Is there much awareness of free-range chicken in NC?

brother



Joined: 29/01/2010
Posts: 446

Message Posted:
07/11/2011 19:46

Having seen how popular chicken is in Cyprus I wonder if an awareness of the value of free-range has developed over the years.



Is the chicken in shops/restaurants imported/battery farmed (?).

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
08/11/2011 00:04

not imported brother,but battery farmed.



I remember Hacı Ali having a little corner shoping Bandabuliya,straight after the conflict in 74 and selling chickens to public,him being the salesman.



Mum used to send me to get giblets for dinners.



As a nature beleiver and follower,I did try last year and bought 50 chicks.By the time I sloughtered them their gross weight were around 7+ kg.

My wife complained about the cost of feeding them so I don't do it now...............other then eating the hens that stop laying.I now keep larger livestocks(sheep\goats) which cost roughly the same to feed and can be outside grazing,with alot more meat in return.

doddies


Joined: 16/02/2009
Posts: 102

Message Posted:
08/11/2011 00:17

yorg.

don`t think free range chicks are "battery" farmed as you suggest. i often buy "free range" sold loose, in a bag. Different sizes, different colours, and harder shells which you would not get "battery" farmed. And taste a lot better.

Downside is battery chicks are fed on feed. Free range will eat anything.....including shite!

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
08/11/2011 00:20

doddies,I didn't suggest that free range was battery farmed at all.

BizziLizzi


Joined: 02/08/2011
Posts: 855

Message Posted:
08/11/2011 00:48

It used to be easy to get truly free range chickens and particularly eggs when every other household kept hens and sold the surplus to friends and neighbours or local shops. Unfortunately most of them were slaugtered during the bird flue scare



But the taste of most of the chickens and eggs even from the supermarkets suggests they are not actually battery - limited range perhaps?

dvdjohn


Joined: 27/10/2011
Posts: 128

Message Posted:
08/11/2011 06:46

Haci Hali's chickens are not battery farmed as in the UK, the chickens are kept in large sheds they have the run of the shed with food and water.



When you are next in one of Haci Hali's shops have a look at the photo's on the wall.



You can get free range eggs in most village shops, they are supplied by the locals who have to many.

brother



Joined: 29/01/2010
Posts: 446

Message Posted:
08/11/2011 12:01

Very interesting Yorg. I would have nnever thought that chicken feed costs would be the same as goat/sheep feed costs (larger animal=more energy need).



I suppose the other thing is that goats need a shelter from the rain - unlike sheep.....just a minute (!) this is a thread about chickens - I'm going OT on a thread of my own creation



I heard that free-range is impracticle in Cyprus (on a commercial scale) due to the environment and fears of "bird flu".



Your reference to Bandabuliya sends me right back to my childhoood



We keep hens in the UK and the the eggs are superb in terms of taste when compared to "shop bought". That is not my opinion but based on comments from people we sell the eggs to.

Riddles


Joined: 26/04/2011
Posts: 429

Message Posted:
08/11/2011 12:17

Plenty of free-range dogs, though....

BizziLizzi


Joined: 02/08/2011
Posts: 855

Message Posted:
09/11/2011 01:32

Oddly enough, I was in the Karakum Lemar today and they had eggs in cardboard cartons labelled "Free range" - some were also marked "high in Omega 3" or some such wording. I didnt know eggs were a particularly high source of Omega 3. Do free range have more of it than barn or battery eggs?

brother



Joined: 29/01/2010
Posts: 446

Message Posted:
09/11/2011 13:02

Omega 3 can simply be added to the feed in one of many ways. For example, you can add drops of Omega 3 based fish oil into their dry feed. All eggs produced from such feed regime will then contain Omega 3.