“Artificial Selection is just another
name for selective breeding. In the
wild, natural selection weeds out animals
which are not adapted to their
environment.
“Look, I keep selectively bred chickens
sure I understand peoples concerns, I’m
not breaking any laws, and I don’t see
anything wrong with it.
I think they’ve got a reasonable life.
They’ve got the constant company of
each other, and food and water on tap.
Artificial selection may be useful to us,
but it may produce animals which are
more likely to suffer.
Supermarkets pay me to produce cheap
eggs and chicken meat that’s what the
customer wants, So that’s what I do.”
Farmer Giles Fields
Farms Selectively Bred Chickens
Facts
Chickens selectively bred for meat can grow twice as quickly as
regular chickens
A wild jungle chicken might only lay 20-30eggs a year, my
selectively bred chickens lay over 300 a year
Issues
People have been selectively breeding animals for 1000’s of years,
why should I stop doing it now.
The human population is increasing at a unsustainable rate, selective
breeding of animals will help feed the World.
Question
I can produce a lot of eggs and a lot of chicken meat using
selectively bred chickens, if I was banned, how would I make a living
out of farming?
Why continue doing something that
results in the suffering of innocent
animals. The bodies of chickens grown
for their meat grow too fast for their
legs making them unable to walk, which I
think is cruel”
Dr Sally Johnson
36 Year old Doctor with 2 children
Facts
A third of meat chickens suffer pain whilst standing and a lot die
from heart problems, since their bodies grow too fast for their
hearts to keep up with.
Very few selectively bred chickens would survive in the wild
Issues
Our demand for cheap food has caused us to make our farm
animals work harder often resulting in serious side effects,
how can we carry on allowing this to happen?
Question
How can you put a price on the suffering of animals, surely
cheaper food should be the least of our worries.
“I don’t see how we can turn a blind
eye to what goes on. I mean yes, we
eat stuff that comes form animals,
but we should still look after them
properly so they have a good life.
“My chickens are reared to higher
welfare standards. They’ve got more
space, straw bales to peck at,
natural daylight and so on.
They’re a slower-growing breed too.
Well, its just good to see them doing
what they want to do, and gives me
more job satisfaction, to be honest.
You wouldn't dream of keeping your
dog or cat in a cage for most of
their lives, so how’s it all right to do
that with hens, just because you’re
going to eat their eggs.”
At the end of the day, they’re
happy, and I'm happy, so everyone’s
a winner”
Farmer Gary Wilkinson
Farms free range chickens
Steven Walker
RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer
Facts
Facts
My chickens grow naturally, unlike the unnatural selectively bred
chickens that grow in 50 days
Each year, in the UK, over 30 million day-old chicks are killed at
birth. These are the males of egg-laying breeds.
Issues
Issues
Question
Question
Eggs and meat from my chickens are healthier for the person eating
them.
Selective breeding means some farmers can rear a chicken in just
42 days, how can I continue to compete with their prices in the
market place, whilst maintaining high welfare standards for the
chickens?
What gives farmers the right to play ‘God’?
2% of selectively bred chickens may end up unable to walk at all.
Everyone has a duty to ensure animals are treated fairly, why do
people think selective breeding is any different, animals are
suffering, it needs to stop.
Why purposely breed animals that could end up with serious health
issues?
“We’re finding more and more
customers are asking about farm
animals welfare , and choosing
higher-welfare products, like those
labelled Freedom Food, free-range
and organic.
“I have got three children to support,
and although I appreciate the issues
surrounding selectively bred chickens, I
simple can’t afford to buy free range.
Look times are hard, and as long as the
food I buy is cheap, I don’t care how it’s
produced or what happens to the
animals it comes from.
But in these difficult economic
times we also have a duty to provide
our customers with low-price
options, and some people will choose
them, and who can blame them.”
At the end of the day my family comes
first, and TV programmes trying to
make me feel guilty won’t work. Its just
not my problem.
Sharon Peters Mother of three – low income family
Barry Murphy Manager of Qwick Buy Supermarket
Facts
Facts
Free range eggs cost £1.69 for six, whereas I can get non-free
range eggs for 89p
Britain is the one of the largest producers of chickens in Europe,
supplying 800 million an year.
A free range chicken can cost as much as £4 more than the meat
from selectively bred chickens
1 in 8 people in Britain have low income
Issues
Issues
Question
Question
I need to feed my family and I have a limited budget, buying free
range eggs and chicken would mean my children would have to go
without elsewhere.
Why can’t the supermarkets, who make millions of pounds of profit
each year, make free range products cheaper?
Without selective breeding the number of chickens and eggs being
produced each year would fall dramatically, which would mean a
severe price increase on these products
Don’t people have the right to a choice between buying more
expensive free range or cheaper non-free range products?
what the customer wants, So that’s what I do.”
heart problems, since their bodies grow too fast for their hearts to
keep up with.
Chickens selectively bred for meat can grow twice as quickly as regular
chickens
Very few selectively bred chickens would survive in the wild
A wild jungle chicken might only lay 20-30eggs a year, my selectively
bred chickens lay over 300 a year
How can you put a price on the suffering of animals, surely cheaper
food should be the least of our worries.
People have been selectively breeding animals for 1000’s of years, why
should I stop doing it now.
Our demand for cheap food has caused us to make our farm animals
work harder often resulting in serious side effects, how can we carry
on allowing this to happen?
The human population is increasing at a unsustainable rate, selective
breeding of animals will help feed the World.
What gives farmers the right to play ‘God’?
I can produce a lot of eggs and a lot of chicken meat using selectively
bred chickens, if I was banned, how would I make a living out of
farming?
I don’t see how we can turn a blind eye to what goes on. I mean yes, we
eat stuff that comes form animals, but we should still look after them
properly so they have a good life.
My chickens are reared to higher welfare standards. They’ve got more
space, straw bales to peck at, natural daylight and so on.
You wouldn't dream of keeping your dog or cat in a cage for most of
their lives, so how’s it all right to do that with hens, just because you’re
going to eat their eggs.”
They’re a slower-growing breed too. Well, its just good to see them
doing what they want to do, and gives me more job satisfaction, to be
honest.
2% of selectively bred chickens may end up unable to walk at all
Eggs and meat from my chickens are healthier for the person eating
them.
Each year, in the UK, over 30 million day-old chicks are killed at
birth. These are the males of egg-laying breeds.
My chickens grow naturally, unlike the unnatural selectively bred
chickens that grow in 50 days
Everyone has a duty to ensure animals are treated fairly, why do people
think selective breeding is any different, animals are suffering, it
needs to stop.