Celebrity chef’s campaign set to feature live chicken blog

The ongoing Chicken Out! campaign is set to give shoppers the chance to experience the day-to-day life of a typical intensive chicken via a daily blog on Chickenout TV.

From 10 August, the campaign launched and led by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall will give a daily log on its website over the 39-day rearing period. The aim is to increase consumer awareness of the conditions experienced by broilers during rear.

At the same time, Compassion in World Farming will be taking to the streets of the UK to generate awareness and support for free range and higher welfare farming. The Chicken Out! tour will launch in Birmingham city centre on 10 August and then visit key towns and cities over subsequent days to persuade the UK to opt for higher welfare when buying chicken products or prepared meals.

CIWF claims that over 160,000 people have already pledged their support to Chicken Out! by joining the campaign for a free-range future. “Many retailers, policy-makers and consumers now support the switch to free range, but despite this, around 90% of chickens reared in the UK still live their short lives in dark, barren sheds,” said CIWF.

However, earlier this week an RSPCA survey revealed that shoppers are less likely to buy higher-welfare meat for a summer barbecue. About one in four shoppers (28%) actively seek higher welfare meat during a normal shop, but this desire to buy welfare-friendly produce drops to just one in six (17%) when shopping for the barbecue.