow chickens we understand that the welfare of these indoor reared chickens is improved in many areas compared to standard bird production, however they do not fully meet the RSPCA welfare standards for indoor reared birds. Further we are not in a position to give assurance as we do not carry out the assessments on the farm, haulier. abattoir or conduct traceability checks as the suppliers are not members of the Freedom Food scheme. If you require further information on the RSPCA standards for chicken and those labelled Freedom Food please go to www.supportchickennow.co.uk for more information otherwise please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of anymore assistance. Yours sincerely, Liam Kurzeja Marketing Assistant Freedom Food Ltd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Not Tesco's but our Sainsburys had FRENCH free range chickens in yesterday and loads of the cheap nasty ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Not Tesco's but our Sainsburys had FRENCH free range chickens in yesterday and loads of the cheap nasty ones The public needs educating because it is them who fuel the industry.If more people were made aware or atleast made to care about how intensivly reared chooks were kept-the industry would die out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Not Tesco's but our Sainsburys had FRENCH free range chickens in yesterday and loads of the cheap nasty ones The public needs educating because it is them who fuel the industry.If more people were made aware or atleast made to care about how intensivly reared chooks were kept-the industry would die out. I know. Must admit they always seem to have a few of the nasty ones left no matter what time I go so perhaps people aren't buying them as much as they used to in our branch. Me, I stand there and announce that I'm not buying the "Ooops, word censored!" because of how they are treated. Did the same over the pork yesterday as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 aah - dn't you just love freedom of (overtly loud) speech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 - it does make some others think ..... I think Tesco are playing a game (no surprise there ) - I don't think that they are trying to source more free-range chicken - I think they are just playing a waiting game and hoping most people will go back to buying cheap chicken....... They may get a surprise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keanie Bean Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I work in the largest Sainsburys in the country and we have been sourcing birds from France since these programes have been aired on the TV, label Rouge I think they are called. We now hve plenty of Free range birds all the time but are still stocking the French birds aswell! I have to say good on the consumer as they simply do not seem to sell as well and are always found being reduced to stupidly low prices. I dont know why Tescos is having a problem still and I think they are just being more stubborn about the whole issue. Customers have definately change their buying habits since seeing how cruelly the broiler and caged birds were treated, but there is still plenty of room for improvements. Sarah.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Thanks Peanut - that's interesting about Willow farm as I've bought those in the past thinking that they were a good compromise if there's no free range available, but they are obviously not what I thought. It's all academic now as I don't use Tesco any more and buy my meat from Waitrose (love those Sheepdrove farm chooks!) and at the local butcher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 We had the same sign in our Tesco this week, i don't entirely beleive it either. They've never had many free range chickens anyway. I buy from Waitrose now, even OH is convinced, the taste alone makes the extra cost justifiable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I hear what you are all saying but you cant expect things to happen overnight . Hubby works in the poultry industry catching chickens and if everyone wants free range chicken then people will have to appreciate that free range and organic chicken takes longer to produce than standard, so with the huge demand for this then demand is going to outstrip supply. Chicken farmers have to invest approx £90k for a free range chicken house which houses about 5000-6000 birds. Standard birds are slaughtered at 39 days old and free range at 56 days old, organic at 70 days so with the amount of free range and organic farms in the uk they cant turn them over fast enough, so the industry needs farmers to invest before you will see an increase in the amount of the product. Free range and organic houses are not just emptied and then filled again - they have to be cleaned, disinfected and restocked so this all adds to the time on top of the growing of the chickens. Just thought I would add some insight on the subject (I too am a free range buyer and disappointed when sainsburys run out!! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I agree Chelsea - and I know it will take time to change over.....It's just Tesco I don't believe..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 It's just Tesco I don't believe..... i know what you mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I'm a Waitrose girl too. All UK fresh chicken. I buy their standard chicken as it has always been the higher welfare chicken even before the TV programs. They've even got their own farm at Leckford with chickens and cows. They've got a Festival on at their farm 23-25 May. Was wet weekend last year, hopefully better this year. http://www.seetickets.com Search under Waitrose Spring Food Festival Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 The biggest problem in NIMBYism We have a poultry farmer near here who has been trying for about 5 years to increase his flock of free range layers he bought a new farm nearby which was previously owned by edinbuurgh University and was used for completely agricultral purposes he got planning permission (eventually) after long arguments with the locals who at one point tried to use the local school and bird flu as an objection He built a new shed with the intention of building ten and they burned it down He wants to increase his flock because that is what the supermarkets want him to supply but how can he with all of this going on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 went to tesco yesterday for free range chicken - there was none but we did get Free Range Turkey instead - which was delicious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...