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

[Lulabellx1]

LOL - glad I'm not the only one. As yet, it hasn't prevented me from eating chicken... but I have had a little pang of guilt when preparing the chook for the oven!

 

When it comes out, it usually smells so delicious that the guilt goes away and I can tuck in!

[Bramble]

I've been veggie for about 25 years now - to be honest, I can't really remember what meat tastes like and have no desire whatsoever to eat any of it.

That said, I'm the only veggie in my family and I don't expect them not to eat meat just because of me. I will buy meat for them if asked, but as others have said, I'm fussy as hell about where it comes from - I've banned everyone in my family from buying meat that is anything but British - we impose higher welfare standards on our farmers (quite rightly) so I think the least we can do is buy what they produce, not go for the cheaper imported options. (I do realise that just because it's British doesn't mean the welfare standards are high - it's not that simple, but I don't think we should import meat from countries where we KNOW welfare is very low on the list of priorities)

I also have a dog, who is NOT veggie (that just wouldn't be right) - she has had some chicken for tea last night and breakfast this morning - I apply the same standard to what I buy for her - not necessarily for her benefit, but for the benefit of the chickens that produce what she's eating, if that makes sense.

I don't have a problem with people eating whatever meat they choose, I just wish that they would spend just a teeny bit longer thinking about what they are buying and where it comes from.

[Chortle Chook]

I also have a dog, who is NOT veggie (that just wouldn't be right) - she has had some chicken for tea last night and breakfast this morning - I apply the same standard to what I buy for her - not necessarily for her benefit, but for the benefit of the chickens that produce what she's eating, if that makes sense.

What dog food do you use? I use Burns because I 'think' that means the chicken will have been well treated.

[Lulabellx1]

I totally agree, consumers of any kind of meat should be take some of the responsibility of ensuring they know where their meat comes from. I buy British or not at all... you really notice it with things like strawberries as well. I grow Strawbs in the garden (if I can prevent the chooks from getting to them) and they taste sooooo much better then the ones from the supermarket. My 2 year old LOVED them and so, in the middle of winter last year I resorted to buying some from Egypt?! They tasted AWFUL and put my daughter off strawberries completely. I haven't been able to get her to eat the ones from the garden this year... lesson learnt! I would never buy meat that was not from our shores, the farmers need every support we can given them... especially those that choose to rear their animals in more humane (albeit expensive) ways. Oops, I can feel myself heading off on a tangent... reigning it in as we speak peeps!

[miller30]

Chicken is my favourite meat and no I don't feel guilty I have eaten a few of my spare cockbirds yes I do feel bad when I collect them from the bottom of the garden and know what is gonna happen to them but once its done im ok I rear my own Christmas dinner every year and I name my turkey and keep photos people think im nuts but I know my dinner has had a lovely life and been well cared for leanne

[The Dogmother]

I was veggie when I wasn't able to source free range/local meat, but life up here is much better and I happily eat locally sourced meat, or meat from friends' farms. I am lucky in that we have a certain amount of our own meat at work, so can enjoy venison, beef and alpaca meat with tiny food miles.

 

Keeping my own chickens has never made me guilty about eating chicken myself because all our meat is locally sourced and free range. Our dogs eat a raw diet, which is sourced from a local free range butcher (in fact, some of his meat comes from our estate at work).

[Chortle Chook]

Aw, lucky dogs - no wonder they always look the picture of health. Watch out or you may find 2 greys, a saluki and a terrier moving in

 

Leanne - I don't think you're nuts and I think that to eat the birds you have raised is a very honest way of approaching meat eating even though I know I just could not do that

[The Dogmother]

Aw, lucky dogs - no wonder they always look the picture of health. Watch out or you may find 2 greys, a saluki and a terrier moving in

 

They'd be welcome!

 

It's far cheaper and healthier than 'bought' dog food; I can feed both my dogs for about £7/week.

[Mrs_B]

No I don't, I only buy free range and get upset when OH tries to buy anything other. .

 

Same here

 

I will only eat free range, even if it's egg pasta or meat/eggs used in a ready made dish, it must be everything FR for me. Sometimes OH has had a sandwich from the supermarket and not thought if the chicken was FR or not, but we're pretty good buying FR meat.

 

Some of my family like a bargain/are on a budget, so don't specifically go out of their way to eat FR, but I can't lecture people as it's their choice (but I do mention time to time about the pros and cons of eating battery hen meat/eggs!!)

 

x

[jjiande]

Our six year old daughter spent an hour playing with our chickens on the first day we had them and then came in to tell us she wouldn't be eating chicken anymore. She's stuck to it, too. Her big sister is a real carnivore, so she's carried on (but guiltily)...

[gavclojak]

My daughter was given an factory farming leaflet on the way home from school when she was 12 and vowed never to eat meat again, I thought she would give in, being so young but she is now 26 and has not touched meat since:)