Free-range chicken sales rise after chefs attack 'cruel' farms

SHOPPERS are turning to­wards free-range chickens in droves as celebrity chefs launch a campaign against battery farming.

CRAMPED An intensive chicken farm CRAMPED: An intensive chicken farm

One farmer has accused the TV chefs of bringing the industry to its knees as they highlight the welfare conditions of mass-produced poultry.

Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have joined forces in Channel 4’s Big Food Fight season, which aims to change the nation’s eating habits.

But Charles Bourns, chairman of the National Farmers’ Union’s poultry board, attacked the TV chefs for encouraging shoppers to boycott mass-produced chickens and plump for free-range birds.

He usually produces 400,000 chickens a year at his farm in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucester­shire for supermarkets.

But he has sold his remaining 60,000 chickens as he is losing 15p per bird.

Jamie and fellow TV chefs Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall Gordon Ramsay are cooking up a storm Jamie and fellow TV chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & Gordon Ramsay are cooking up a storm

Mr Bourns, 59, said: “I reckon there are at least a dozen big farmers with empty barns. I know of five who used to produce about two million chickens between them.”

And farmer Ian Johnson, of Exeter, Devon, said Oliver and Fearnley-Whittingstall “should be pointing their guns at the supermarkets for paying ridiculous prices, which means farmers are under pressure to cut costs just to break even”.

The UK produces 850 million chickens per year but imports roughly the same number to meet demand.

Why would anyone want to eat these birds who are walking in their own faeces?

Jamie Oliver

In the three-part Hugh’s Chicken Run, which ends this evening, Fearnley-Whittingstall sets up an intensive farm in Axminster, Devon.

He breaks down in tears at the plight of his chickens and challenges major supermarkets to go free-range.

“If consumers are better informed about how intensive chickens are farmed, they may be prepared to pay more for a

free-range bird, in the same way they already do for eggs,” he said.

On Friday, Oliver presents his TV show Jamie’s Fowl Dinners, which features the gassing of chicks and the “barbarity” of life as an intensively farmed bird.

“It’s disgusting, the smell is awful,” said Jamie. “Why would anyone want to eat these birds who are walking in their own faeces?”

His spokesman said the programme would also address farmers’ opposition to the chefs’ ­campaign. “The farmers don’t have the whole picture. Jamie is actually campaigning for British farmers.

“He says it’s disgraceful they are paid so little for rearing chickens,” he added.

“The programme puts pressure on consumers and supermarkets to change. If they see the show, I think farmers will be cheering Jamie rather than criticising him.”

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