Credit Crunch - A return to Broilers and Battery Eggs ??

[Teasal]

Free range chickens are ridiculously expensive nowadays, and I can well understand, especially with the present credit crunch, people having to take the cheaper option.

I have thought long and hard about rearing chickens for us to eat. I would not have a problem with the eating of them - they would have a free range life, be well looked after etc. Its just the despatching them I cannot do. If I could find someone happy to do the dirty deed for me, I can pluck and prepare it, thats ok.

In the meantime, I eat chicken on the odd occasion, and only then, if its free range - more than likely on the reduced section. As otherwise I cannot afford free range.

[Richard]

You have the ideal conditions there. At least they'd get 14 - 16 weeks of the good life, unlike the other 80% or so.

[Teasal]

When people buy my free range eggs at the gate, I am also getting asked if we sell free range hens for eating too .....so I could probably sell some as well as eat them myself.

After Christmas I will make the effort to see if I can find someone local who will for a small fee despatch the hens for me

Its no good me wanting to be self sufficient and only half doing it, is it!!!!!!

[Richard]

Wouldn't Cockerels be better. If the hens have been laying, they may not be so nice ?

Your customers may ask why it didn't have the Parsons Nose !

[Mo]

Maybe start small and see if you approve of the way the 'deed' is done.

[jo68]

great post lots to think about

i know where your coming from babycakes i feed 9 on a sunday, most weeks i buy lamb and only buy good chicken when hubby gets payed.

even though we both work we live on the breadline we dont have a fancy car (18 yr old volvo) we have camping holidays (in the mud) my children dont have the latest games console (bought one from a friend for christmas)we got the chooks so we dont buy battery eggs and hubby built the coop and pen himself.
we cut back on lots of things just to get by till the end of the month.

one day i would love to walk into a supermarket and buy what i like


jo x

[Babycakes]

I bought mum a jar of pickled eggs for her christmas hamper. I made sure I got free range. You are all rubbing off on me

[p.penn]

Wouldn't Cockerels be better. If the hens have been laying, they may not be so nice ?

Your customers may ask why it didn't have the Parsons Nose !

OMG - which bit of the bird is the parsons nose then??

[stace]

Its Bottom!


Stace

[p.penn]

But how is a cockerels bottom different from a girls?

Or are we talking 'boy bits' here?

[Richard]

Boys bit !!!!

It's sort of heart shaped and where you'd expect it to be.

Some people eat it, some people don't !

[p.penn]

OOOh!!! How romantic - a heart shaped boys bit!!!!

[Teasal]

I have already thought about cockerels, but was worried they may have started crowing before finishing growing ......and as I already have 4 cockerels on the farm, if I had any more the neighbours may have something to say.

[chickenchaser]

Re free range chicken being expensive.

Do people actually look at the price or just assume the cost?
In my local Morrisons, the free range chicken range from £6- £9.

I have one defrosting in the fridge at the moment. It cost £6.15 for a 1.5 kilo chicken which would feed a family of six and still leave a carcase for soup etc.

OK, it's not "2 for a fiver" but research has shown that without the free range exercise and grass/insects etc the chickens do not contain the levels of protein and vitamins for healthy brain growth etc we expect in this "healthy" meat.

Compared to a broiler chicken killed at 8 weeks old for the table, our children would be healthier eating a Big Mac.

Not just my opinion, scientific fact

[wendy]

Here, here CC