The Devonshire Red Chicken
Chicken as it should be
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Western Morning News
Monday 4 February 2008
A question posed within the Western Morning news from R Ball in Chard.
When “intensive reared chicken” farmers have to take into account added costs such as 24 hour heating, lighting and building maintenance, how can “free range chicken” farmers justify the price put upon their chickens?
Or are they making unjustified and excess profits from the animal welfare moral guilt of the consumer?
Can someone please enlighten me?
Lloyd Maunders' response to the Western Morning News
Dear Sir,
I'd love to enlighten R. Ball about free range chicken production (4 February 2008) - there are a lot of people asking similar questions right now which, as a producer, we wholeheartedly welcome.
The reason free range chicken costs more than standard chicken is, quite simply, because it costs more to produce. Our free range chicken are a slow growing breed - the Devonshire Red - which means they take half as long again to grow to maturity. This means a slower turnaround for the farmer, twice as much feed (because of the less efficient food conversion of the breed) and very similar maintenance and energy overheads. The chicken are reared in smaller flocks but have much more room, including large outdoor paddocks where there's a minimum of 1 meter square per chicken (often more).
Essentially, rearing chicken free range requires more labour, more land, more resources, more materials and more time. If you look at what goes into rearing a free range chicken, the price on the shelf isn't expensive.
If Mr Ball would like to come and see for himself, first hand, so he's equipped to make up his own mind about whether free range is good value, I'd be happy to show him around.
Andrew Maunder,
Lloyd Maunder Limited, Willand