If you are a beef / sheep / chicken farmer, are you noticing a fall in demand?

[anotherotherone]

I was just travelling back down to London by train and there seem to be a lot less sheep and cows in the fields than normal. Am I imagining things?

There are so many meat / dairy alternatives in the shops now. AIBU to think (well, hope) that as people are eating less meat these days and this trend looks set to continue,
are farmers reacting by reducing their stocks?

@anotherotherone

If you say I’m a naive city-dweller - well, go on, educate me then. No need to be snippy and supercilious. If you want people to “understand,” then just explain surely? I wouldn’t sneer at anyone who didn’t know the ins and outs of my job. If someone asked a straight question, I’d just tell them.

I’m glad to hear about the Red Tractor standard that now legislates against newborn male cows being killed at birth. I hope the 95% of farms that are abiding with this legislation, actually are, in practice. The 5% that are not should be prosecuted immediately.

Sorry for the “gruesome” details as someone put it, but since when was any type of farming that involves the slaughter of animals not going to be gruesome? . It’s is just normal life for farmers, surely, so not sure how I would be shocking anyone with a question about what farmers must see and do all the time?

I asked if it happens in the U.K. that male chicks are thrown into mincers. Is this true or not? If the answer is “No they are not,” then I would be very happy to hear it. It’s a straightforward question.

As with anything it will depend upon what you buy. If you buy battery eggs then don't expect any concern for welfare. I'd happily ban battery farming.

If you buy from the smallholding down the road on the other hand, they might be able to provide your Sunday roast, having fattened up one of those male chickens.

Likewise, there are a handful of intensive dairy farms in the UK (a very small minority). I on the other hand know what dairy supplies my milk, and what sort of farming methods are used.

crackofdoom, really glad to hear that. I wish I was the same. Feeling very much as if I've failed right now.

I have heard criticism of biofuels in that they're taking up too much arable land that could be used for food- or are they making it from the waste?

Oilseed rape production is supposed to be quite intensive chemicals-wise. Some of that gets used for biofuels (though much is for culinary use). On the plus side, the remainder of the seed after the oil has been extracted becomes animal feed. Another case of waste products becoming livestock fodder.

As with anything it will depend upon what you buy. If you buy battery eggs then don't expect any concern for welfare. I'd happily ban battery farming.
How are you defining battery eggs/battery farming?