Hughs Chicken Out campaign

Lemonysnicket · Hughs Chicken Out campaign

Quick reminder that the new River Cottage show, Hugh’s Chicken Run starts tonight (Monday 7th Jan) at 9pm.

"So far, we've got over 19,000 sign-ups before the show has even aired, so it’ll be great to see how far we can push this. We’ve got loads of celebrity support too including Rosie Boycott, Jamie Oliver, Bill Oddie, Jonathan Ross and even the Chickens of Aardman Animations ‘Chicken Run’! Who are all helping to spread the campaign to the widest possible audience.

You may well also have seen plenty of press activity too, with major pieces in the Independent, Sunday Times and Saturday Mail. The RSPCA and Compassion In World Farming have all made their own direct pleas to get this top of the publics new years wish list.

But there’s still more you can help us with, so if you’ve not already, please help...

1. Send the campaign to all your friends, family and colleagues – get them to sign up and get them to pass it on to their address list too.

Chicken Out Campaign

2. Display our campaign banner(s) and ‘pledgometer’ on your website, facebook pages or blogs, or hassle website owners to do so, or tell us where we should be putting them – the pledgometers are all linked together so they will all count into the same total, the more running the better!

Please see here for details of how to add the banners to your site. Website suggestions to campaign@chickenout.tv.

3. Ask your local free-range poultry supplier to display one of our posters – available here and upload your free-range supplier to the list at www.freerangereview.com. "

via email from River Cottage.

Diana

Not sure how I feel about this. I mean I agree that battery farming is wrong and farmers being paid 2p per bird is equally wrong. But intensive farming just for the cameras? Not sure.

Will be watching though as I may have got the wrong end of the stick.

Later in the week Jamie Oliver is shown killing a chicken to "shock" people into the reality of it. Now either he's going to do it humanly (which is how it should be and why would that be used to shock anyone) or it'll be done cruely - in which case, again, why?

Tartan Stamper

I dont think I can watch any of this being a vegetarian, too upsetting.
I remember when Gordon Ramsay was killing those pigs, I could never watch that.

Lemonysnicket

PurpleDragon

PurpleDragon

So - did anyone watch this? I half watched it, half blethered on MSN, but what I watched was pretty shocking to me.

I know he is trying to make a point, butthe whole 'let's make our own battery farm' idea isn't my idea of a solution. I guess we will see.

It was interested that NONE of the supermarkets or their poultry suppliers were willing to be interviewed on the programme, or show their breeding conditions. It was even more interesting to me that the one poultry farmer who would talk to Hugh wouldn't let him into his facility. To me, that says "yes, we know our conditions are shite and we shouldn't be keeping our poultry like this, but we also know that if the public sees how we keep our birds, we will be out of business sharpish".

I also wonder why there were intensive farmers willing to show Jamie Oliver their facilities, but not HFW.

Tartan Stamper

I watched last night but some of it had to turn away when they were killing the poor wee chicks.

Watching again tonight I think it would make people buy free range.

Iam glad I dont eat any meat though.

Will be watching again tonight.

PurpleDragon

We had chicks this year, and I incubated a lot. One of my chicks was born very badly deformed (it's insides weere outside) and I had to kill it. It was way more horrible than having to kill a fully grown hen, because of the 'oh it is just a baby' factor I guess, but also because there wasn't so much chicken to get a hold of, and I didn't want to hurt it any more than it was already hurting.

The thing is, if you keep animals, you have to be prepared to kill them. If I had a pet and it needed to be put out of its misery, I wouldn't hesitate to have the vet do the deed. In fact, I have had pets put to sleep in the past, for their own good.

If one of my hens is damaged beyond help, I will kill it. It is the humane thing to do. If one of my hens had a leg problem like Hugh's did last night, I would have tried to fix them, but he is trying to make a point - this is how it is done in intensive farming, as compared to compassionate farming.

I don't agree with the killing he did last night, but at least the animals were killed quickly and humanely and not left to suffer, which is what I am led to believe happens in 'real' intensive farming facilities.

dizzyblond

I found the woman who demanding a food shed from HFW highly amusing - irrespective of the facts here, these people were being offered an opportunity to learn something new. The way she told HFW he was buying the shed was incredible.
How aggressive and rude......

I have to admire HFW for putting his money where is mouth is for want of a better expression - the week could be interesting..................

PurpleDragon

Yeah, that was funny. But have you looked at the body language of the majority of the participants? Crossed arms, scowls. Very mistrusting of what he was going to ask of them. They were not people who were happy in their lives.[/i]

dizzyblond

no ur absolutely right, there are people in this world that no matter what you give them they choose to be a victim!!!!!! I'm sure they were paid by tv company etc and some people don't want to be educated. they think milk etc comes from shop not cows

IainC

Is it repeated at all?

I read about it being on yesterday and planned watching/taping it but by the time I got home other thoughts had obviously pushed it out of my mind (wasn't the only thing I'd forgotten about either

)

kimmie

IainC

<puts hand up>

I worked at a battery hen farm when I left school before I got a "real" job (which funnily enough paid less than the summer job... never did work that one out

)

The hens were fairly well packed in there and if one died during the night it was pretty flat by morning time with the others trampling on it.

They are really just egg factories, and must lay a couple of eggs per day each on average.

Think at the place I was at the sheds were kept going for about 18months max and then emptied. The hens went off to be killed (they only got paid for the hens that survived the trip) but they had virtually no feathers left on them by then.

dizzyblond

IC the programme continues every night this week at 9pm C4, Its good viewing....

I really admired the Irish guy who came over to advise HFW, he was told by all his contacts he should stop as he will never get another job in the industry after this programme - but he still went on......... gutsy to carry on .....

IainC

Tartan Stamper

Townie

I singed up for this a wee while ago..

Just sent it out to all my work colleagues...

pete_inthehills

when I was at Uni one of the courses was environmental biology. There was a scientific study of two ponds next to each other that were joined by a small stream. Because they wanted to study the effects of acid rain, they build a dam to separate them and then dumped tons of acid in to one and used the other as a control. They said it was very informative to see which creatures died first compared to the uncontaminated ones.

That was very callous I thought. HFW is doing a good scientific experiment, but at too high a cost.

As for the preview of Jamie's program, I think he was in Hugh's shed rather than an industrial one.

pete
inthehills

dizzyblond

I thought last night's programme was Excellent.
After watching and listening to HFW on various radio and tv yesterday - i began to realise he really is passionate about this.
It takes guts to be as open as he was on the programme last night and his body language says he's being pushed out of his comfort zone.
I really hope it works for him!

But he'll never educate that awful rude woman!!!!!lol

IainC

I managed to watch it last night.

Was quite good, certainly the ones allowed to roam free looked a lot better. Made you think about the labels though, I mean technically speaking the intensive ones could still be classed as "barn fed" I guess.

I do agree in a way though with the "rude" woman in that people on a budget will (or have to) try and maximise what they can get for the money they have. I know someone who a few years back would have bought 30 chickens for a fiver if she could find a place selling them at that price.

Oh, and the place I worked at was more for the eggs rather than for meat so was a completely different style (all the birds were in cages).

wildgarlic

eggs or meat... it should all be free range as an absolute minimum.... and even then they could be fed GM poultry feed.

kimmie

she is being like that out of principle you can see it on her face....she had already decided, before she went in the coops, that it was all matter of fact...i have never wanted to hit someone as much as i wanted to hit her last night

i also noticed she was being like that more when the cameras were on her than when off her!!
Love the way the supermarkets wont talk to hugh in front of the cameras too! does put them in a bad light and they dont even realise it

made me so passionate that i told my sister off for turning the channels over when she saw the battery hens....even though she is in oxford lol....she said we (matt and i ) have gone chicken madd!!! she is probably right though

PurpleDragon

The point is, Kimmie, that we all need to go chicken mad, whether we have our own or not.

People are so blinkered, myself included, about what we are eating. I used to buy the 'two for a fiver' chickens, until I saw that film I sent out to a load of folk a year or so ago, about the conditions the hens were kept in. I just never ever thought of the bird. I thought of the meal, and my pocket.

The thing that drives me nuts about that rude woman is that Hugh showed her last night that she can STILL get lots of meals out of the one bird, but she has this massive "I'm a single mother and can't afford the extra two quid" chip on her shoulder, and I don't know what it going to change her mind. Perhaps her son will refuse to eat the cheap birds - he was well affected.

I have to say I admire Hugh enormously for putting himself out there. This really does mean something to him - he's not just going for publicity, he really does want to change the way the birds are kept. I cried along with him when he had to kill that second bird.

dizzyblond

oh PD - thank you, you've said how I feel. HFW has gone to so much trouble cooking that gorgeous meal with these people and trying to show them reality.
I cried for him too.....

mike and louise

I think you're right about the bolshy woman, she is refusing to be turned out of principle. The thing that gets me is she keeps complaining about the prices, but she looks to me like she eats a bit too much chicken (and everything else)! Sorry to be rude.
Years ago chicken was a weekend roast and it was a treat ,along with most other meats., and we were a healthier population then.

Diana

dizzyblond

ML that is so true - I agree completely, HFW deserves a medal with her alone!!!!!!
And I may be talking rubbish here but there has to be a link to poor quality food and childrens behaviour. We're pretty good are labelling our kids these days but we many don't seem to realise kids need a reasonable level of nutrition, fresh air, exercise etc.
This lady just doesn't grasp the fact the that HFW is not only trying to educate us about chickens but there is a quality of food.
I felt very sorry for her little lad - he was so upset........

PurpleDragon

There is a proven link (to me) that food quality and children's behaviour walk hand in hand. There are certain foods in my house that are banned.

dizzyblond

There is a link to me too - unfortunately there not my kids so I don't have full control.

PurpleDragon

Ina

I'm just re-reading "Not on the label" (can't remember the author) - well worth a read, even if it's 3 years old. I'm just on the chapter on chickens again: up to 50% water can be added (injected), along with hydrolyzed protein (from pigs and cows, mainly their skin), to make the water stay in. I lent this book to my boss last year, and he returned it half way through, saying it was too ghastly - but he's been making his own bread since then! (The bread chapter is another very revealing one.)

PurpleDragon

Watching the last of Hugh's campaign.

Oh, I'm so pleased for him - 60% - way to go Axminster!!

Tartan Stamper

andybebbington

Watched the three programmes this week, one thing that got me was everyone in the pub tonight saying it was too expensive i could not help thinking one less pint a week = being able to afford a free range instead.

some thing i saw on another of HFW programmes that did shock me was the one were he had people stay on the river cottage farm on a visit to see "organic chickens" they showed they can be fed upto 15% non organic food and most are brought up intensively like a normal 2 for £5 chicken,

also good to see on the news that battery laying hens are to be banned in 4 years lts just hope it happens and something is done about meat birds

andy

wildgarlic

andybebbington

Heres a link about eggs

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7180018.stm

i was also shocked about the amount of chicken that hugh took of the carcase that was going to be thrown out and how no one knew about the meat on the back thats the best bit!

dont think they fed Gm food to the organic birds but they did say that the non organic food could contain antibiotics and would prevent the kind of infections birds got in vramped conditions

Andy

Ina

dizzyblond

well i'm not sure where to start
I have to agree with AB re the guys in the pub how ignorant where they ?

And the "rude" woman caught in Tesco still buying here cheap chicken - Graeme nearly wet his pants!!!!!

I really admired the rest of the estate folk who went with HFW to part take in the slaughter of the choocks they reared - they were very brave and very honest.
Then some of them got of their backsides to support HFW by going up to complete strangers and educating them too - I hope their proud of themselves!!!

I hope after such an eye opening programme as many people as possible get behind the campaign!!!!!

IainC

Taped last nights programme, didn't get a chance to watch it yet.

I would have guess "Rude Woman" would be back buying cheap chickens again, doubt you would change her mind (certainly not for long anyway).

It's all about balance in life (esp when money is tight), what's more important to you. For some people chocolate (or beer) will be more important than buying a dearer chicken just 'cos it had a better life. It's the same as someone looking at two bars of chocolate, one is asda/tescos own and one is cadburys. Both are bars of chocolate but the person who has little cash knows that they can buy 3 or 4 bars of own brand for the same price, and assuming it tastes similar, they'll buy that instead. They simply don't associate the animal it was before with the fact it's food now.

It's funny (as in odd) that we allow chickens to be farmed in this way, and yet if it was sheep, pigs or cattle the farmer would be strung up for having so many beasts in the one shed without getting outside.

misteralz

kimmie

PurpleDragon

IainC

Sassinak

I don't know if they still use them but they often used to keep young pigs in sweat boxes. They didn't need to use any energy to keep warm and were confined to quite a small space. The ammonia in the air made your eyes water

Lord_Azrael

Following on a bit from the Bread ingredients....other things have to be watched too...for instance Wine.
Who's have thought people would actually use fish swim bladders (isinglass) just to make their wine clearer? Well, most companies do!
Watch out for the 'V' symbol on wine to make sure it is suitable for vegetarians.

Cheese you probably already know about, but animal rennet is used in a lot of hard cheeses, although many are no using vegetable rennet and are clearly marked.

Shellac for crispiness in sweets, and Cochineal for red food colouring......squashed beetles!!!

Whatever next!

I haven't watched the chicken program I'm afraid. I probably would on my own although I've always been horrified that these places actually exist. I've got 6 lovelly chooks outside now, and they're such great pets and give me lovelly eggs every day too!

Although I've been a Veggie for years, I don't have any problem with people who aren't, but I would be much happier if they were all eating animals that at least had a good life previously!

mike and louise

Having done a bit of reading about pigs recently, quite a large number are kept in quite horrific conditions. Piglets have their tails cut off, are castrated and have their pin teeth pulled, before they are one week;without painkillers.their tails are cut offt to stop tail biting, tail biting is thought to be caused by boredom and early weaning, they are weaned at 3-4 weeks old, when naturally it would be 8-12 weeks. This is so farmers can get an extra 1/2 litter a year! Their teeth are pulled so they don't bite the mother while suckling.
The mothers spend 5 weeks of their pregnancy in a farrowing crate, they can only stand and lie down, they can't turn around or interact with their piglets. This is to stop them crushing them, although given enough space and a small area the piglets can hide in, this needn't be an issue.Approx 70% of piglets are born into these conditions!
Some are kept in very confined spaces with no stimulation, and all this is done to an animal, which is said to be more intelligent than a dog!
Sorry, I hope I haven't spoiled anybody's bacon sandwich, but surely it's better you know. :?

matty

Sorry if these points have already been raised, but well done Hugh.
One thing that struck me, they were all complaining about "expensive" chicken, but would be interesting to see who insisted on their 20 fags a day or couple of pints on the way home.

But i guess the bottom line if nothing else, he has managed to stimulate debate amongst us so must be doing something right

IainC

Un-related to this program but I did watch the kill it eat it programme (can't mind the full title) where you were shown a couple of milk fed lambs (26 or 28 days old IIRC) that were slaughtered "live", butchered and then cooked and fed to the audience.

Was quite an interesting programme. Not sure I would have bothered killing such a small/young animal as it appeared that (from most of the audience) that it didn't really taste that much different to older lamb.

Think it's a series as well, not seen any of the other ones so far though.

Ina

mike and louise

Yes, this is all driven by the supermarkets and the public wanting cheap food. The last thing needed is for british farmers to be pushed out of business, although we leave a lot to be desired, I still think we have the best animal welfare in the world.

kimmie

After everything thats been on tv/radio etc about hugh...and the debate its caused across the country ... i thought you may be intrested to hear this!!

I asked matt to pick up some free range chicken on his way home tonight along with other bits that we needed....so he went to Asda...the big one in Aberdeen, as it was on his way home. he rang me from his mobile and we had this convo

Matt "this is interesting...Am in Asda and they dont have any free range chickens!"
Me "you mean they ran out???" (thinking Go hugh)
Matt "no...i mean there isnt any"
Me "is there an empty space where they should be?"
Matt "nope!! doesnt look like they are stocking them!!"
Me "have you asked an assistant?"
Matt "not yet will let you know....to to be honest, i have been up and down every meat aisle and nothing!!"

to which i suggested asking and if it fails get other meat bla bla

Do you think this is Asda trying to get the customers to force to buy every other type of chicken except free range???

zombiecazz

Tesco in Ellon have them, but off course you still have to deal with all that packaging.

Townie

I have to admit that I didn't watch any of the 3 programmes that were on this week with HFW...

I buy whole free range chickens from my local butcher, have done now for almost 2 years.. they cost around £8.00 each. I dont buy meat of any kind from the supermarket.

Tartan Stamper

I was in Asda Portlethen, Aberdeen today only 1 pack of free range chicken breasts.
They had sold out.
Plenty of the 2 for £6 chickens BUT they were taking a lot off the shelves because they had not sold & were going out of date.

Had a look in Makro never buy meat here but wanted a nosey, lots of free range chicken in here whole birds & chicken breasts etc.
I did see the standard chickens,there was one with 2 big black marks on it & I knew what that was hock burns !!gads it made my stomach turn.

ger

I was worried about shopping with Asda online but thankfully they had one!!!
I did notice that they are no longer doing the 2 for £5 it was 2 for £6 which really puts the price in line with free range, but will anyone notice if your that used to buying the 2 for's offer

dizzyblond

Did anyone watch the Jamie Oliver Chicken campaign programme last night - I didn't see all of it but what I did see was quite an eye opener.

And reading between the lines if Sanisbury sack Jamie as rumoured - Waitrose will happily take him ??????

wildgarlic

I did watch Jamie Oliver's programme and found it to be very good - better than the HFW one methinks.

Take a look at Stonehead's blog for some behind the scenes info on the HFW programme. Now THAT is what I call an eye opener!

kimmie

must admit it was interesting to see saisbury wasnt at the table and yet waitrose was!! also made me realise how bad Asda, morrisons and somerfield were too!

wildgarlic

The biggie for me was Mr Hellmans - people have been writing and emailing Hellmans for AGES asking them to quit the battery eggs in their mayo.... and it sounds like they are listening.

BIG result!

Ina

kimmie

just went into my car club site and found that both hugh and jamie have had an impact there!

They have added their names to the petitions and changing the way they are eating!!
it was so good to see!

misteralz

What car club you on, Kimmie?

kimmie

am on more than one...but you will laugh

misteralz

Nah, go on, let's hear them!

kimmie

well there is "thesmartclub.com"
"sussexsmarts.co.uk"
S2crew.co.uk"

s2crew was about differnt cars not just smart cars...had my baby for 8 years and only needed a fuel sump changed in it...only problem is their engine in under the boot so not good down tracks like mine....but if i can get a belly cover on that would help!

IainC

kimmie

it depends on whats mark it was mark's 3 to 5 werent that good, they tried to cut costs and failed....also those that have been re-mapped also went into the workshop alot...i was one of the first to import in into the country and have an un modified mark one.........has been the best car i have owned
also the reason they stopped making the roadster was it originally let water in the seals....and four four was just not as popular.....the crossblade however....that is a really good smartie, but they didnt make that many. there are only 200 of them in britian at the mo.... :oops: off on a tangent

is she a member of any of the clubs?

you save a fortune if she is...got my exchaust free...nothing wrong with the old one i had, but my mate bought a new one for his for two and so his old one was newer and better nick than my one
my battery only cost me 14 quid and that was new! was quote £42 from the garage at the time...i guess its who you know, and get into a small club and they will bendover backwards to help each other!

IainC

kimmie

A lot of people have had trouble with Brabus roadster ..... one of my friends always had his in the workshop....they look good, extras are not free with them...they can really go too...just finding one that is a "good" one is very hard work....personally i prefer the crossblade and the for two!

Any way....this is going off topic...so going back ontopic i have noticed the newarc has lots of battery hens needing homes! any takers?

zombiecazz

I'm going over with MN on Saturday to pick up a couple of new girls for my ranch

Sassinak

I was going to get some and have the shed waiting for putting up. But the builders are coming back on Sunday - Yippee, and it will be bad enough trying to keep all the pekins from beiong site managers without adding to the flock, so I will impatiently wait lol

Ina

Joanna Blythman was right: Not only don't the Brits care what they eat, they even eat MORE factory chicken after this campaign than before. Same that happened last time some brave soul tried to enlighten Joe Public.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/farmingtoday/

"Sales of standard, intensive supermarket chickens appear to have increased following the campaign led by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to get people to buy free range poultry instead. Two weeks ago the chef aimed to persuade shoppers that intensively reared chicken meat damages animal welfare. Tesco says directly after the programmes on Channel 4 aired, sales of standard chickens increased by 7% and free range by 3%. Sainsbury's free-range sales have gone up by 50% but sales of its "Sainsbury's basics" label chicken have also risen."

kimmie

yes but has anyone noticed there are rarely any free range on any shelves....been several times for things like loo paper etc.and every time had to have a nose....and i have yet to see ANY free range on the shelves!!! will ask next time!!

wildgarlic

I wonder how many of the supermarkets have increased the price on their organic/free range chickens as a result of the publicity by HFW?

Ina

kimmie

zombiecazz

I think the customers have actually been buying them. The local butcher has sourced a supplier of free range chickens, as he has had so many enquiries about them.

kimmie

thats good to here ZC...we havent been buying meat or veg from the supermarkets just essentials, but we always look .......i hope it is that they are buying them...but not one at any time of day? i am not too sure.

Ina

Radio 4, next Monday:
You and Yours, 12.00-1.00pm
Free range chickens: Tesco has allegedly put up its prices but not passed these on to suppliers.