Chicken Out Campaign
You may have heard about the conditions involved in intensive factory farming of broiler (meat) chickens. Hugh of River Cottage fame has launched a national campaign to put pressure on the industry to raise its standards: the Chicken Out! campaign.
“Chicken Out! has so far been led by River Cottage locals, especially in and around Axminster, and we’ve had a fantastic response. But now I need your support. I’m asking all of you, as friends of River Cottage, to support this campaign and get it off to a flying start across the nation. “
Please see www.chickenout.tv for more info.
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Comments
by Andrew What I failed to realise is that chicken, only recently, was a weekly treat, rather than a cheap, everyday staple. With the higher prices that must be paid for organic/free range it is likely to return to being a treat.
I did buy a Waitrose organic free range chicken for a shade under £10 the other week. I was surprised at the difference in taste and texture over a cheap one. The amount of meat also meant it went a lot further too.
by Joseph McCallum hi this is shocking the way these birds are kept ill not buy another cheap chicken again and thats a fact
hope everyone dose the same
by Patricia OGrady We decided recently to only purchase ‘happy chickens’ and after watching your programme are so thankful that we do.
Why can’t decent restaurants offer free range chickens? It’s quite surprising that they don’t.
by Rose I am so ashamed to admit that I have bought these “value” chickens from Tesco - never, ever again!
by pauline
by michelle knight I only ever buy free range eggs and i always thought that the little red tractor on meat packets meant that the animals had a good life up to the end I sat and cried when i realised the 2 for £5.00 chickens hugh is talking about also have the little red tractor label, I was horrified and will never buy anything other than clearly marked free range food from now on. The whole process is disgusting It has been horrific watching but it has changed our households views on chickens.
by Glynis and Mike We pledge never to knowingly buy an intensively reared chicken. Free range chickens taste so much better and most importantly they have had a good quality of life before they ended their life in the pot.
by Sean and Helen Great, about time someone made a stand for the chickens. recently got 2 chickens for home and they are fantastic company, give 2 eggs a day, and a joy to see then wander around our garden happy.
Keep it going everyone…
by Ashley Horner Hi Hugh,
I just wanted to say that my wife and I have watched your “chicken out” campaign on TV and we have made the change to free range.
Thanks for enlightening us,
Ashley
by Marion Manson People complain about the price of free range chickens. Why don’t they make more of them? Use the carcus for soups and stocks. Put less of the meat on your plate.
Do they pick them clean?
I bet they use bought packets of chicken breasts? Then it’s cheaper probably to buy a whole free range chicken than a pack of chicken breasts, intensively reared and full of chemicals?
A family of 4 should be able to get several meals from a free range chicken.
by Chris Godson From tomorrow if I cannot find a source to get a truly free range chicken then its off the menu. Lets hope the big super markets take notice.
by darren parish to be quite honest it is about time we all took shame when we buy a cheap battery farmed chicken.i have personaly made my mission to boycott kfc to because if you see the way they are treated it is worse than shown on tv.if you are interested in finding footage here is another website just to see how chickens are kept on industry stile.
by Zoe As a rather young and nieve person i always thought that chickens where there to be seen and,so to speak,never heard,but after today i will be thinking differently. I was total shocked and upset at the way these poor animals were being kept and i thank Hugh for opening my eyes. I have two dogs and as someone said in their comment if i kept my dogs in those sort of conditions,i would be banned from keeping them,have a fine slapped on me and face a possible jail sentance. As of today i and the rest of my family are going free-range!!
by Alice Brown i am personally a vegetarian and do not believe in killing animals for meat at all. however i do believe that Hugh’s campaign is great in giving chickens a life that they need and deserve.even though i will never eat meat whether it is organic or not.
by jane andrew I am disgusted and upset at the way these chickens are allowed to be kept. Surely this is animal cruelty and should not be allowed to practice this method of “farming”. My desire to become a total vegetarian is now confirmed. Thank you!
by Janice Sugrue Well done Hugh for sticking your neck out with this campaign. It’s about time farm animal welfare was highlighted and you have found exactly the right broad reaching approach. I hope you were able to convince Hayley in the end, I think she is typical of some shoppers who will always choose the cheap option regardless of true cost. Sadly unless you can get the supermarkets on board the the debate could run and run because the Government will not want to become involved. I will certainly use this programme to open the subject up where I work. Good luck, and best wishes from Janice.
by Paul In the past I have worked as a sub-contractor on poultry processing plants where the birds are slaughtered and thought that these places were bad. The buildings are dark, hot and smelly and like a scene from texas chainsaw massacre. There are RSPCA vets on site at all times and do make regular checks on the well being of the birds, but the way in which the birds are killed is just an extension of their sad existance. I have only eaten free range organic eggs now for 18 months or so and can really tell the difference. I only eat chicken once every 2-3 weeks and also buy free range birds from Morrisons who do have a small selection at about £7 -£10. I really wish Hugh all the best and every success with what seems to be a forlorn experiment.
by Christine I fully support this campaign. Years ago I discovered a chicken farm like this. I returned home with 25 bald broken beaked hens that could hardly walk let alone stand up. I turned my garden shed into a hen house and allowed the chickens to run free range around the garden. They feathered up, sunbathed, followed my feet around the garden, pinched the blackberries off the bushes and rewarded me with beautiful eggs.
We have recently moved home and fortunately our new home has a large garden again so it won’t be long before chickens are running around again.
We only eat free range eggs and I double check the label before I buy chicken.
by .... Hello! I Think What You Are Doing With The Campaign Is Brilliant I Am Only Young But I Fell Quite Strongly About The Cruelty Going Into The Battery Chickens It Is Absolutly Revolting! I Am Grateful That A Famous Person Like You And Jamie Oliver Feel This Way And Have Gone To Such Lengths To Show People What They Do To The Chickens And What They Are Actually Eating Also Because You Are Well Known Famous Cooks It Will Be Recognised By The World And Actually Taken Seriously But For Me To Do It Nobody Will Look Twice At A 12 Year Old Girl Telling Them What Is Good For Them And What Is’nt! My Mother Also Feels The Same We Are Planning To Make Posters And Protest! I Have Made A Band On A Social Website Called Bebo www.bebo.com/kfccrueltystopsnow If You Visit That It Will Hopefully Lead You To My Page I Would Be Grateful If You Could Help Out My Site!
If You Could Contact Me In Response Of My E-Mail I Would Be VERY Grateful!
x x x
by S J ADAMS Thank you so much for exposing the horror of intensive rearing of broiler chicken. I have known about the situation for several years. I have tried in many ways to show people what really happens, there is a broiler factory not far from where I live. It upsets me.
Many thanks again.
by Julie Thank you for your programme, I hope it opens peoples eyes. I & my daughter no longer buy cheap chickens from the supermarket, we buy free range which actually tastes better.
Keep up the good work, if everyone switched the prices would come down & be more affordable.
by Mark Jones Why are barn chickens called standard, not Sub-standard.
If the name were to be changed this would surly make people think and dissuade them from the purchase.
Could it not be argued on a trade description basis that they are sub-standard and no standard.
And keep up all the good work.
by Hilary McCutcheon I thank Hugh, and especially the brave Northern Irishman for exposing the horror of the chicken trade. I have known about this for years and was teaching this since 1979 through poems like ‘The Battery Hen’ by Jenny Moxham. (link below)
I would rather eat lentils than buy a cheap chicken - and have never done so - but I live with a man who loves meat.
Tonight he said that he will never eat a Kentucky (one of his favourites) again. At least one success for your campaign.
Like Hugh, we both cried.
You have all done a great thing in exposing this.
If you need a volunteer to stand outside Tesco in Walkden, Manchester, just let me know.
P.S. I used to watch my granny pulling chickens’ and turkeys’ necks in Omagh and it wasn’t an issue i.e. I’m not a fool about the food industry.
Thank you again and let’s keep the pressure on the supermarkets so that the poultry farmers can get a fair price for a well-cared-for chicken.
by Ken Morrison Since watching the programme,I feel totally disgusted with the way this industry is performing,
My wife has recently taken over a Butchers/Deli and we will now only sell Free range chickens period, We will try to get our local village to buy free range and support the ‘Chicken out’ campaign. We are based in north essex and would welcome contact from local suppliers in the north essex,
thanks
‘Free the chickens’
by […] is not just good ol’ Hugh (and that other bloke) fighting for the welfare of the humble chicken. Now the RSPCA has joined the […]
by Sharon Evans I’m finding the programme so upsetting, thank god someone has had the guts to stand up and bring this to light. Well done Hugh. Respect the Chicken!
by Ben Bredin Beware of any meat you have not purchessed and checked out. The meat in processed food or in a restaurant will be almost certainly factory reared.
I always buy free range but from now on unless i am buying from my trusted local butcher, i will act like a veggie!!
No more chicken tikka for me:(
Unless its home made:)
by Liane Jones & Paul Souter Well done, Hugh, let’s hope your programmes really make people sit up and take notice. As a family, we only ever eat free range meat at home (bit more difficult when eating out, but we never, ever eat KFC, etc). Our children have been brought up to respect the meat on their plate and know they only eat “happy” animals. Have also boycotted Tesco for some time now with regard to meat, and have regularly complained to their Customer Service desk that they don’t sell enough free range (although they’ve never taken any notice)!! Our local butcher sells wonderful free range chickens for around £9-£10 and they really are delicious. There is quite a queue when they arrive at 2:00pm on a Thursday!! Recommended read for anyone further interested in chicken welfare is “Planet Chicken” by Hattie Ellis (Mr F-Whittingstall wrote the foreword). It’s enough to curdle your blood, and if Hugh’s series of programmes hasn’t been enough to change attitutes, this book certainly will. I think I will myself be writing some letters to the major supermarkets, as I cannot believe their arrogance in refusing to meet with Hugh, and having the gall to state that they are only giving the customers what they want. I am sure I’m not alone when I say they are not giving THIS customer what she wants!
by Kathy Shand I only buy free range chicken. Why would any decent person want to eat an unhealthy freak of industrial (so-called) ‘food’ production? Cheap chickens do not live, they exist - without space, daylight or access to the outdoors. For me, the economics of whether the chicken costs £2 or £10 is not the issue. If I could not afford to buy chicken which is respected and cared for, then I simply would not eat it. However, when I do buy a free range chicken, because I can cook, I make two or three meals from one bird - a roast, a soup and a risotto. Now that does make economic sense and really delicious meals!
by Becki Thorneycroft ok i’m converted, never again will anything but organic/free range chicken pass my lips, i’d already changed what eggs i buy after seeing 1 of your programs 
by Stephanie Jameson why don’t we have a certificate displayed on restaurants saying ‘we don’t serve chickens which have been treated cruelly here’ (or something similar )
My daughter who is doing graphic design GCSE would be happy to help !
stephanie Jameson
ps I have not touched ‘cruel chicken’ for years
by Sue Whalley I only buy free range chicken, both for my own consumption and for the consumption of my Customers at a Cafe I own. I believe that intensive farming should be abolished immediately and that chickens, and other farmed animals, have the right to live a happy life whilst waiting to fulfil their destiny.
by dawn Its a new year lets all make a resolution to go free range and buy only local products, they may cost a little more but the big supermarkets have too much of the say in our country and make far too much money at the expense of small, local people, its time for the public to take a stand and support your campaign.
by Sam Robbins An interesting but vile insight to the way cheap chicken is produced. Fair play to you for fighting the cause, it must have been a hard slog and will continue to be an uphill struggle,however it will make a difference too some chickens atleast!
by nicola hugh’s prgramme has opened many people eyes to the reality of intensive factory farming - and about time too. even if people decide to not buy free range, at least they now have the information on which to base their decision. we need to bring the farm and dinner table back together - people need to know and accept how their food is produced.
by jackie Thank you to Hugh for opening our eyes to see the horrific way in which these chickens are reared. i will never ever buy any chicken that is not free range ever again. i was absolutely horrified watching the show and wanted to turn it off but felt i had a duty to watch it, i hope all the super markets take heed and do the right thing and only sell free range chicken. im on a very low budget for my food but i will gladly pay extra for free range chicken. i really hope and pray this campaign goes from strength to strength.
Thanks again to Hugh
by Debbie We have been thinking about the issue of free range for a long time, but never committed to it. Having seen Hugh’s programme, as a family, we have now made the decision that we will only buy free range chicken. Like many people, we do find the price difference difficult, but would rather eat chicken less often, than continue to buy standard chickens.
I think today we eat far too much meat you only have to look back to the 40’s when people would buy a joint on a Sunday, and then make another couple of meals out of it for the week, ie shepherds pie and a soup. I think we need to stop being such gluttons for meat and think of the welfare of animals.
by Maggie Even though I have been ‘going free range’ for some time I still, when nothing else is available, have resorted to cheap chicken but never again after seeing the programme. I think the programme also highlighted the fact that many people don’t cook economically ie soups and meals that utilise left overs and these skills need to be worked on so that food is not wasted. Although obviously upsetting for Hugh F-W I think the programme and the suffering caused was worthwhile for a greater good in bringing this suffering to a large audience. Well done.
by Kelly McGuffie Hugh has made an excellent job highlighting the tragic conditions that intensively reared chickens are made to sustain. My family are completely converted and I urge all those that are in doubt, to question their values and standards and stop burying their heads in the sand. Its not about the money - its about the principle.
Well done Hugh we’re right behind you… and the free range chickens
by mick Quinn
by Tracy Always bought free range eggs but not chicken meat, after seeing how chickens are kept we are 100% backing the campaign, no more KFC for us.
by Tee Great programme, very interesting and touching. Our household always make sure we buy free range chicken, because its tastes so much better. We too are on a budget, but we dont eat chicken everyday, so spending that bit extra seems fair. I always make sure the left overs are brewed up as stock, and then I freeze till I need it again. for soupd, gravy or risotto. So simple and easy. Just a little education and common sense, and going free range/organic shouldnt be so expensive.
YAY HUGH!
by helena thankfully swapped to free range just before christmas, the very notion of eating something that lives in such degradation puts me of my tea !! and then there’s the animal welfare issues. also can i be sure that the labelling in supermarkets and butchers is genuine ?? can i get leaflets/flyers to leave in local shops ??
by Mary Sobey Hi Hugh, The programme about the chickens really made me sad it also brought back memories about my childhood,my father kept an allotment and grew vegatables.He also kept and reared chickens and geese.As a family of 11 children this wa essential to feed so many.I can remember the little chicks all yellow and fluffy dad would bring them home before they were ready to go to the allotment.We children would help to feed and take care of the chickens.When the time came for the chickens dad will kill them humanely and quickly.We would all have a part in plucking and preparing the chickens.What wonderful memories.Thank you for bringing this dreadful way of careing for chickens to the publics notice.God Bless you.
Free Range Chickens Rule The Roost.
by gill nontha I’m a single parent and am more conscious of the healthy choices i feed my child rather than the cost, you can make compromises on other things, quality rather than quantity, i would never buy anything but free range and am 100% behind this campaign.
by Elizabeth Hill Well done to HFW. I wish him success with his campaign. I roasted two free range chickens on Sunday and served seven for lunch. With the left-overs, two of us ate delicious cold chicken on Tuesday, and tonight Wednesday, we have had chicken risotto made from the meat taken from the bones after making stock, one pint of which went into the risotto. In the freezer sits three more pints of chicken stock for soups, gravy or more risotto. Roasting a chicken is not labour-intensive; the cold chicken meal meant making a salad, and the risotto took twenty minutes. Free range is NOT expensive.
by katie I never realised how bad the conditions were that chickens were kept. Hugh’s campaign has really brought it home for me. It may cost a little more but surely food isn’t an area we should be trying to cut costs on, especially with meat we’re choosing to eat. Good food and a clear conscience…. Hugh you’re a star, thanks you for opening my eyes!
by trev its disgusting! we should all think more about the food on our plate and the quality of life it has had. maybe try eating less chicken but when we do it should be of better quality and free range keep up the good work hugh!!
by Matt Byrne I had an idea before watching this campaign how chickens have been farmed for many years, but to see it even in a smaller scale still sickened me. I think its rank the way these birds are treated. Yes it is slightly more expensive to buy free range, but you can see how much more meat is on a free range bird. I will be buying free rangh from now on.
by Samantha & Alan Hugh’s Chicken Run has been a huge wake up call. We bought a standard chicken a few weeks ago to feed four because it cost about 4 quid and it was huge. We ate most of the breast but didn’t bother using the rest for anything else because it tasted crap and it was just binned. To think the poor thing went through all that and for what?! We will never buy or eat standards again. We will buy free range chicken like we do eggs and they won’t be coming from a supermarket, whatever the cost!!
by Mike and Tina After watching your programme we will always purchase free range chickens from now on. Please keep making the general public aware of the conditions that the chickens are kept in and don’t let the supermarkets publicity and marketing departments hide the truth in gesture publicity. Well done Hugh and all the team.
by Tina Jackman My husband and I may not have much money, but have decided that we will go back to the old fashioned way of eating, making a roast on sunday last longer and eke it out by extra vegetables & stuffing and make two more meals out the remainder. Homemade chicken soup is delicious and something I have not made in ages but can now see a need to re-start. I found this programme very sad but grateful that it was made, we are very blinkered when it comes to the food on on plates. Free range from now on! (was shocked to read about KFC too).
by John Moran Having watched Hugh Fearnley Whittinstalls programme on the plight of intensely farmed chikens i wish him all power and good :cluck: with the campaign.I from now on am definately a freeranger.
by ALISON JANE GRIFFITHS I HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONVERTED A FEW MONTHS AGO NOW.
EVER SINCE HUGH HAD A TELEVISION PROGRAMME ON CHANNEL 4 NOT SO LONG AGO ABOUT COOKING ORGANIC AND EVEN MENTIONED ABOUT BUYING FREE RANGE THEN.
I AM GLAD THAT HUGH HAD MADE SUCH A TELEVISION PROGRAMME TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE ABOUT THE CRUELTY AND GREEDINESS THAT FOLK WILL DO JUST TO MAKE A BOB OR TWO. SUPERMARKETS SHOULD TOTALLY SCRAP THE ‘CHEAP MEATS’ ON THE SHLVES AND ONLY SELL FREE RANGE.
IT IS A REAL EYE OPENER AND I REALLY HOPE PEOPLE WILL TAKE IN WHAT HAS BEEN SHOWN. I REALLY HOPE THAT THIS DOES NOT END HERE.
OK, SO IT MAY COST A LITTLE BIT MORE TO BUY FREE RANGE AND IF PEOPLE ARE ON A TIGHT BUDGET LIKE UNEMPLOYED FAMILIES THEN SO BE IT. I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE COMPLAIN THAT ITS WELL OUT OF THEIR BUDGET. YET THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER FOOT WHEN YOU SEE FAMILIES WHO SAY THEY REALLY CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY FREE RANGE, ALL AT THE FAMOUS BURGER JOINTS ON A WEEKEND AND THEY SAY THEY CAN’T AFFORD JUST TO FORK OUT ANOTHER COUPLE OF POUNDS TO BUY FREE RANGE. RUBBISH!
I TOTALLY SUPPORT HUGH IN ALL THIS, I SUPPORT HIM 110% WELL DONE FOR MAKING PEOPLE WAKE UP
by Alexander JR MacAskill Well done, Hugh, let’s hope your programmes really make people sit up and take notice.We have been thinking about the issue of free range for a long time, but never committed to it, NO LONGER.
People complain about the price of free range chickens. I bet they use packets of chicken breasts? It’s cheaper to buy a whole free range chicken than a pack of chicken breasts that hase been intensively reared and pumpt full of chemicals, its disgusting! we should all think more
about the food on our plate and the quality of it.
Peaple ho after watching your programme, after watching the state of these chickens lives and stile are not deterd are sike. To me now cheep chicken gous under the same line as veeal.
Keep up all the good work Hugh. Alex in Halefax
“CHICHEN OUT”
by Julie Errico In this day and age we have no need to treat the food we eat in such a Declension & Barbaric way we are not a third world country.
Those who moan that cannot afford free range are those who always have money for Cigarettes & Cans of Beer.
If we put poor quality food inside to feed and fuel us what does that say about the UK, why does then UK have such a poor priorty on food and the rest of europe does not think in this way.
We need to educate froman early age and learn to eat around the table as a family who cook and eat together.
More people go free range foods the price will drop and everyone will be able to afford this which will become the norm.
THINK B4 U BUY IT - TO EAT IT
by Lee Hi, after watching the tv programme, yet again my dietry morals have been brought into judgement. Watching Hugh have to cull 1 chicken because it could no longer stand let alone walk, left me rather tearful and disturbed. Apparently the smell is overpowering and can’t be nice for those birds either, in Hugh’s factory farm shed alone, it looked to me that those chickens had lost the will to live but the Free range farm they seemed happy and full of beans. Battery/Factory Farming conditions are extremely DISGRACEFUL for any type of living animal to be kept in, and for a country (UK) who’s reputation for being “animal lovers” is renound, why are we not doing more to eradicate this vile practise ?
I myself have today Emailed KFC, Burger King(0845-7287437), and McDonalds, asking them where they get their Chickens from ie; #1.Factory farm or free range. #2.Local or foreign farms. & #3. If chickens are sourced from both types of farming and if so which products are which.
I will make a concious point of no longer buying any Factory/Battery chicken products again (inc Eggs). Also this will include when i dine out at proper restaurants, they will be asked while booking the table, where the bird came from and i will ask for some form of proof.
I hope many, many, many more people will question themselves on the moral side of Chicken farms and consider animal welfare over the cost of a chicken.
by Brando haggett
by Karen I have always been a Free range supporter and glad that it is being highlighted so well on Hughs’ programme. I am a family of four and do not have alot of money, the cost is worth it if you want to eat healthier tastier chicken that has at least had a normal chicken life.
by Richard I have always bought free-range chicken. I would rather do without chicken than buy a chicken that is not free range. Please remember that the same horrid conditions are also used to rear duck and no one should buy duck unless they are free-range either. We should also have a ‘Duck Out’ movement.
People are so fickle. I shoot a few geese and duck each shooting season, sometimes I get one or two, but most days I don’t, that is part of wild fowling. They are killed in the wild, quickly, after they have led a totally wild free life, yet people, who see me with these geese and ducks, moan, saying I am cruel. I always retort, ‘Do you buy free range chicken, duck or any other meat for if you don’t, then you are a lot less caring then I and you can go and fiddle.’
I respect the birds I shoot, taking care to kill them without suffering, something most people do not, or want to understand
by mrs kerrs class we were wondering if the chicken supplied to schools are free range. we suspect not!
by ian francalanza Denial by many to the obvious. We are quite selfish toward our own needs and here again we show ourselves to be mindless to anything else that inhabits this planet. Simple solution. Change the rules by which these Birds can be reared and all producers will continue to find in-expensive but less in-humane processes to provide us with our favourate source of Protein. The auguement of cost to which only those with minimal resources can with any honesty hold there hands upto, should then with luck melt into the usual almost forgettable annual beer hike category.. i.e. we moan for a few moments than absorb and continue as before.
Whats wrong with showing respect for what we ungreatfully receive. Well timed broadcast after Xmas, nicely presented by Hugh and I have no doubt with the utmost honesty. PP Well done to one or two of the Supermarkets but never mind the rest.!
by Dorothy McCandlish In tesco today 10th Jan. several people were buying free range chicken as a result of last nights programme. well done Hugh I am a converted free ranger. We have a right to eat our animals but we must respect their lives.
by The Souters Our local free range butcher said today there has been more interest in his chickens since Hugh’s programme - excellent!!!
by john davies i have worked where they kill the chickens and seen that the ones that are bad and cant walk are not killed at the farm but put in the baskets to as the farmes that produce the chickens do not get payed on the amount on birds but the weight of them.
this is true as seen it myself so if these farmers can keep them alive for 3 or 4 days more they do and they are killed when they get to the process plant and putt in the bin.
by Angela Great show, All support should be given to Hugh. People should be made aware of what they are eating. Its not so long ago that people where lying down in front of cattle trucks at the treatment of cattle maybe its time to do the same for chickens. Shame on Hayle she put her heart into the campain but let Hugh down badly in the end. He was so hurt,such a great guy. Pity he did not tell us the real price of a free range chicken in his shop. Best of Luck
by TRACEY BULLOCH WELL DONE HUGH…YOU DESERVE A MEDAL FOR HIGHLIGHTING THIS!!! I WAS UTTERLY DISGUSTED AND UPSET WITH THE CONDITIONS OF THESE POOR CHICKENS, WE AS A FAMILY HAVE NOW CHANGED OUR HABITS AND HAVE FULLY CONVERTED TO FREE RANGE. IT MAKES ME SICK TO THE STOMACH TO THINK THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE WE CAN EAT CHICKENS KEPT IN THIS TERRIBLE WAY. THE SUPERMARKETS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES….. THANK YOU HUGH AND ALL THE VERY BEST!!!!!!
by Sue Manners I was really pleased to see at last the exposure of this horrid method of farming. However having read some of the comments I would urge caution when people say they buy only Free Range Eggs, thinking that they may be supporting a local producer, as I know that a battery farm can buy free range eggs and place them in their own boxes. This gives the person who purchases them thinking that they are supporting a free range farm when infact they are battery egg producers.
by David Haigh Dear Hugh
Having now seen and whatch how chickens are reared for the supermarket in them making a fortune in cheap chickens my wife and I are now commited in only buying free range or organic chickens in the future. Keep it up Hugh we are all behind you in this vile and repulsive practice. David Janice Weymouth
by Johanne I did not have the option to buy free range chicken at Tesco yesterday. I will be informing them I wil be buying my chicken at my local butcher who does offer me this choice. I fully support this campaign. As Hugh said “how much should a chicken cost”. I buy my eggs locally, and bought the “healthy living” chicken at Tesco, only now I realise that chicken is also intensely farmed.
Only Free range from now on, even if I have to shop around for it. Good work Hugh, Well done.
by Gill Cawte I have watched in disgust at the programs on the state of our poultry industry in this country. We have always bought Free Range or Organic chickens, but I never realised that ‘Organic’ meant that the chickens are still kept in sheds but just fed on organic feed! So, in future I will only buy ‘Free Range’. My 3 daughters (all in their early 20’s) and not on high incomes always buy ‘Free Range’. I went to M & S yesterday to purchase a chicken only to find that the ‘Oakham’ chicken they sell is not ‘Free Range’, so bought one from Sainsbury’s instead (although there were only a couple on the shelf) but lots of ‘Cheap’ ones. I think the assistant in M & S was fed up with people asking her if the chicken was free range.
I do believe that as a nation if we all got together and demanded better conditions for our poultry it would happen. If we had to kill our own livestock for food I believe a lot of people would become vegetarian!!
WELL DONE for keeping us informed of these terrible conditions and lets boycott this industry until it changes.
by Mel Gardner I was sickened by what I saw on your programme Hugh. How can we call ourselves a nation of animal lovers when we allow chickens to be treated in such a disgraceful way. We must not let this continue and I will now only buy ‘Free Range’. Well done Hugh!
by Stephen Martin an excelent programme, like hugh i was also nearly brought to tears with the condition those poor animals were kept in. all animals deserve a decent quality of life, especially if it is being bred for our benefit. i have been promoting the cause at my work, and will deafinitely be sticking to free range from now on. chicken out all the way
by Millie Smith Dear Hugh,
Sad but brilliant program. I keep chickens myself for free range eggs some are really old but they are allowed to live out their lives in freedom and are a real joy to keep.
We started to buy organic chicken just for my son who has crohn’s disease. We dont’t earn a great deal but we promise you that all the chicken consumed in our house will be organic or free range from now on. All the best for the future Hugh.
by mary figgis It has been very heart-moving to see the programmes on how chickens are being kept. We, as the human race, were given responsibility of the animals and nature and it is a sad reflection of society that greed has overtaken care and responsibility. I do not buy the argument that people on low incomes can not afford free range. We can all afford to spend money on what we want, eg: fags, booze, cakes, take-outs etc. We all priorotise what we want to spend money on. What people are really saying when they say it’s too expensive to buy free range is that they don’t want to, not that they can’t. We should all see chicken for what it is: a treat rather than the norm. We are converted now to buy free-range. Keep up the good work Hugh and thank you for bringing the plight of chickens to our awareness. Don’t let other people’s ignorance and guilt get you down…you are doing the right thing!
by kim i was totally disgusted at the conditions that chickens are kept in which was highlighted in your programme.
I have gone free range and i wont even buy packaged meals with chicken in. I will make it all fresh now with free range chicken breasts.
Its not cheap but now it will be a treat to have chicken in our house and it will be cooked with care!!
I have left comments in my local tesco for more free range chicken products to become available.
by Andy Jones Hi we have are own chickens in the back garden which we get meat and eggs from so we always eat free range chicken and eggs .but my wife when shopping today 10th Jan and after your programme had been aired she had a look at the chickens at are local Sainsbury’s only to find that there were only two organic chicken out on the shelves and the rest of the shelves were full of the cheap chickens .We did expect sainsburys to make a bit of an effort but they did not. maybe they were watching BBC1
by andy & zoe Excellent programme, 2 adults (mum & dad) 4 children, converted in 30 seconds of watching. “Love the animal. not the greed”! understood 100%.
Although we were really dissapointed in the large lady with glasses (cant remember her name) yourll know who we mean,the ignorant one on a tight budget who buys bargain chickens, what i wanted to really see is her at the till unloading the trolly, i bet it is full of biscuits and cake and all the other junk, surely she could of placed a few packs back on the shelf to cover the cost to get an organic bird, she is using her 1 parent family as an excuse, put the life of the bird before your belly. please forgive us if we cause offence, but these were the words of our ten year old daughter, then agreed with, by our other three children.It was upsetting for them to watch, but they are the next generation and need to be educated.
It was also very hippicritical of that lady (you know who) to applaud at the end, like she had achieved the objective with everyone else, its like she won the gold medal for coming first, when she didnt even take part!
wish i was there to speak up for the chicken!
oganic chickens forever. thanks!
by charlotte After watching your campaign on tv I was disgusted to see just how evil the conditions really are for these poor birds. I have to admit, as a single mother on a low income I too used to buy the cheap tesco chickens. NO MORE…. Adding to this , I went to tesco this evening Fri 11th to purchase a chicken (free range) and they had completly run out , but the good thing was there were loads and loads of standard chickens and fillets left on the shelves. Kings Lynn in Norflok people have listened. I did ask them if they had anymore, but dissappointingly they did not. What you have done is a fantastic thing and as you can see from all the comments left and this one also, we are behind you 100%.WELL DONE!!!!!
by SUE MCCARTHY WENT SHOPPING TO TESCO TODAY WITH MY DAUGHTER BOTH BOUGHT FREE RANGE CHICKEN, MINE WAS ALSO CORN FED. MY DAUGHTER’S LARGE CHICHEN COST NEARLY £7 BUT SHE WILL MAKE THREE MEALS FOR HER FAMILY OF FIVE FROM IT. MINE WAS JUST UNDER £4 AND WILL ALSO MAKE 3 MEALS. AS HUGH SUGGESTED WE WILL BOIL UP CARCAS FOR SOUP STOCK. WE NOTED TESCO’S HAD SOLD QUITE A FEW FREE RANGE BIRDS THERE WERE MANY GAPS ON THE SHELF, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC ADVERTISING HIGHLIGHTING THE PRODUCT. WE BOTH USE FREE RANGE EGGS AND BUY MAJORITY OF OUR MEAT FROM LOCAL BUTCHER WITH GOOD ETHICS. KEEP PUSHING THE RIGHT BUTTONS HUGH OUR INTENSIVE FARMING METHODS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED ACROSS THE BOARD.
by Richard russell I think that its great that someone has finally let people know that its wrong to home chickens in this way just to make money and not thinking of the chickens , Thay dont have a say on how thay live , If people was made to live like that thay would be locked up.
As some people said that thay was on a budget and couldent afford it thay just cant be botherd to realise that most only eat chicken once or twice a week and for the little extra thay can stop the suffering , If those peoples dogs or cats were made to live in the conditions shown thay would pay the little for those without question, Ive got a allotment and im getting some eating birds and i will grow them myself FREE RANGE THAT IS,
I think you are doing a great job and i am with you all the way, rgs ricky.
by barry johnson I am disgusted at the response of the major supermarkets to this issue. The answer may be a online campaign to boycott all meat products from these major retailers. As to the “we cannot afford proper food” brigade, the actual difference in cost is a pint at the Pub.
by Vinnie Glasgow I feel shocked and disgusted at the treatment chickens endure. Both me and my partner have decided that it is free range or nothing in future. Well done Hugh, very informative and absolutely brutal in it’s honesty,
by charlotte having watched jamie olivers programme this evening on chicken and eggs, and baby animals such as piglets ,calves and lambs which i see has been a joint effort with Hugh, my children and myself have chosen to be vegetarian as the impact was so great and the reallity was disgusting. my children are 14 and 13 and i am 35, our perceptions of the whole process has completely put us off meat all together although we appreciate the food chain .we will continue with fish and dairy products, but these will be free range and from healthy happy animals(hopefully).
by Maureen Barry Today i went into my local tesco store and was suprised, this week especially to find only one organic chicken. The only chickens to be had were the cheap one`s, 50% of those had the hock`s cut off. I did in fact go to customer services to tell them of my disappointment, that it was in fact chicken out week yet no free range were to be seen. The assistant actually got quite cross, held her hands in the air, and almost shouted,” it`s because of the programe that we havent got any, we`ve sold out.” What a result,i was obviously not the first person to complain for her to become so irate.
by Brenda Harris Thank you Hugh for such an informative program. I think we all knew this practice was in force but not in such intensity, it was a shock to see so many chickens in such a confined space.
I can honestly say that I will never buy cheap chickens again.
Thank you for caring for the chicken, campaigning to give them a better life albiet short.
by Brenda Harris Jamie Oliver’s program last night was an excellent back up to the chicken campaign - well done
by Sian Morgan Thank you for highlighting the cruel way in which we treat animals that feed us. I made myself watch your programme as I have a week stomach for any animal cruelty, well done for the no frills getting the message out. I was disappointed with the lady who kept barking on about low income, blah blah blah. If we all change now the price will come down. Look at the bigger picture not the here and now. Great stuff Hugh.
by Jane mealing Hi,
I have been down to my local Asda this past week and was horrified to find that there was not one either Freerange or Organic chicken of any kind. Lovely that it was all locally reared in Northern Ireland, but surely there are some free range chicken farms over here. What a disappointment.
The programmes that Channel 4 are running are fantastic, and EVERYBODY should be made to watch them.
by michelle batley after watching hugh’s programmes i bought free range chicken breasts from morrisons which were the same price as tesco’s cheap intensively reared birds! free range for me from now on. hugh is the man.
by Gill Coombs Fantastic campaign, but what about battery hens who lay eggs? They have an even worse life; they can’t move at all, the pooh on each others’ heads, their feet embed in the wire they have to stand on, they pluck their neighbours raw and bald for want of anything else to do. And their misery goes on for longer than 39 days!
PLEASE, if you care about chickens:
- don’t buy battery eggs
- don’t buy products with battery eggs in (unless they state free range it will almost certainly be battery, even if the label says vegetarian)
- when you’re eating out, ask if menu items contain egg and whether it’s free range. If not, say you don’t want it.
Every time you eat a product containing egg in a restaurant, it’s almost certainly come from a battery hen.
Thank you so much!
Gill
by Angie I watched Hugh in a previous programme over a year ago which contained information about the intense farming of turkeys and saw how cruel it is for these birds to live in such squalid/tight conditions. Since I have only bought free range turkeys, chicken and eggs, and will continue to do so. However, since watching Jamie’s excellent programme, I was unaware of the other products that we buy e.g. processed foods, sauces etc., that contain intensive farmed chicken and caged laid eggs. I will no longer be buying these products either.
by r hicks Has anyone thought about the link between how these animals are reared - fast growing, oversized, unable to support their own weight, listless and inactive and the current obesity crisis we face in Britain? Hugh by educating the public on farming practice you may be doing the british government a big favour here!
by Mick Raine Stop this barbaric act they call standard chicken. The supermarkets should be ashamed of themselves.
I believe that you are what you eat and that there is a reason and this is one of them that this country is becoming obese.
Good work Hugh.
Keep it up mate for the sake of the little yellow ones.
by paul taylor and hayley taylor thank you for highlighting the plight of the chicken we never realised how they were kept until your program. as a family we are on a low budget but we have decided to go free range we wont be buying chicken as regular as before. we could not eat a broiler chicken again if our life depended on it
by Richard Buy free-range ducks as well.
Don’t buy any that are not free range, they are reared and treated just as badly. Watch out for the duck ready meals such as Chinese style duck with pancakes and hoisin sauce and the Chinese style duck wraps and sandwiches on sale on the cool shelves of supermarkets and garages.
Don’t buy them, the duck used are not free range and have a terrible life in the rearing sheds, even worse than chickens.
Please Hugh, use your TV programme to launch a DUCK OUT campaign as well.
by anita paradise I am in favour of buying the RSPCA approved methods of raising chickens as this is affordable and seems much more humane, however after visiting sainsburys and tesco’s how are you supposed to know which chickens are raised using this method as they only seem to state whether free range, or do they not yet stock these birds?
by Nick
by Donna Burbidge I think Hugh’s done a brilliant job of showing us what we are buying into each week when we buy our roast, I went into my local Tesco’s this week to buy my free range chicken for my Sunday roast and they had sold out of all free range chickens and there were alot of cheap chickens still on the shelf, as there was no free range chickens I went without. The supermarkets needs to stock up on more free range chickens!
by denise woodhead me and my family watched the program and were utterly horrified at wht we saw how poor the conditions and chickens were treated in such cruel ways.
we have since decided to go totaly free range.
i would also like to say we went to a supermarket recently and the only free range chicken they had to offer were 2 chicken breasts this we found disgusting especially after such a fabulous campaign.
keep up the good work and i do hope that many more people change to free range to enable a better life for our chickens wouldnt it b a nicer world!!!!
[…] post here on The Foodie List highlighting Hugh’s campaign and the related TV programs have received 100 comments. This is not even the official site so surely demonstrates the […]
by rebecca i was absolutely facinated by hugh’s programme and was very much influenced by it when i went shopping in asda today. at the chicken section i immediately looked for free range but couldnt find any. there was space for approx 4 chickens but they were sold out. still, i was determined not to be forced to buy a standard chicken so went next door to M&S food where i had a choice of 2 free range chickens (again there was only a tiny space allowed for free range).
by Laura Phillips i felt sick after watching the programmes…i havent eaten meat for ver a week and i used to have chicken practically every day! I now just have quorn and fish and feel soooooooo much better!Thank you, keep it up, you can make a difference!
by Liam I was aware of the inhumane conditions that intensively produced chickens are subject to, prior to Hugh’s programme. It is an admirable cause that Hugh is championing. I have always purchased Free range Chicken, and Eggs. Chickens are by their nature outdoor birds. They require stimulation, and space to run about. They love scratching around and basking in the Sun. It is cruel to keep chickens under conditions that are alien, or deprive them from behaving naturally. Tescos has today fought back with a national advertising campaign stating it’s customers are “Free range to choose”. Basically meaning it will not change it’s merchandising. So two chickens for £5 is likely to continue. It is the supermarkets that are a major part of the problem when it comes to the welfare of the animals that are supplied to them. Farmers are struggling with ever tighter profit margins. And as the supermarkets have so much purchasing power, they dictate the price to the Farmer. But now the Supermarkets are shunning the responsibility of Chicken welfare to the consumer. So it is up to the public to make a choice between intensively reared birds at bargain basement prices, or Free Range produce. I remember when Chicken was quite a luxury. It was far too expensive to eat it every day. We had it for Sunday Roast probably once or twice a month. And even then Mum would make a gorgeous Chicken and Vegetable Stew with the bits left over, which would be Monday nights Dinner. I think our modern day national love affair with cheap chicken, should be given an holistic review. What is the real cost is this cheap meat industry. Obviously it has a profound cost to the quality of life of the Chicken
I was completly disgusted by the conditions that chickens are kept in , shown in your programme . I have since gone purely free range and hope that many others will do the same . Thank you for highlighting this cruelty , if you kept a dog in these conditions prison would be a reasonable punishment.