[Goldfinger]

As I'm typing this, I'm watching an article on the One Show that battery cages are going to be banned soon due to EU law.

About time I'd say! 

They say it'll add 2p to a half dozen, yet farmers will stuggle to meet the costs of the change over. 

My way to solve the cage problem is GET YER OWN HENS!!!!!

What's everyone else's thoughts or, should I not ask that question??

[finleyfreyaseth]

its a bit of a catch 22 situation,we,d all like to see our food running free enjoying fresh air having a happy life before it ends up on our plates,but the cost to us the consumer would be astronimical and families on low incomes and there children would suffer we a bad diet which would then lead to poor health so costing the government more health care,im afraid for the cost to stay as it is to US  the consumer livestock will have to farmed in the same way as it is,because every penny increase at the farm doors increases ten fold by the time it ends up in our fridge.Its realy no good saying get ure own cos not everyone as the space or know how to get there own,im not posting this to start an ethical arguement but just stating what will happen with the changes people would like too see.

[evie2]

I'm against battery egg production, a total ban should have come years ago in my opinion.  The egg producers are not the ones making the profits, it's the supermarkets as usual.  Many producers will/are going out of business.  I've been told there is no financial help/incentive to provide the new housing which, although larger, is still pitifully inadequate.

If the supermarkets invested in their egg producers there would be no caged birds, producers would be able to change to barns,  Barns are by no means perfect, they are however a damn site better than cages.

Also many battery producers are keeping their cages and putting fewer birds in.  

[Goldfinger]

I was hoping to say 'get yer own' in a light hearted way 

I thought the chicken would have become the new 'rabbit / hamster / guinea pig'?
 
Especially after HFW's 'chicken out' campaign.

I just wished peoples budgets were not so tight these days. 

[grinling]

Also think about chickens when you next have a curry or breaded chicken gourjons. Cheap eggs and cheap meat.

[finleyfreyaseth]

I was hoping to say 'get yer own' in a light hearted way 

I thought the chicken would have become the new 'rabbit / hamster / guinea pig'?
 
Especially after HFW's 'chicken out' campaign.

I just wished peoples budgets were not so tight these days. 

sorry goldfinger wasnt avin a pop at youre "get your own" quote i was just tryin show it all aint so simple,theres a lot of things that could be done regarding animal welfare and i wish it could happen but like stated before if we want meat on our tables at prices the below average wage earner can afford things arent going to change,and i know from experience of worker in the meat and poultry wholesale trade that when i was buying pallets full of fresh meat and poultry i could buy the product cheaper from europe transported to the door cheaper than less than 100 miles up the road,its totally ridiculous,again goldfinger i wasnt avin a pop .

[Goldfinger]

I was hoping to say 'get yer own' in a light hearted way 

I thought the chicken would have become the new 'rabbit / hamster / guinea pig'?
 
Especially after HFW's 'chicken out' campaign.

I just wished peoples budgets were not so tight these days. 

sorry goldfinger wasnt avin a pop at youre "get your own" quote i was just tryin show it all aint so simple,theres a lot of things that could be done regarding animal welfare and i wish it could happen but like stated before if we want meat on our tables at prices the below average wage earner can afford things arent going to change,and i know from experience of worker in the meat and poultry wholesale trade that when i was buying pallets full of fresh meat and poultry i could buy the product cheaper from europe transported to the door cheaper than less than 100 miles up the road,its totally ridiculous,again goldfinger i wasnt avin a pop .

No need to apploigise  , we just can't belive how expensive this country is becoming  (on our local the radio yesterday, they said in the UK, child care is the most expensive IN THE WORLD now!!  )

Is it / will it ever stop??

[JaK]

I have to hold my hand up and say that due to our income I buy eggs from caged hens (supermarket) when I can't get them from the side of the road sales. I also buy the 'value' chickens. I do it because I have to and not because I want to and feel guilty with every purchase.

[finleyfreyaseth]

I have to hold my hand up and say that due to our income I buy eggs from caged hens (supermarket) when I can't get them from the side of the road sales. I also buy the 'value' chickens. I do it because I have to and not because I want to and feel guilty with every purchase.

its the way off our country,had agreat example in asda today was looking at lamb legs £20,but missus said "i cant justify buying that for sunday dinner,when i can buy 4 chickens for same price", therefore getting four sunday lunches for that £20.but the cost of meat is due to all the procedures between field and plate,vets checking them at source ,vet checking them on vehicles paperwork for this that and other vet checking them at abbatoir before slaughter then after slaughter all this adds up and its only cos of what people demand "animal welfare" so the cost of this welfare is hitting our pockets im afraid.

[lazydog]

Just be aware not all of EU farms will be giving them up and UK might be swampt with cheap foreign imports another blow for our farmers

[finleyfreyaseth]

Just be aware not all of EU farms will be giving them up and UK might be swampt with cheap foreign imports another blow for our farmers

lazydog as i said before its easier and cheaper to import chicken fillets from europe, holland being a massive exporter and poland a couple of years ago built a massive processing plant,and a lot of this is due to english producers selling to dear to wholesalers,plus the europeans are very much customer orianated as an example when i was buying poultry for a wholesaler i could order a pallet of a product from europe and within in a hour they would give me a delivery time and they would never miss that time yet if buying something from not more than 50 miles up the road they couldnt give you a delivery time and it was "expect it sometime on the day".so the british market does shoot it self in the foot a lot.

[Yorkie]

Just be aware not all of EU farms will be giving them up and UK might be swampt with cheap foreign imports another blow for our farmers

Indeed.  Countries have had years (5+, I think) to prepare their industries for these regulations.  Some, like Poland, have sought to derogate from the regulations (i.e. say they do not apply to them) on the grounds that they are not ready and it will cost too much.

It would not surprise me to see that we get lots of Polish or non-EU meat on our budget shelves as a result.

[Goldfinger]

Import import import!!! 
It just proves how much of an 'island' were becoming. 
The only thing round here that I know of that gets exported in large numbers is COAL! 
All because we're not allowed to burn it here due to the europrats, and yet some countries are still using it without a care......   

[lazydog]

Shut the borders stop imports and make people eat british food seasonally and only buy use british made products.
I can but dream!

[CluckyChicken]

or give everyone a smallholding and you just swap and share with eachother