This is the book that changed how I view the meat industry in an instant. And I can pinpoint the exact sentence that changed my perception permanently. Page eighty-seven, the introduction to the poultry section. The line reads; “Chickens are bred to grow faster and faster, making them crippled under their own unnatural weights.”
Isn’t that grotesque? To take something as natural as the process of growing and forcing greater intensity to the point where the animal is in pain, mutated from its original form. Besides the holistic notion of the animal’s feelings, manipulating the genetics of a chicken for our own satisfaction is an abuse of science and cruel. We’ve forgotten that we’re dealing with life and death, our new boundaries are yield and profit.
A comment on the blog recently suggested a vegan lifestyle and I can certainly see its merits. Just a few would be the reduced impact on the environment, cheaper and no grossly engorged chickens for dinner. But I am of the belief that we as humans are designed to eat meat. Whether or not you agree with me is a debate for another day. One thing I think we can all agree on is the meat industry needs to be accountable and respectable when dealing with livestock.
As I mention constantly, I don’t have a lot of money. But to eat cheap meat now, after lifting the lid on Pandora’s box, it would simply taste like sawdust. My own actions will contribute to the conquest of the meat industry, to turn the entire operation on its head.
Eating less meat. The most obvious solution had to go first. By cutting back on my meat intake, I won’t be lining the pockets of the dirty scoundrels. Then, when I do purchase meat, it will increase the profits of farmers and companies that actually care about the produce they create.
Quality over quantity. I shall buy free-range at MINIMUM, stretching to organic when my budget allows. I hope to attend a farmer’s market more regularly, but I do have to take a train to Winchester now, instead of just walking there. It’s an additional cost, but might be worth it for excellent quality meat.
Making the most of the meat I buy. Rachel de Thample’s book has so many great recipes. I borrowed my copy from the library, but I’m hoping to purchase one soon. Confession – I’ve never made roast chicken before but I’ve been inspired to do so after seeing what can be created with the leftovers. One whole chicken, one death, instead of multiple to just get the breast meat or legs. Where do all the carcasses go? Oh gosh, that’s another horrible thought, piles of dead chickens, still with meat on the bones because those bits don’t come as part of the 3 for £10 deal at the supermarket.
My aim is not to upset anyone by using this imagery, but I do hope it makes you think. I can’t stop the fat cats on my own, but with the rise of local, sustainable, free-range foodstuffs becoming more available, we will soon all be heading in the right direction. That’s a road I wish to travel.
The Domestic Storyteller 
The carcasses are jet blasted to get every bit of meat, gristle etc etc off and then this sludge is used to make cheaper chicken products.
Far better to get yourself a free range chicken and use every last little bit of it to make numerous meals and then boil the bones to make yourself a big jug of stock, that you could then freeze in pots for future use. You make full use of the bird then, and just one birds death will have fed you for a weeks worth of meals. The bird will only have had a short life (but longer than the barn reared birds), but at least it will have had the chance of fresh air and grass.
My friend get free range organic meat delivered. You have to have a large freezer, which we dont have. I am very interested in this post. for 5 years now we eat a mainly vegetarian diet and at weekends have meat. it is now a treat as we buy the best we can afford. Strangely my eczema has got better.. Talk to the greengrocer about organic. If you want it, others will also. They could stock the foods that are affected most by the chemicals.
Great blog I will be back for further reading .
Thank you for your kind comment. I’ve read and heard about so many health stories connected with an organic lifestyle. It’s definitely worth enquiring about at the greengrocers. I bet you save money by only eating meat at the weekends too! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Excellent post! One of my vegetarian friends made the most insightful comment I’ve ever head: people like you and me have a greater power to influence the meat industry than she ever well! As much as I loathe the large agro-chemical companies, I prioritise free-range first and then organic. Animals that are reared on organic feed are usually free-range (not always mind) but oftentimes the organic feed comes from tracts of the Amazon that have been ploughed up. I wish I had the space for a few chickens and yes, I would curry them after their happy laying days are over.
Rachel’s book is grand! For me, the key passage was that medical studies have concluded that the average adult only needs 2oz / 50g of protein a day. Do you realise that coincides almost to the gram to the maximum amount of animal protein permitted under UK wartime rationing…
Thank you so much for your comment. Changes to the way we eat certainly begin at a grassroots level. That’s really interesting about the amount of meat, I’ve always been fascinated with WW2 🙂