4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[fluffy chick]

The farmers were picking them up and carrying around by the feet etc, throwing them around.

Even worse is that many people couldnt care less. They just want a cheap product.

 

Humans are the ugliest animal

[The Dogmother]

This is one of my soapbox topics, so I shall be watching it with interest.

 

All our meat is free range and local, our poultry is too - a friend keeps meat birds and I can have one so long as I despatch and dress one for her too. If there aren't enough birds, then I buy from a farmer at Stratford farmers' market - I've been to their farm and seen the conditions.

 

We try not to eat products with hidden egg and stick to organic or brands which we know to use free range. I make most of our food up myself, so can be sure of the provenance of the ingredients. If in doubt, we just go without.

[Guest]

don't forget foraging!

 

I just made a tarte tatin with apples we foraged last year. I peeled, cored, sliced and froze them and i use them for all sorts of things. I need to clear the freezer though ready for this years fruit harvest so that's my excuse for tonight's fattening dessert!

 

[The Dogmother]

Yes, thanks for reminding me Poet, I love the fruitful seasons when there's loads of free food to be had hedge-witching is a favourite past-time.

 

A friend is a herbalist - Rosie used to be convinced that she is a white witch - and we sometimes go with her and there's always something new to learn. The dogs love blackberry season; they can both pick their own.

[Guest]

will be off checking the local elder trees at the weekend

[lolimac]

And don't forget that most eggs end up in products and not in egg boxes on the shelves. Buying eggs locally is fine but what do you do if you want to buy cakes, quiches, pasta, mayo and other foods containing egg? At least if you buy free range or organic, you're not supporting the battery system.

 

Here's a link to the CIWF campaign to end battery cages for anyone who wants to get active.

Bake your own...

I only really started baking when i got my chooks and now refuse point blank to buy any eggs and never let any go to waste.Topics like this is precisley the reason i got chickens in the first place.

Looking forward to hearing the outcome.

[Jools]

In an ideal world, of course everyone would. We'd all keep a couple of backyard hens for eggs, grow our own veg and cook from scratch, but that's not very realistic for most people. I'm as much of a green/domestic goddess as the next person, but there are times when the pressures of modern life mean you have to hit the shops and avid label reading becomes the norm. The tiny minority of us that only eat/buy truly free range eggs will have little impact on battery farming, but educating Joe Public to choose only free-range or organic egg products will make a real difference. I have friends and family who swear they only eat free-range eggs, then tuck into pasta, sauces, puddings, ice cream etc etc in restaurants. They're flabbergasted when I decline a dessert because it contains egg, even suggesting they might be free range!

[The Dogmother]

I took a local restaurant to task - I wanted a starter salad which had an egg on it, asked if the eggs was free range; it wasn't so I had the salad without the egg - fair enough. When we'd finished the meal, I asked the owner why they don't use free range eggs, and his reply was so rude and unprintable that I didn't bother trying to enlighten him, but wrote a letter to the local rag, which was published....

 

My friends and I have blacklisted that restaurant ever since.

[mnwickens]

I'm sure I'm going to upset some people but I think there is another side to this.

 

Free range and organic are great if people can afford them. Without a doubt they are more expensive. Many can afford it if they would give up smoking/drinking and other luxuries, but there are many who simply cannot fit free range/organic into their budget.

 

If a person has to make a choice between the welfare of an animal and their family eating, then the family must come first.

 

I am not advocating or defending the poor treatment of animals. I believe animal products can be provided at fair prices and still provide good care for the animal. But pressure applied on some poorer families is pressure in the wrong place. Neither can farmers absorb all the costs.

 

The pressure needs to be applied to the supermarkets who make staggering profits from products.

 

It just feels sometimes that some believe free range/organic products are something everyone should use, but for some it is simply not possible.

[The Dogmother]

The pressure needs to be applied to the supermarkets who make staggering profits from products.

 

And the way to do this (as mentioned earlier) is by motivating folk to vote with their shopping trollies. There will always be a section of society who can either not afford t do this, or just don't give a stuff. We have to accept that, work with what we have and move on. Supporting the BHWT will help immensely as they work on spreading the news of hidden egg in products, we can also work on it ourselves by gently pointing out the issues to all we know.

[migsy]

That looks delicious Poet.

 

Kar333 - Excellent. They responded very quickly. I'm sure they will keep you informed if you keep the pressure up. Well done. Please update us when you can.

[Guest]

That looks delicious Poet...

 

I'm afraid it was...'afraid' because it means I'll have to make another one and i dread to think of the calories in it!

[cheekymonkey200]

If you cant guarentee that your meat or eggs come from a happy home then dont eat them. Or even better- eat your own eggs and go veggie- the sums just dont add up when it comes to eating meat s far as I'm concerned.

[fluffy chick]

Once upon a time meat was really expensive. People made ends meet by 'bulking' meals out with cheap veg, adding potatoes and beans to meat pies. Meat was a treat and people used far more of the animal than we do now, we are too fussy and turn our noses up at cheap cuts. My gran was an expert at making a little meat go a long way because once upon a time they could only afford it once or twice a week and any left overs didn't go to waste.

 

If we made the most of the meat we buy we could buy less of it (at a higher price.) Which means better conditions for the animals.

 

We are used to eating meat at nearly every meal and it never used to be like this.

 

I'm sorry but in my opinion meat is supposed to be expensive

[Guest]

I made a free range chicken tagine the other night but i bulked it out with chick peas, sweet peppers, red onions, kidney beans, apricots and almonds.

 

Tonight I made some puff pastry slices for our lunches tomorrow and they've got sun dried toms, sweet pepper, mozarella, feta and a few bits of bacom on the top.

 

If i use meat I am always conscious of trying to make it go further. I like the meat to be a 'co star' rather than the main attraction. If I had the will power I'd give it up altogether but we are eating more meatless dishes these days. i made a lovely butternut squash and lentil curry recently for example. I just can't seem to give up the meat fix though.

 

Here are the pics of said meals, i like taking photos of my cooking, hey ho!

 

 

 

[Guest]

p.s. tonight we had ox liver in onion gravy with potatoes, cauliflower cheese and peas. The ox liver was literally pennies and came from a friend's herd of beef cattle. She has dexters.

 

Even free range liver is cheap and is lovely! Well, we like it

 

excuse the mix of raost spud and chips but it was freezer raiding time before the big shop t'row. Could have been worse, it could have been peppered mackerel and ice cream!

 

[counturchickens]

I am shocked, only ever eggs from our girls now though!

[migsy]

I took a local restaurant to task - I wanted a starter salad which had an egg on it, asked if the eggs was free range; it wasn't so I had the salad without the egg - fair enough. When we'd finished the meal, I asked the owner why they don't use free range eggs, and his reply was so rude and unprintable that I didn't bother trying to enlighten him, but wrote a letter to the local rag, which was published....

 

My friends and I have blacklisted that restaurant ever since.

 

I have actually considered bringing a spare egg out with me in case I fancy a dish with an egg in it. Since having hens I will not order any egg dishes in a restaurant, but perhaps bringing our own eggs is a step too far?

[gongladosh]

I don't dare eat a cooked breakfast outside the house these days - I feel like I'm being a traitor to my girls!

[Lewis]

I always try and buy FR eggs and meat (and organic milk), have done the dinner chickens and would like to do it again but even that takes a long time and so isn't going to keep us in meat forever!

I know I'm far from perfect though 'cos I will eat egg and chicken out - chicken (and turkey) is the only meat I eat so at least I can be picky about that.

 

I went to a Free Range farm last year and the first sight in the shed was...

 

There was 10 acres of 3000 chickens (think they're allowed double that in there), but you can see they don't use all the space they have. They prefer to be my the buildings and under cover of trees etc. The farmer had put trees in to give them a bit more cover.

Look forward to the response from Waitrose

[sandyhas3chucks]

I am actually surprised that the rescue told you where they came from

Most won't... well the battery ones for sure.

(not saying I agree with it, but do understand in a way)

The Battery ones is so that the farmer is still happy to let them go for rehoming rather than slaughter

[sadietoo]

not what you would expect from waitrose.. makes you wonder what the others are like :-S x

 

Not sure why everyone persists in the idea of St Waitrose...they are in it for the profit, just like the rest...sorry if I offend, but that's our experience in the supply chain

[Lavenders_Blue]

These are not the first photos I've seen of ex free rangers looking like battery hens. Sadly, it makes no difference whether the farm is supplying Waitrose, Tesco, Co-op, Morrisons or wherever as the space/flock size requirements are not set by the individual supermarkets. The farmers are meeting the legal requirements to label their product as free range/organic etc.

 

With regards to the low cost of battery eggs being a necessity for some people, I would actually beg to differ. 1/2 dozen FR eggs are currently approx £1.80 for large eggs and £1.60 for medium eggs in the supermarket. Using £1.80 as the price, because it makes the maths easier, a nutritious and healthy meal of 2 large eggs (60p), a couple of slices of toast and a piece of fruit would cost £1 per person, probably less in fact. And a little less still for medium eggs. I reckon there are very few people who genuinely can't afford that.

[Guest]

... I reckon there are very few people who genuinely can't afford that.

 

cost is such a cop out for people who can't be bothered. They probably go to the pub and smoke though

[sage]

My Brother and wife only ever buy "Value" products in the supermarket. The sausages they get are 25% meat The cheaper the better as for as they concerned) in 20 year of been married my SIL has never cooked a meal from scratch. She will admit she cannot be bothered. They think buying clothes going to the gym and gadgets are far more important.

I pride myself on making a home cooked fresh meal every night, made with local ingredients.

It's his kids I feel sorry for living on chips beans and nuggets. My 2 ½ year old will eat almost anything and loves fruit & veg. All his kids say is don’t like it, and they will not try anything new.

 

Sage