to feel sorry that chickens' happiness isn't worth 60p to most people?

[oohdaddypig]

So - in my local Sainsburies you can buy pre-cooked whole chickens. Free range cost 60p more than the battery farmed variety.

Girl behind the counter told me almost no one buys the free range ones.

Now, I know things are very very tight these days for many families. But this is Sainburies where the average shopper is probably slightly better off.

Doesn't anyone care about where their food comes from now at all? Is the only thing that matters now the cost?

I'm not vegetarian - but I try to shop reasonably thoughtfully, locally when I can etc,

poor chooks!

Why do you think the average shopper in sainsburys is better off?

When you're on a really tight budget 60p is a reduced loaf of bread and a bottle of value squash!

Firstly free range tend to cost FAR more than an extra 60p

Secondly, your average Sainsbos shopper is not necessarily better off...I find that laughable really. It may well be that it's the only supermarket within walking distance to their home.

I think given the state many people are in financially, it's best to throw your judgey pants away on this one...or at least donate them to charity.

So the average shopper is slightly better off at your Sainsbury's? Can you let us know what research you used to say that?

Pensioners use our Sainsbury's and you can always tell is they are comfortably off - or not - by what they wear and how they wear their hair etc. 60p can be a lot of money to some and I haven't bought a whole chicken for about 6 years so can't even afford a battery one.

YANBU. If it was normally 60p. It is not. Poeple assume that the FR is much more expensive and it normally is. I would rather eat less, better kept meat but it is very expensive to do that.

Really? I don't eat a lot of meat as if I can't afford to buy free range I prefer to go without. If it's only that amount it's definately worth going free range.

I have never seen FR at 60p more than the cheap variety. I do always look and buy when I can afford it but it is usually twice the price.

I think it's shocking that non free range chickens are sold but I'm not going to blame the poor for buying it.

If there was no demand they wouldn't be sold.

One word... Debeaking. Don't Google it unless you have a strong stomach.

I'm surprised there's only a 60p difference.

I used to buy free range but it was one of the first thing to go when we had to slash our shopping budget.

YABU - I think most people just aren't that bothered. I say that as a vegetarian chicken-keeper.
Sales of organic and free-range everything have plummeted in the last few years as many people can't afford the luxury of principles any more.

I do worry about where my food comes from and would rather sacrifice something to have better quality something else. But that's because I have a choice.

I'm with "altinkum", we eat semi-veggie diet because it's cheap. Only have meat 3 times a week or so. But to save 60p I'd eat a sad little chicken.

YANBU to think it's sad that we intensively farm any animal. But some people are really struggling to feed their families, so I don't think they can afford to worry about where there food comes from. Chicken is generally cheap, and a good source of protein, so I know why people buy it. But yes, it does make me sad to think of those vast chicken sheds where the birds never see daylight and the welfare is less than ideal. Thing is, free range birds aren't necessarily much better cared for. The only way to really know where your food comes from is to rear it/ grow it yourself. Then slaughter it yourself. I buy free range, but I don't rear and slaughter my own birds, so I'd be a hypocrite to comment on someone else's choices/circumstances. I do get eggs from my own flock, though, so I don't have the egg dilemma.

And it was already dead and cooked.

I only buy free range chicken. Usually thighs as they have the tastiest meat and are so reasonably priced. Four free range thighs for £2.50 in Morrisons.

I only buy British or Irish outdoor reared pork. Pig farming methods in the rest of Europe are at a much lower standard. It's easy to eat ethically if you don't insist on only eating the more expensive cuts i.e.chicken breasts.

I certainly don't have wads of cash to throw around at the moment, far from it, but I don't feel the need to eat meat every day.

MIL is an animal lover, would be veggie if she didn't have to cook meat for FIL. She buys the cheapest meat/poultry she can find. Go figure.

I wouldn't normally pay extra for free range because I'm not convinced that what is described as 'free range' is what people picture in their heads. Somehow seems worse to me to con people into thinking of chickens pecking around in fields when the reality of commercial free range is somewhat different.

Sales of organic and free-range everything have plummeted in the last few years as many people can't afford the luxury of principles any more.

I'd say it's more to do with the large supermarkets bastardising these terms and ripping the shopper off.

People woke up to it.

I live in one of the most deprived areas in the UK, Sainsburys is the only large walkable supermarket, nearest other deprived area round here only has a Sainsbury's in walking distance, no other supermarket is near. No clue what you're on about with the average Sainsbos shopper being better off! better off then what? people who don't eat or who rely on food banks presumably!

It does depress me that no one gives a toss, like altinkum.

There are cheaper sources of protein like lentils, beans etc which are healthier anyway. I only buy chicken once a week as result.

Perhaps it's because I walk the dog past a battery chicken shed and the noise is incredibly distressing to hear.

I would rather eat less meat knowing the animal has at least been shown some respect.

(oh and there are a myriad of supermarkets in our area - so the shoppers are choosing Sainsburies)

I do personally find it hard to accept that people treat animals as a commodity product to eat, regardless of it's welfare. OP, I feel the same about cheap bacon from parts of Europe with lower welfare standards. It makes me very sad :(

However, on the whole I try to keep my judgy pants off having ranted and raved about this subject in the (distant) past. I have come to accept that we can't be ethical all the time in all areas of life or we would have to avoid Nestle, Proctor & Gamble, diamonds, coffee, chocolate, egg products, fast food chains, petrol companies ..... its a minefield and chickens are but a speck on it

I also have never eaten at KFC on principle. And never eat chicken sandwiches from Greggs, Boots etc.