We are disturbed by the publicity being given to the Campaign To Rid Shops of Battery Chickens.
nfortunately, Messrs Oliver and Fearnley-Whittingstall have distorted or ignored the facts that really exist, and, whilst there is general acceptance that battery cages are unhealthy, in terms of the possibility of respiratory and other diseases spreading quickly, as well as hens suffering from brittle bones and damaged feet, their announcements should be regarded as a publicity stunt for them to earn more money on a subject they know little about.
Battery cages are planned to be phased out in 2012, and this may happen, although there is considerable doubt, for reasons stated below. They would be better sticking to their cooking, the area in which they have been trained.
Supermarkets and other shops are middlemen and simply sell what customers will buy at prices they can afford, therefore it is wrong to blame them. Their announcement that a chicken is being sold at £5 for two is misleading because this is not general and prices found on a recent check were above that figure and 'Organic' were three times or more. Possibly the low price is for a 'loss leader', a common practice in marketing.
The chefs appear to be confusing the systems available.
A photograph issued, with Mr Oliver in the middle of battery cages, purports to be used for rearing table birds, but those shown are clearly mature layers, not suitable for the table even at £2.50 a time! Such hens, after one year, are sold off or given away, because they are no longer profitable, and as HYBRID layers would be genetically modified to eat the minimum amount of food and yet lay the maximum number of eggs.
Usually in modern battery cages they would be given air conditioning and a continuous flow of food and water or they would not lay the numbers of eggs required to justify the high capital expenditure. Poultry farmers adopt the system to produce eggs cheaply and make a profit. Consumers look for cheap eggs and chemically battery cage eggs are the same as free range. The main criticism of the system is that many systems crowd too many birds into a cage so the hens cannot turn, perch or flap their wings, and, obviously, they miss out on a vital factor, being mated so they can produce chicks.
The more usual method of rearing table birds along intensive lines is the Deep Litter System where chopped straw, shavings, peat moss or other suitable floor covering is added, a layer at a time, and, following chemical reaction, any droppings are absorbed into the litter. The birds are fed automatically and the litter is kept dry, an essential requirement for sound management.
This article continues in the March 2008 issue of Feathered World
