Programmes on Factory Farming, Slaughter etc

[Char-x]

Has anyone in the UK noticed that more and more programmes are being done on factory farming (Hugh's Chicken Run/New Jamie Oliver one/Kill it, Cook it, Eat it).

I think this is really good since it shows people the horrible way they treat the animals. Although Kill it, Cook it,Eat it seem to be VERY bias I've noticed. They say "please remember this is how the animal would be slaughtered if our cameras were here or not" but I HIGHLY doubt that, since they have an audience looking at them and a TV crew they will be on their best behaviour. They then end the programme with 90% of those who watched the slaughter eating the meat of the animal that has just been killed infront of them and them saying why it's okay...then the female interview seems to patronize those who are vegetarians or destressed by what they just saw. I did like the show for educating people but I think it really is made for the sole purpose of showing people "it's done humanely" which most of us now isn't the case most of the time.

Hughs Chickren run isn't trying to turn people away from meat at all but atleast he is trying to change peoples views to free range - which is better than standard hens. He is doing a really good job too since I know my mums friend at work said how upsetting it was - my mum however refused to watch it, claiming she already brought free range - true with eggs but I KNOW she has brought Tesco chicken before . I'm looking forward to the chicken one Jamie Oliver is doing and I think I'll tape it, I'm a vegetarian so haven't got anything really to feel ashamed for - apart from being human - so can use it for others reference.

What do you all think of these programmes?

[FoolOnTheHill]

Yes I saw that I've been watching Hugh's Chicken Run and I think it's really good. That woman Hailey though annoyed me sooooo much though. She went into the broiler house and saw those chucks crammed together, nothing to do but eat and drink, staggering around, and what does she say? 'Oh, it's my pocket, I can't afford free range, they look happy enough!' Is she mad or something??? That's no way for a chicken to live! And if you can only afford battery chickens then you'd be better off buying some beans or even Quorn or something.
Rant over
It's great they are having more exposure because I don't think many people think about the chickens they might be eating. I'm a vegetarian, but my family only buys local free range eggs, and we get our meat from local butchers. Occasionally they buy lamb from Tesco's because you can't really factory farm sheep so they are likely to have had a normal life.

[muffin]

I think these programmes are great. I'm so glad these chefs are using their celebrity status to get the point across. Chefs in the past have expressed the same views, but now it's getting to a wider audience, which is great.

I can see Hailey's point- as a single mum on a really tight budget, she wants to give her son a good diet. She had fresh veg in her trolley, and to be fair she was buying fresh whole chicken to get more meat for her money, and not buying frozen processed junk. I'm glad they included her views in the show, they gave it good balance. She was of the view that the broiler chickens didn't know any different kind of life, so they weren't suffering per se. She knows it's not ideal, but that if they don't know what they're missing, they don't miss it. It's a harsh reality that free range is expensive, whether an extra two pounds would break her budget I can't comment.

The ideal situation to follow from this would be for the free range concept to reach a wider audience. The more people buy free range, the more chicken production will be switched from broiler to free range. It's slow progress, but I feel that the organic and free range movement is gathering speed in Britain, and I have to credit celebrity chefs for really pushing local and free range produce.

I don't eat chicken if I can avoid it, because I wasn't happy that even free range ones are killed in the usual mass production way, but now I'm thinking it might be better to support the free range movement by buying free range chickens. Hmm, still undecided. I wish they could all be killed like they were on the TV show, with a mobile slaughter unit taken to their own farm, a quick zap and that's it, lights out.

[Char-x]

Hailey really annoyed me, and I mean really. Coming from a household where we are in the same sort of position, my mums a single mum, and unlike Haylie she works so recieves no benefits and is worse off for it. Most money we do have goes on the animals to be honest, so for Hailey to act as if that two pound was far too much was ridiculous as my mum 90% of the time manages it fine, and when she doesnt I know it's because "it was on offer".

I missed Hughs chicken run tonight as I was so tired I fell asleep! I had that channell on though so I'm glad they got the extra viewing, after all the more popular the show appears to be the more celeb cheifs will get into it and so forth. I'm hoping it will be repeating as the other one was the other night. Looking forward to Jamie Olivers one!