Free-range Meat

littlebig

I'm just this moment looking for somewhere to buy free range meat from. Don't mind paying a little extra for quality not to mention the ethical aspect. The thoughts of a animal (especially a very intelligent one) living in those conditions turns my stomach.
Demand is a problem apparently, but this can be raised by more awareness. I'm surprised Irish people don't seem to pay much heed to the quality of the food they eat.

Cherry Blossom

Post split away from an old thread on pig production. OP please don't bump up old threads, it is considered poor ettiquete.

Dubl07

Ety's pork comes from happy pigs. Available on Fridays in Leopardstown Market.

Margaret and Alfie's pigs live the life of Reilly and their meat is available in chill-boxes for delivery throughout the nation.

Farrellys' of Delgany have their own abattoir behind the shop and often have free-range pork though I'm not sure if it's slaughtered on their premises.

If you look for it, you can find it.

duploelabs

littlebig wrote: »

I'm just this moment looking for somewhere to buy free range meat from. Don't mind paying a little extra for quality not to mention the ethical aspect. The thoughts of a animal (especially a very intelligent one) living in those conditions turns my stomach.
Demand is a problem apparently, but this can be raised by more awareness. I'm surprised Irish people don't seem to pay much heed to the quality of the food they eat.

We import 30,000 tons of orphan chicken annually , that's the level of which we just give a rats ass not just about the conditions in which the animal is raised in but also the taste and quality

_Brian

littlebig wrote: »

I'm just this moment looking for somewhere to buy free range meat from. Don't mind paying a little extra for quality not to mention the ethical aspect. The thoughts of a animal (especially a very intelligent one) living in those conditions turns my stomach.
Demand is a problem apparently, but this can be raised by more awareness. I'm surprised Irish people don't seem to pay much heed to the quality of the food they eat.

Coming from a farming perspective eat is going down the route where near all sales are done on price and price alone. More and more meat on the shelves will be non irish as it's just impossible to compete. The recent trade agreements with Canada and South America will see beef farming dwindle and cheap imports become the norm.

We have a "backyard" pig herd number where we rear our own pigs for the table and have them prepared locally. The difference in the meat is unbelievable., any household with a bit of space can get one from the department. We plan to kill a heifer for beef at the back end of the year.

Alun

duploelabs wrote: »

We import 30,000 tons of orphan chicken annually ,

duploelabs

Alun wrote: »

If you import meat from outside the EU, process it so you add 40% to the value of the product (i.e like Kievs or marinade it, or just bump up the price) you can slap a 'Guaranteed Irish' tag on it and label it as processed in ireland. Bear in mind that this meat is more than likely reared in conditions that the governance within protection of cruelty to animals is lax or indeed regulations as to what chemicals and medicines you can treat the animals with (Bone strengtheners, antibiotics, anti depressants, muscle bulking agents, the list is endless).
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a raging vegan, I am a chef and an avid carnivore, but if I'm going to put something on the plate, I want to know that not only is the meat the best it can be but also that the animal has had a pleasant life, as that way I know it's not full of cr@p and chemicals as it will taste it's as good as it can. Do you think that whomever prepares your chicken fillet roll cares this much?

Alun

I'm aware of all that, but what is an "orphan" chicken?

Sam Kade

Alun wrote: »

I'm aware of all that, but what is an "orphan" chicken?

When I read it first it looked like orphan children.

duploelabs

Alun wrote: »

I'm aware of all that, but what is an "orphan" chicken?

It's the practice of the importing chicken described above

Alun

duploelabs wrote: »

It's the practice of the importing chicken described above

OK, never heard it called that.

duploelabs

Alun wrote: »

OK, never heard it called that.

every day's a school day

_Brian

duploelabs wrote: »

If you import meat from outside the EU, process it so you add 40% to the value of the product (i.e like Kievs or marinade it, or just bump up the price) you can slap a 'Guaranteed Irish' tag on it and label it as processed in ireland. Bear in mind that this meat is more than likely reared in conditions that the governance within protection of cruelty to animals is lax or indeed regulations as to what chemicals and medicines you can treat the animals with (Bone strengtheners, antibiotics, anti depressants, muscle bulking agents, the list is endless).
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a raging vegan, I am a chef and an avid carnivore, but if I'm going to put something on the plate, I want to know that not only is the meat the best it can be but also that the animal has had a pleasant life, as that way I know it's not full of cr@p and chemicals as it will taste it's as good as it can. Do you think that whomever prepares your chicken fillet roll cares this much?

This is why Ireland can't compete with these imported meats, there is no comparison to the regulation - and so cost involved in its production.

People were better eat less meat but good quality Irish meat.

Here's an example..
CTC (chlortetracycline hydrochloride) is a broad spectrum antibiotic administered on prescription only in Ireland to beef animals who have respiratory coughs and similar. It requires a vet to prescribe and is expensive, administered over five day periods..

The same product is liberally fed to animals in the US/Canada/south America as it has an appetite stimulant action and so provides a ~20% increase in growth rates and improvements in feed efficiency.
Not only does this create huge antibiotic resistance problems through proliferation of antibiotics in the food chain, but also there is no competing with these farming practices. Yet the EU have just signed trade deals with Canada and South American countries allowing their beef to be imported and sold here.

As a consumer all I see is a continual race to the bottom to provide the cheapest food at all costs, driven by retail outlets, facilitated by poor weak labeling regulations and enforcement by our government.

Mellor

duploelabs wrote: »

It's the practice of the importing chicken described above

Then what do we call a chicken whose parents have died?

duploelabs

Mellor wrote: »

Then what do we call a chicken whose parents have died?

clucked

folamh

Isn't most Irish (contra imported) meat free-range?

Dubl07

folamh wrote: »

Isn't most Irish (contra imported) meat free-range?

My understanding of Irish meats (and I'll stand correction from anyone in the know):
Most pork is not free-range. Big concrete sheds.
Beef tends to be out-door and grass-fed except in winter when it's silage-fed or dry fed.
Lamb almost always free-range.
Chicken mostly sheds.
Geese mostly free-range.
Turkey mostly shed raised.
Ducks used to be free-range but I think they're being more intensively farmed now.