noises on this website?

Seems to be alright now Nathan, thank you.

 

Pete all these bad practices in farming you describe do take place but it doesn't make them right,I think it's a step in the right direction if people are made aware of these problems then they can decide for themselves wether or not they turn a blind eye and stuff their faces with these products.

 

I'm one of the lucky ones my sound is always muted!

Regarding the poor old hens can anyone of us truely say we believe that all chicken farms (on a very large scale) will allow hens for meat or eggs to be allowed to roam outside whenever they pleased? I think not it will take up far too much wasted space.

Far better to buy eggs/chickens from your local farm or smallholding or better still have your own chickens if you're able to at least that way you know just how happy your hens are and what they feed off.

We used to keep chickens on our land and being a country lass I never had a problem killing the hens after the hens finished laying and eating them, I think that's the problem nowadays some people think that all chickens come shrink-wrapped at birth! :D
Helen.xxx.

 

The whole livestock and poultry thing is a matter for your own moral conscience.

Some years ago as maintenance engineer I had the misfortune to visit slaughter houses and battery farms. And since then I have been a vegetarian.

Now I'm not saying I am right but after seeing the sate of battery chickens and the look of fear in cattle as they make their way through the slaughter house, some where physically shaking, had a lasting effect.

The way I see it is all living things have a right to a natural, normal, free form mistreatment life.

And livestock farming and battery farms are not normal, make no mistake, animals are mistreated.

Yes I've heard all the arguments from both sides, but at the end of the day your conscience will tell if the way we treat animals is acceptable! Leucojum

 

I agree with all thats being said and especially Leucojum.
I suppose its a matter that the animal should have a quality of life before it is killed, and these days most dont, and if people want cheap meat, then its not going to happen.
I also think that animals should be killed as close as possible to where they are reared, transportation long distances are not necessary, or at least should not be allowed.

 

I was a lucky lad!..I grew up in a world where the folk loved their home grown Hens, Geese and Pigs,and I do believe they loved us back.
My Grandparents were the last of the generation that lived,what we now call,the 'Good Life' and I feel privileged to have seen it.
All livestock was killed and butchered at home with the the same care they were shown while alive...As Grandad said,"We looked after them,now they will look after us".
It's a world far removed now I know, but the least we can do to help the critters experience a better life is to vote at the tills!

 

Well said Pal.

 

Anyone catch that Jamie Oliver Programme on Ch4 the other night? Was called "Kill it, Cook it, Eat it". He had a studio of ordinary folk seated in surrounding like a luxury restaurant where he set about describing, in graphic detail, about battery, barn and free range hens. He showed how the chicks were sexed and checked for deformities that would show they probably wouldn't live long. All these chicks were sent down a conveyor belt and boxed up and the boxes put into a gas chamber. He demonstrated the gassing of day old chicks right there in the studio! He also showed every step of the slaughtering process and even slaughtered a chicken in the studio.

They did the same (sans the studio demonstration) for pigs and cattle.

At each step, he took some of the meat that had just been slaughtered (one was a piglet that had been slaughtered just outside the studio) butchered it, cooked it and served it to his guests.

Oh my, the reaction! Quite a lot of the women and a surprising amount of the men, recoiled in horror at the idea of eating what they had just seen live. Many said they would be vegetarian from that time on. I wonder how many managed to actually do that and not conveniently put it all out of their minds when they got home!

A very disturbing programme but full of truth albeit somewhat graphic. My personal lasting memory is of a Spanish restaurateur who somewhat belligerently kept insisting that all those animals were food, bred as food and intended as food so what did it matter how they were treated!

Give me strength!

 

Yes I watched it to the end even though did not enjoy what I was seeing.

But think a lot of Jamie Oliver for trying so hard to get it across.

I was in a supermarket only needing milk on sat an dit was not Tesco have to say.

But did pay particular attention and went across to chicken counter there were no free range chickens at all and did check there eggs and have to say first time I have ever seen eggs stamped these eggs have been caged.

I always do buy fresh free range.

 

I know there's a strong moral argument for not eating meat - in my own case the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak - but I would like to know what those who avoid meat products do about feeding any carnivorous pets they might keep. I understand that dogs can be brought up on a vegetarian diet but I also understand that if cats are deprived of meat products they will become very ill and eventually die.

 

Ain't life a dilemma? Didn't see the programme and have mixed feelings about the purpose and the logic of making a programme like this.

What has it acheived? Well, it's got people talking.

Sure, your full of sympathy but off you go to your favourite supermarket and buy meat and poultry products. If your conscience is ok with that, fine. Its your choice. But me, I'll stick to a meat free diet.

But then I guess that makes me a hypocrate. We have a dog and a cat and yes they both eat pet food which contains meat.

Now you could say thats ok because pet food is mostly the dregs and left overs from the meat food industry. Animals are not slaughtered just for pet food.

We did struggle with this I must admit. But both pets are from rescue centres and now enjoy pet heaven, they are spoilt rotten. Is that a pathetic excuse for justification?

We are still struggling with this one.

Don't spend too much time on this subject or think too deep. You will end up bringing up all sorts of moral issues which leads you to the conclusion that the extinction of the human race would be the best thing, ever, for planet earth.

Yup,Ain't life a dilemma? Leucojum

 

Well it all started after the war.

I used to play with the pigs and fowl, (I lived in a council house) one by one they where killed and eaten. I still could do that today.

But they would be looked after very well. I think the problem is that a lot of people are short on money, and organic produce is too expensive also the taste is not a lot different. Try your own veg against shop bought in a blind tasting.

Trevor

 

When I see the four wheel dives, I tend to think most people arn't short of money, there are some, but most have the massive TV, and all the other things, mobile phones etc.
Its about priorities, and how the food is raised is pretty low down the list.

Especially if they dont have to watch what goes on.