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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that if you cannot afford free range chicken/turkey meat and eggs...

755 replies

LolaTheShowgirl · 27/05/2009 09:31

...then don't buy at all?

I mean the suffering these birds go through in cramped, dirty sheds is unbelievable. There is usually no natural light and the birds are usually ill before they're culled.

If you can stomach it, please look at these:
WARNING: NOT NICE PICTURES!
HERE

OP posts:
BecauseImWorthIt · 27/05/2009 09:32

A very difficult decision to make if you haven't got the money, no matter how awful the situation is for battery birds.

Not the most sensitive of posts!

IDidntRaiseAThief · 27/05/2009 09:32

now where IS my hard hat (roots around under stairs)

mrsmaidamess · 27/05/2009 09:34

So you are basically saying all poor people should be vegetarian?

expatinscotland · 27/05/2009 09:34

Do you have children to feed, Lola?

I make a personal decision with regards to that, but unless you're there, trying to feed wee ones on a very limited budget, it's not something to judge, IMO.

MaDuggar · 27/05/2009 09:35

Id rather my kids had a healthy diet that I can afford, tbh. If i didnt buy fresh meat & eggs, what would i feed my children?

pingping · 27/05/2009 09:35

YABU some people can't afford these things

RealityIsMyOnlyDelusion · 27/05/2009 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Kathyis6incheshigh · 27/05/2009 09:36

I don't agree, I think if someone is broke and a roast chicken is one way of cheering the family up and giving them something that everyone likes, the benefit of that is great enough to justify it.
It's easy to avoid battery farmed stuff if you have plenty of money to spend on food (I don't buy it myself) but FGS let's not feel superior about it or start preaching to people with less money about how they can spend it.

edam · 27/05/2009 09:36

Interesting moral argument here. Part of the problem is as the country has got richer, everyone has started to treat meat as an everyday item. Back in the 50s or 60s or earlier, you didn't necessarily expect to eat meat at every meal.

That's why Yorkshire puddings were invented - batter and gravy were a cheap way of filling the family up before serving any meat.

insertwittynicknameHERE · 27/05/2009 09:38

YABU, I buy what I can afford so that I can feed my family a varied, healthy diet. Just because we cannot afford to buy organic doesn't mean we should not have meat.

Although I do buy my eggs from a local farm shop who have their own free range chickens, but only because DD loves eggs and the farm shop ones are cheap.

Morloth · 27/05/2009 09:38

I think children's tummies being full is more important than the suffering of birds and animals.

Personally I only buy organic free range, and we don't eat meat everyday in any case. However, we are wealthy and so I feel an obligation to do so as I can afford to.

Animals are important and do deserve respect, but in my opinion humans outrank them. Evolution in action.

notnowbernard · 27/05/2009 09:39

Interesting point, Edam

We could probably all do with eating less meat. If we had it only 2-3 times per week, we could afford decent stuff and get healthier too

Now, ideas on how to convince DP, please...

gemmiegoatlegs · 27/05/2009 09:39

hmm not sure. I have seen a lot of people on the food thriftthread buying less meat/buying free range/happy chickens but buying less often.

Free range eggs on't cost an awful lot more, especially if they are locally produced. 99p for 6 large in my local organic veggie shop. I would never not buy them.

I don't eatmeat anyway but I buy a free range bird for the family maybe once every two or three weeks. At twice the price of a regular chicken we just buy them half as often.

FabulousBakerGirl · 27/05/2009 09:39

YABU, rude, naive and very silly tbh.

expatinscotland · 27/05/2009 09:39

But she's seeing hte eggs have to be free range, too, edam. So there go the Yorkshire puds .

Is Spam free-range? John West tuna?

I know my gran had a tight budget, and she'd make Spam fritters and Spam with tomoatoes and peppers and onions as a meal.

HecatesTwopenceworth · 27/05/2009 09:39

Yes. unreasonable. Ideally you buy free range, and organic, but at the end of the day - chickens don't matter more than your children. And if all you can afford is cheap food, then that's what you get.

If you are feeding your kids on all Value range products, and you don't give them anything that is not raised ethically - what do your kids eat? Live on potatoes?

No, sorry. You do what you have to do. I know you don't have kids Lola, and I don't mean this to be patronising, but when/if you have children and if you are ever in the terrible position - like I have been - of trying to feed them on £25 a week, trust me when I tell you that the very last thing you will give a shit about, is how a chicken lived out its days.

southeastastra · 27/05/2009 09:39

start by blaming the supermakets imo rather than buying public.

expatinscotland · 27/05/2009 09:40

sorry, saying the eggs (am watching 'Real Rescues' here).

Morloth · 27/05/2009 09:42

Hang on, there are eggs in yorkshire puddings?

edam · 27/05/2009 09:42

OK, here's a challenge for all the MNers who like meal planning: can you come up with an affordable weekly plan that is cruelty free?

Someone who has a very tight budget should set the target amount and MNers who cook can come up with the ideas.

(I'm veggie so have no ideas about how to afford meat.)

KingRolo · 27/05/2009 09:43

Very good point from edam there.

I'll happily feed the family cheaper veggie based stuff for four days a week so we can have decent quality, free range meat (or fish) the other three.

grumblinalong · 27/05/2009 09:44

YABVU and really rude. Some people can't afford to buy anything but the cheapest meat. It's not a good feeling but it's life. Do you really think it's helpful to point out that they can't afford to make the best decisions in life?

MaDuggar · 27/05/2009 09:44

£25 for a family of 4, for a week

dietstartstomorrow · 27/05/2009 09:44

I kind of agree. I only free-range stuff or nothing at all.

I think the way that they treat factory reared birds is cruel and it should be stopped all together. If it's stopped, it will take away the choice.

We should never have got to a place where it is ok to buy a whole chicken for £1.99, now people think £6-7 is expensive, when really that should be the cost.

southeastastra · 27/05/2009 09:44

sounds kind of patrionising to me