country file

[Mo]

Drat, just missed it.
Did anyone see the bit about poultry keeping?

[chickenchaser]

Hi Mo,

They showed battery hens (very well feathered ones) and described the new enriched cage system. Apparently it will cost 1-2 million quid for a farmer to convert so many will be going out of business and a vast increase of imported eggs from nil animal welfare countries.
The firm making the cages is pumping out the old style to Russia, canada etc. he said it is only Europe which has welfare issues.

A spokesman for CIWF said to produce a Barn egg was 1p more than a battery egg and free range only 2p more. This, however is not reflected in the price we pay.

CIWF is completely against any cages and pointed out that if all eggs were free range, we would still have cheap eggs due to competition.

Even more reason for the backyard chicken keepers to keep spreading the word

[chickenchaser]

Talking of Countryfile, I saw ''stars of countryfile'' the chickens used on the programme when a family started to keep them in their garden, for sale on another forum.

I found that profoundly sad. :cry:

[saint-spoon]

A very interesting article to watch and raised a few good points.

I could unfortunately see the battery farmer’s point of view; as sad as it is we are legislating against our own folk thus making them uncompetitive against the rest of the world. Chickens will still suffer and battery eggs will still be on sale in our shops. The only difference is that the suffering won’t be in our back yard and the eggs will have travelled half way around the world before they appear on the super market shelves. How many Russian farmers will convert to intensive egg production in order to cash in on the short fall in egg production in Europe? I doubt that the government (either UK or European) will ban the import of eggs from unethical sources; the supermarkets won’t allow them to do that. I also have some serious reservations as to whether or not the rest of Europe will stick to the rules as rigidly as we will in the UK.

[wendy]

So True Dave,
Battery cages should go altogther full stop and as was stated the barn and free range aren't that much more to produce. Somewhere the public are being ripped off.
But We must support British farmers so they stay in business, buy british free range or barn eggs.. Otherwise anything imported we have no control over at all.
My dream would be for everyone with a garden of sorts to keep chickens. Then we wouldn't need to go to shops. Some could sell their surplus to others without gardens.
Utopia, but it sounds good. :cry:
Wendy

[thebunster]

Drat, just missed it.
Did anyone see the bit about poultry keeping?

Those who missed it can watch again here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00cp2kh (poultry piece is 06:30 minutes in).

[wendy]

Thanks for that link I missed it also.
The farms on there were the some of the best, I would say. I haven't seen farms like the first battery one.
But how anyone can think that, that is an acceptable way to keep an animal is beyond me.
Wendy

[Richard]

expletive expletive expletive expletive expletive expletive

Richard

[bluebell]

I totally agree with Wendy.

[Mo]

Is there any way of fast-forwarding? I kept losing it and it reloading, I gave up after 10 imns and only 2 mins in to the programme.

[wendy]

Just move the little thingy a little further along the line at the bottom MO.
This is a technical term as you can see.
Wendy

[Richard]

No, it's called thingy.

I haven't calmed down yet. I've seen loads of Video's, seen loads of horrible pictures, heard chilling stories, have been inside a Battery Farm, but somehow, don't put my finger on it, this one made me very angry.

Regardless, it was well put though.

Richard

[wendy]

It made us angry Richard. Because it isn't entirley the truth. A couple amongst many, many others. That don't come anywhere near that standard of cleanliness ect. etc. Even though it is an utterly contemptable practice.
Wendy

[bluebell]

Well, I think I will have to watch it when I have a moment.

I must admit I was watching a link to a really horrible video the other day. My blood was boiling - I was upset and angry even my hubby and the dog kept out of my way for most of the afternoon.

I'm lovely really, I've told my husband that every day of our married life - sooner of later he will agree

[saint-spoon]

I did sort of get the impression of a show home battery farm, the type of establishment that the industry would like to the public to see. Whenever our lot are up in front of the media the only folk allowed to speak are the ones that will without doubt tow the party line; the hand picked few who’ll willing lie through their teeth so that everything looks rosey. Just watch any politician on the box to get the idea.