Which came first, free-range chicken or the free-range egg?

[floatingingalway]

I find this a bit worrying, never mind a tad confusing. Having seen a few bits and pieces on T.V. etc about the living conditions of chickens I decided to only eat free range chicken. I made a few enquiries in a couple of local butchers where I was reliably informed that there is no such thing as a free-range chicken in Ireland. There are farm fresh chickens who live in a large barn with an open door at end but they do not count as free range.

According to these butchers, the currnet HACCP regulations make it impossible for a farmer to produce a free range chicken.

I left both butchers shops in disappointment.

At some point last night something occured to me. How come I can buy free-range eggs? Do the chickens lay these eggs in their big barn and someone takes the eggs in a field somewhere to do their own thing? I'm confused. Either the butchers I spoke to are living in a 'battery hen' bubble and there really are free-range chickens out there or the producers of so-called 'free range' eggs are telling us porky pies.

Can anyone clarify what is going on here?

[EvotingMachine0197]

Now that is a conundrum.

There must be some definition difference between the amenities for egg and chicken.

Here's a Teagasc link with some info on the egg definition

[Bom]

The butchers were wrong. There are free range hens in Ireland, and eggs.

But ask yourself where your 'organic' atlantic salmon comes from. Commercial salmon fishing is illegal and rod caught wild salmon cannot be sold legally. The answer is that they are all farmed salmon, but they call it organic to trick the consumer into thinking that it is probably wild, natural.

There ought to be a law.

[The OD]

I find this a bit worrying, never mind a tad confusing. Having seen a few bits and pieces on T.V. etc about the living conditions of chickens I decided to only eat free range chicken. I made a few enquiries in a couple of local butchers where I was reliably informed that there is no such thing as a free-range chicken in Ireland. There are farm fresh chickens who live in a large barn with an open door at end but they do not count as free range.

According to these butchers, the currnet HACCP regulations make it impossible for a farmer to produce a free range chicken.

I left both butchers shops in disappointment.

At some point last night something occured to me. How come I can buy free-range eggs? Do the chickens lay these eggs in their big barn and someone takes the eggs in a field somewhere to do their own thing? I'm confused. Either the butchers I spoke to are living in a 'battery hen' bubble and there really are free-range chickens out there or the producers of so-called 'free range' eggs are telling us porky pies.

Hi Floating. You could, if you have the space, get yourself some of your own chickens? A mate of mine did it a few years back and whilst there was a little bit of red tape involved(and ideally you do need a rural home with a decent sized bit of land), he now has himself a decent supply of fresh eggs. Word of warning though, he originally intended to eat a few of the Chickens now and again but then started to name them. Now he couldnt bear to eat them and cries when one passes on.

The big bleedin' jessie.....

Anyway, as regarding the name 'free range eggs', I think its possible to name the product 'Free Range Eggs' so long as its not the actual description that labels them as being free range? A bit like McDonalds and other FF venues saying their burgers are made with 100% 'Irish' beef, so some think that the burgers are 100% beef, when in fact what is being stated is that 100% of the beef used is Irish, even though its probably less than 20% actual beef and 80% bulls knackers, sawdust and ground bonemeal.

Ya gotta love food producers!

[floatingingalway]

The butchers were wrong. There are free range hens in Ireland, and eggs.

where?

[Bom]

The butchers were wrong. There are free range hens in Ireland, and eggs.

where?

On many many small farms thoughout Ireland, and here -
http://www.jameswhelanbutchers.com/Prod ... election=4

Im sure there are more.

[Riadach]

I find this a bit worrying, never mind a tad confusing. Having seen a few bits and pieces on T.V. etc about the living conditions of chickens I decided to only eat free range chicken. I made a few enquiries in a couple of local butchers where I was reliably informed that there is no such thing as a free-range chicken in Ireland. There are farm fresh chickens who live in a large barn with an open door at end but they do not count as free range.

According to these butchers, the currnet HACCP regulations make it impossible for a farmer to produce a free range chicken.

I left both butchers shops in disappointment.

At some point last night something occured to me. How come I can buy free-range eggs? Do the chickens lay these eggs in their big barn and someone takes the eggs in a field somewhere to do their own thing? I'm confused. Either the butchers I spoke to are living in a 'battery hen' bubble and there really are free-range chickens out there or the producers of so-called 'free range' eggs are telling us porky pies.

Hi Floating. You could, if you have the space, get yourself some of your own chickens? A mate of mine did it a few years back and whilst there was a little bit of red tape involved(and ideally you do need a rural home with a decent sized bit of land), he now has himself a decent supply of fresh eggs. Word of warning though, he originally intended to eat a few of the Chickens now and again but then started to name them. Now he couldnt bear to eat them and cries when one passes on.

The big bleedin' jessie.....

Anyway, as regarding the name 'free range eggs', I think its possible to name the product 'Free Range Eggs' so long as its not the actual description that labels them as being free range? A bit like McDonalds and other FF venues saying their burgers are made with 100% 'Irish' beef, so some think that the burgers are 100% beef, when in fact what is being stated is that 100% of the beef used is Irish, even though its probably less than 20% actual beef and 80% bulls knackers, sawdust and ground bonemeal.

Ya gotta love food producers!

Is offal not considered beef then?

[floatingingalway]

The butchers were wrong. There are free range hens in Ireland, and eggs.

where?

On many many small farms thoughout Ireland, and here -
http://www.jameswhelanbutchers.com/Prod ... election=4

Im sure there are more.

Nice one Bom. i just rang James Whelan and they do indeed have free range chicken Got loads of info off her including where to get it in Galway (Divilly's)

[905]

Hi Floating. You could, if you have the space, get yourself some of your own chickens? A mate of mine did it a few years back and whilst there was a little bit of red tape involved(and ideally you do need a rural home with a decent sized bit of land), he now has himself a decent supply of fresh eggs. Word of warning though, he originally intended to eat a few of the Chickens now and again but then started to name them. Now he couldnt bear to eat them and cries when one passes on.

The big bleedin' jessie.....

Anyway, as regarding the name 'free range eggs', I think its possible to name the product 'Free Range Eggs' so long as its not the actual description that labels them as being free range? A bit like McDonalds and other FF venues saying their burgers are made with 100% 'Irish' beef, so some think that the burgers are 100% beef, when in fact what is being stated is that 100% of the beef used is Irish, even though its probably less than 20% actual beef and 80% bulls knackers, sawdust and ground bonemeal.

Ya gotta love food producers!

I have been known to keep hens, so it's not fair to say there are no free range hens in the country. The fox is the only one who gets to eat them though.
I couldn't kill and eat little Rebecca, or Hephzibah, mainly due to childhood trauma involving chickens and necks. So lay off the Jessie-mate.

[Aindriu]

The butchers were wrong. There are free range hens in Ireland, and eggs.

But ask yourself where your 'organic' atlantic salmon comes from. Commercial salmon fishing is illegal and rod caught wild salmon cannot be sold legally. The answer is that they are all farmed salmon, but they call it organic to trick the consumer into thinking that it is probably wild, natural.

The organic tab comes from the fact that the salmon does not have colourants & proteins etc added to their food.