to ask MEAT EATERS if you buy free range or standard chicken?

[Granllanog]

I got attacked on my last thread for saying I buy standard supermarket chicken. Considering only 4% of all of the chicken produced in the UK is free-range and only 1% is organic I don't think I am unusual in doing this?

YABU = I'm a meat eater and only ever eat/buy free-range chicken.
YANBU = I buy standard chicken.

That’s basically what my post said @Milkbottlelegs. Ignore Red Tractor and look for RSPCA Assured.

We buy free range organic chicken. We buy all our meat from a local farm shop. But that’s because we can afford to do so and it’s a priority for us. I certainly wouldn’t judge those who can’t afford to make that choice. It’s so easy to be self-satisfied and smug when your choices don’t actually cost you.

Im all but done with it, although I am pro-carnivore even though I don't like the tase of red meat.

What I am disappointed with is the actual husbandry, the welfare of the animals, not the slaughter. It is the food industry and greed/profit, coupled with people's demand to consume cheap meat every day that is exacerbating the issue.

If we all ate meat a few times per week or simply once or twice (as is generally recommended with the Mediterranean way) I don't think we would shrivel up and develop iron deficiencies.

In an effort to stuff as many products down our throats as possible, and to rewire our kids brains, the global meat industry prioritises 'meat slurry' over fresh, unmolested birds. This is the shit that goes into your chicken nuggets and other, cheap poultry products. There's that soft mouthfeel where it slithers down the throat without much chewing, usually slathered in franken-crumbs full of hydrogenated oils and god knows what else.

We now that this is usually marketed to people on low incomes, and I dare say companies do research as to how 'educated' the target market is. On the other hand, the word organic has been abused to high heaven, firmly aimed at the aspiring classes.

One thing: I do NOT need dextrose, cornflour, and several hundred special fucking chemicals to enjoy a piece of sliced chicken breast. I do not want palm oil in my fillets nor for them to be bursting with injected water to bump up the weight. We do not even NEED around 80% of the shit that is added to meat products, which has become the norm, unless you are willing to spend (I am, many aren't).

Many people think organic or free range meat is 'sissy', the typical hard mans response to anything that requires education or decency. I have witnessed this around me, it isn't class shaming. Its just a fucking fact.

I also think the Frankenstein alteration of our foodstuff since the 70's has largely contributed to the obesity issue.

Slaughtering animals is such a small part of this global problem. Humans have never treated other creatures well throughout history, but I am certain mass production has really, really bent our nature out of shape, and it's ugly, and it will catch up with us .

A whole chicken from Asda is around £5.00. The same sized organic chicken is £11.00.

I buy the first one.

Organic free range only.

I rarely buy chicken - much prefer lamb, beef, veal and venison - but when I do, I just grab a chicken or pack of drumsticks that looks tasty. So I don't know which I buy.

Have always made chicken soup for those who are unwell. A 3lb bird also provides 1 chicken pie, 12 chicken sandwiches, stir fry. What I have noticed is that the standard chicken provides little stock, lots of water and little gelatine. Presumably because standard chickens don't see natural daylight so produce little vit D. I sympathise with those who have no time to cook and can't afford a decent chicken.

Ordinary chicken. Whatever's in the reduced to clear mostly.

I buy free range whole chickens and chicken breasts, but not if it's chicken something else (like a ready meal) I don't look for that. Also I buy standard beef and pork.

Mix of all, sometimes it's a standard chicken from the supermarket, sometimes its an expensive piece of beef from the local farm shop. Any sausages/bacon i buy is from the farm shop or another producer I know of just because I prefer the taste of them.

I buy free range, and it’s irritating that ready meals / tasty chicken with herbs or marinades etc they sell at supermarkets are not free range ever.

Never buy organic though, since some vet friends tell me organic meat means sick animals dying in fields due to not being able to be given simple medicines. Organic to me always = much worse animal welfare standards.

Free-range, not organic

I live on my own and don't have a farm shop or speciality butcher's close by to me.
Whenever M&S, Waitrose, the Co-op or JS have a whole chicken included in their 3 for £10 deals, I buy 3 and freeze two of them for another time.
One chicken lasts for 4 days, ending up with stock for soup.
Excellent value for me and the above retailers make a feature of only dealing with humane suppliers.

This u is a such bullshit. Everyone saying that they but organic free range of would rather do without,

So who's buying all the ordinary chickens? What a bunch of liars.

This is truly the maddest shit I’ve read today. You are happy to buy better chicken if the government bans cheap chicken, but you won’t do it voluntarily because ‘fuck that’

I don’t recall saying I’d be happy to pay more if the government banned it but I wouldn’t have a choice would I?! If I wanted chicken I’d have to pay the going rate for the cheapest free range chicken and sacrifice other things that my DC and I enjoy. While I have a choice, I will buy whatever I want. If the standard of welfare is so awful that I shouldn’t be buying it, they shouldn’t fucking sell it!!

@KingsleyShacklebolt asking a question on Mumsnet isn't a clear representation of society though

Free range, organic, pasture raised. Don't buy any pre-made chicken products, or separated products generally, just a whole chicken and try to use all of it.

But would eat it at someone else's house, I don't expect everyone to do the same.

Quite clearly not representative of society. An awful lot of total bull crap too.

Cheap meat and cheap eggs. With a family of 5 on a civil servant (pay cut) salary I can't afford to do anything else. We can use a pack of ten eggs in one meal!

Only buy free range chicken and eggs.
If someone served me non-free-range I would eat it.

@KingsleyShacklebolt

This u is a such bullshit. Everyone saying that they but organic free range of would rather do without,

So who's buying all the ordinary chickens? What a bunch of liars.

Well what about all the processed products with chicken in them, and chicken at most restaurants/schools/nursing homes etc. Doubt much if any of that is free range. That must account for a lot. Plus the many people who just don't think about where their food comes from, who would not be joining in a conversation like this about it.

Before covid I always used to buy free range chicken, but they disappeared off the shelves for a bit during the first lockdown, so we bought normal chickens and they didn't really taste any different. And the price difference was about £8. So we've continued buying the normal ones.

When I buy chicken breasts I still aim to buy free range, though.

I also think the free range ones disappeared for a while due to a disease and they had to be kept in barns?

I don't eat red meat. But I could never give up dairy, especially cheese.

@KingsleyShacklebolt

This u is a such bullshit. Everyone saying that they but organic free range of would rather do without,

So who's buying all the ordinary chickens? What a bunch of liars.

Why are you so angry about other people's food choices? I genuinely don't eat non-free range chicken and if I stopped being able to afford it I would not eat chicken at all. The only time I would is if I was someone's guest for dinner and that's what they had cooked. I don't buy chicken ready meals or eat chicken from takeaways or restaurants. because it is not free range

@KingsleyShacklebolt

This u is a such bullshit. Everyone saying that they but organic free range of would rather do without,

So who's buying all the ordinary chickens? What a bunch of liars.

I know. Supermarkets are absolutely full of people buying ordinary chicken. Only on here do I see such outrage. In real life, vast majority of people buy the bog standard meat

After keeping my own chickens I can't bring myself to buy the cheap meat and eggs. Not just for the taste difference but also the welfare.

If they put representative pictures of what the cheap chickens actually look like on the packaging and egg boxes I'm not sure many others would either. The image of a happy healthy hen with an upright comb, full plumage and all of its eyes and toes that you see plastered all over what we buy is rarely accurate to any degree. What you're more likely buying is eggs or meat from a disfigured semblance of a creature in agony.

I don't eat meat every day (last week I only had meat on one day) so it's not a hardship for me not to buy chicken often.