Single hen

[Egluntyne]

In today's Daily Mail

 

" Waitrose has announced plans to dramatically reduce the crowding in chicken sheds on its supplier's farms."

 

and

 

" We are the first and only major high street supermarket to set low maximum stocking density as recommended by stringent RSPCA standards for all our whole own brand Select Farm Chicken."

 

The govt recommends a max of 17 birds per sq m. Waitrose have announced a lower figure of 15.

 

Its a step in the right direction, but does not go anywhere near far enough in my opinion.

 

Will the chickens have better access to food and water?

[Martin B]

It's still awful!

[Trish]

15 birds per sq metre, tha's still mad

[Guest]

I am sitting at my desk at work and I am trying to imagine 15 chickens on it. It is probably a little over a square metre

 

Waitrose do a lovely leaflet that I picked up last week with some beautiful pictures of animals on their farms.

 

There were cute little pigs and chooks running around beautiful fields. The leaflet went on to say how they are cared for and fed only the best food.

 

After hearing they are reducing the amount of chickens from 17 to 15 per square metre, I don't think that leaflet is very relevant

 

I still can't imagine 15 chickens living in a space as big as my desk

[Lesley]

Just try imagining the 3 hens to a piece of A4 paper - I think that is right with battery hens?

[buffie]

It's 1 hen to an A4 piece of paper Lesley. The problem is it's all legal. I just think if we say we want improvements we make it happen by thinking about our shopping baskets.

 

I support Waistrose as my shopping costs more but there is a reason for that. If they want to improve standards thats a big from me. It's costs them money to improve things and the farmer is always squeezed out in the deal, any improvement is good. I have changed my opions so much since getting involved with BHWT, I can see how much the consumer drives the cheap demand. Everytime we buy a cheap cut of this or a value that ( juast think of an egg) it's the animal and the farmer that loses out. Waitrose don't do a 'cheap' range and that also suits me.

 

It's the big picture and I could never see it before.

 

BBx

[Eyren]

15 birds per sq metre, tha's still mad

 

That's about 30 birds in an eglu run

[Cate in NZ]

15 birds per sq metre, tha's still mad

 

That's about 30 birds in an eglu run

 

I hadn't done that calculation Redfox, but it's appalling. In the mornings I often have 4 hens in an eglu run, but only until I get organised enough to let them out. Even so I feel guilty about them being a bit cramped in such a small space. Imagining 30 of them crammed in there is dreadful

 

That said I agree with Buffie's posting and I do support Waitrose generally- at least they are making an effort and any improvement has to be a positive thing. Consumers expect cheap food these days, and Waitrose can't afford to price itself out of the market too much- unfortunately.

 

My meat these days almost all comes from my fantastic local butcher, otherwise I buy organic or free range from farmers markets or the supermarket. That way I hope that the animal concerned has had a happy life, and also not been pumped up with nasty chemicals that I'd prefer not to be eating myself.

[Martin B]

15 birds per sq metre, tha's still mad

 

That's about 30 birds in an eglu run

#

 

Gosh that's awful!

[Lesley]

It's 1 hen to an A4 piece of paper Lesley

 

I was sure it was more - especially if it is 15/17 birds per sq.m in the higher quality range?

[buffie]

1 hen to A4 for battery hens Lesley. That's no space at all

 

BBx

[Martin B]

It's terrible, I've heard people who have seen my eglu say that it's too small, but it's no compariso. Anyway my chooks are out for most of the day!

[Tara.F]

people told me that eglus are too small but having seen how my hens snuggle up together taking up as much space as a battery hen I realise I could have kept 3 birds in comfort after all, provided they get out and about during the day.

 

I'm glad waitrose are reducing crowding. Assuming that no supermarket would reduce their own profits, I guess that those of us who refused to buy battery eggs actually did make a difference!

 

Of course 15 per sq m is appalling but lets hope this mnarks the start of a trend

[buffie]

Yes tara when they roost (in the eglu) they sit close together, it's the freedom during the day to move and act out their natural behavior that caged hens are deprived of, amongst other things

 

BBx

[Paola]

15 birds per sq metre, tha's still mad

 

That's about 30 birds in an eglu run

 

That is awful.

 

My husband has a new idea in his head that he would like to get some land and have some free-range chickens to sell the eggs. Not sure how profitable it would be. He likes the idea that you can stamp the chickens name on the eggs that they have laid. How he thinks you would know who has lain what I do not know. He also likes the idea of having visitors so that they can see how much space they have and happy they are etc

[Lesley]

I think, once you get past 8 layers, you give up noticing who lays which egg!!!!!

 

We do know with our older 8 and only three of the new ones are laying and I do tend to register the fact it is a 'bluebelle' egg or a 'daistbelle' egg - but mostly because I'm waiting for the blue egg layers to start laying

[gotsomechickens]

15 birds per sq metre, tha's still mad

 

That's about 30 birds in an eglu run

 

That is awful.

 

10 to an eglu would still be awful, maybe even 7 would still be pretty bad.

They must be absoluetly always walking in their own "produce". And not the eggs

[Eyren]

They must be absoluetly always walking in their own "produce". And not the eggs

 

That is one of the issues raised by the fast-growing "table" breeds - they have weak legs and get sores from sitting in all the filth