Your meat from farm to fridge

Chickens
The story starts with an egg. Eggs from broilers (chickens specially bred for their meat) are hatched in incubators. In the UK, 85 per cent of birds are then raised under intensive conditions, where they could number between 20,000 and 100,000 under one roof. The lighting is low, as bright light can cause fighting. The birds may also be ‘debeaked’ to prevent injuries. Chickens are fed a high-protein diet, with wheat, soya, fish meal, vitamins and minerals, so they develop rapidly.

Sheep
Sheep are an integral part of the British landscape, where they can be seen frolicking around in the fields (and more recently stacked up on funeral pyres… but more of that later). The animals are mated in the autumn to produce lambs in the spring. They graze quite happily on grassy mountains or moorlands, although in winter, they’re usually brought back to the valleys where the farmers can keep an eye on them. Their winter diet includes silage (pickled grass), hay or root vegetables.

Pigs
Don’t believe the hype – pigs are one of the cleanest animals in the farmyard (they only roll around in the mud to keep cool and rid themselves of pests). Pigs are reared in groups, mostly inside, to protect them from hostile weather. If they live in fields, they’ll have access to small shelters called ‘arks’. Their diet is designed to keep them lean and healthy, and usually contains barley, maize, soya bean meal, fish meal, vitamins and minerals.