Battery Farms to be banned

[faceless]

I just saw on the news that battery farming of chickens for their eggs is to be outlawed in Brtain by 2012... I'm delighted to hear this, but I have to wonder if the government's decision to announce it today has anything to do with the 'Hugh's Chicken Run' programme that's been on Channel 4 this week.

In it, Hugh fearnley-Whittingstall (correct spelling!) has been showing how intensively reared chickens are treated, with the main point being to encourage people away from such products and to buy free-range.

[luke]

although this is good news, its to far away for me. really, us as [ informed ] consumers should be able to kill this cruel industry tomorrow - we just don't buy any of it. no sales - business over.

you say battery farming for eggs, are they still going to allow intensive farming of chickens for meat? everything should be free range. have you seen the way they raise pigs in those cages? they can't even turn around. apparently pigs are quite intelligent and they go kinda mad and start gnawing on the bars, grinding down their teeth and jaw bone. horrible ... theres a excellent documentary i really recommend to everyone called 'earthlings' - probably the most shocking documentary i've ever seen. it looks at our use of animals for food, pets/entertainment, clothes and research - scary stuff ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthlings_(documentary)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1282796533661048967

i was going to start a thread about this kinda thing, what people think, or even if they do, about where their food comes from, hows its reared or grown, free range natural organic vs intensively reared genetically modified chemically enhanced stuff

with meat i always try to go for at least free range, the thought of eating an animal that lived its life locked in a tiny space in an artificial environment really puts me off. depending on price i'll also go for organic, again i don't like the idea of any type of animal being artificially fattened up quickly with chemicals.

with fruit and vegetables i always try to go for organic, and try to pick stuff thats grown as close as possible. although with where the supermarkets source their food now that choice can be something stupid like picking apples from south america or africa!

i think we need to go back in time a bit, people keeping chickens and stuff in their gardens, growing your own fruit and veg, back to more locally sourced food. we need a food revolution really

so what do people think, do you pay much attention to how your food is grown or reared? how far its traveled to get to you? do you look for organic or free range? or is the major priority price? or do you just buy whatever comes to hand first?!

when i've finally planned and implemented my coup of the uk, i'm going to ban all factory farming!

[faceless]

It's just the battery farming for chickens that lay eggs that this will affect, but the fact that they get more space than the ones reared for meat will probably affect how things develop (well with any luck).

I've cut cheap chicken out of my diet as much as possible and don't buy veg from the supermarkets that's had to be imported. I'll just go without if it means that some green beans have had to be flown in from Kenya...

There's a lot more I'd do if I could afford it though.

[luke]

yeah i can understand that, re the price - its like chickens, i'll go for a free range - but if you go for a free range organic, its just to pricey for me really. like you if i could afford it i'd do more. actually, if i could afford it, i'd have my own farm, grow me own fruit and veg and rear my own animals, with a special area for the more exotic 'herbs'

[Twirley]

Luke - thanks for the link about the Earthlings documentary. I watched it and even though I knew some of it was quite shocked at the treatment these animals were given and the pain they are forced to endure. I eat meat and poultry but not seafood and I do try to buy organic and free-range where possible. Hubby & I are also looking into local farms for buying our produce and even maybe becoming part of a co-op.

Last year we planted our own organic vegetable plot and grew tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers, melons, peas, radishes, leeks, hot peppers, and okra. We had success with most things. However, we're still waiting for the leeks to look like leeks and the peas got an infestation of white spider mite so we only got a limited crop.

Anyhow, we're going to do it again this year since it was great to eat your own tasty vegetables and feel like you were being subsistent...and partly saving the planet, too.

I will be rethinking how much meat I eat from now on though.