Where the hell does IGA chicken come from?

UPDATED

IGA roast chooks are Steggles brand

http://www.smh.com.au/business/steggles-free-to-roam-chicken-cramped-in-sheds-court-20130709-2pnlv.html

Why am I only paying 11.99 Australian dollars for a butchered, seasoned, cooked chicken?

When I bought my 4 week old naked necks they cost me 20$ each, the 4 week old silkies 10$ each.

What do they have to do, what kind of chicken do they have to raise, factory standards apply, what kind of laws and regulations govern a system that makes a 11.99$ chicken available for me to grab off the shelf and feed to my family?

I am passionate, but also quite lazy, so I'll take you on a short journey of the links I've followed to try and get a straight answer.

IGA Sustainability Consumer Information Page

"Metcash supply fresh chicken products direct from suppliers to IGA stores that choose to purchase them"

On this page IGA goes on to say that they, themselves do not raise nor cull the chickens. Okay, that figures, they'd have alot of work on their hands. So who supplies the chickens, where do they come from? Aha, these guys!

"It is important to note that IGA stores are independently owned and operated, and service the needs and wants of their consumers. Each store makes their own purchasing decisions, which is driven by customer demand and delivering a range that suits their needs and the needs of local towns and communities.   

Consumers can also ask their local IGA directly if they would like to see a certain product in store."

Okay, will do, buddy. Next time I go in their I'll point to their "Fresh and loca produce!" sign and ask them if they also supply local meat products. 

Metcash Food & Grocery

"MF&G is a marketing and distribution specialist, supplying dry grocery and fresh foods to independent grocery stores."

So these guys are just a huge distribution center, basically. I'll assume that means they get the food from a hundred or so other sources, buy it, ship it, package it as cheaply as they can and sell it to other retailers.

Lenards and IGA

And then you have this page, which seems to state that Lenards chicken is also supplied by Metcash. But if you go here:"You are here: Home > Chicken Facts > Our Freshness Guarantee Okay, well here they just go on to say " At Lenard's Chicken we use only the best and freshest. In fact, we take it so seriously that we guarantee it.

That's why we use healthy barn-raised chickens, with no added hormones or steroids.

And because we make our products fresh right here in store with quality, naturally delicious ingredients, we ensure you get the very best every time.

So if you're not satisfied that we're delivering on our promise, ask for your money back.

For more information on our chickens, our ingredients or nutrition please ask our friendly staff in store or reveiw Product Details here online."

Well that doesn't tell me jack shit either, and these people really seem to be giving me the run around.

TLDR: Most IGA's get their chicken from Metcash(basically a big warehouse) and we dunno, lol, where these chickens come from and some IGAs don't get their chickens from Metcash so just ask your local IGA manager today!

In summary, I get no real answer. Until I find out how and where these animals lived and died I won't be purchasing whole roasted chickens from IGA, and will be encouraging others to find out their own truth.



Edit: I've taken a moment to write a quick note to the CEO of Metcash, let's see what he says. I'll keep you guys posted :)

"Hello CEO of Metcash,

I was simply wondering what you could tell me about where the company (who I understand supplies my local IGA) gets their supply of chickens from and what sort of further information I could get about the topic. For example; how are the chickens raised, what breed, what is their age of slaughter, are antibiotics used and  what are their living and slaughtering conditions?

Thanks in advance."

Coming out of the closet (bathroom) with my beard

So recently, if you are one of the 7 people who follow and actually read my blog, you may know that Jarrad and I purchased a house together. What you may not know is that we've invited backpackers to stay in our spare rooms. We have Lisa, a really sweet blonde German girl, and the two recent additions of Connie and Fiona, who I'm pretty sorta sure are Tai girls. They are also awesome because they love Crayon Shin Chan and recognized the figure I have in my room of him.

So I've been sprouting hair in the oddest places since I was about 11 but no place has been odder and more horrific than a manly little beard I've got going on, for reals. I was totally addicted to shaving when I was in my teens, and while you'd think this would help, it only serves to make the problem more obvious since industrious shaving habits create awful red razor burns and hair that grows back much thicker and much faster. If you check out the pictures of myself that I've posted on my blog you can sort of see the irritated areas around my neck from shaving but if I don't shave I would never ever leave the house. When there was no one else staying here I would plan my week around shaving my face, since leaving it for a day or two lessens the irritation caused by shaving religiously every single day. At the height of my obsession I would shave twice a day and still not go outside more than I had to.

It is really embarrassing to notice people looking. I was always called names like 'wolf girl' and 'ape girl' in school, before I learned to bleach, wax, or shave. The new backpacker lady staying, Fiona, seems to be quite curious, as I can totally see her checking me out out the corner of my eye. You sort of have to build up an immunity to people looking and sometimes I will just tell people outright like, "Hey, I have PCOS and I have tons of hair in shitty places because of a hormonal imbalance -insert awkward and comforting smile-"

When I was in Armadale there was a woman there that I chased down because she didn't shave and was around my age. I thought she was super super brave because of it, but she turned out to be a really ugly personality on the inside and I really felt sorry for her and tried to become friends only to be shut out in the cold by her. I understand that though. Sometimes I just wanna lock myself inside and never come out again. When I catch people looking while I'm waiting in line a McDonalds or someplace it is really hard to know what to do. Do I wave at them? Do I fucking smile or scowl or shrug? That is alot of the reason while I wear sunglasses in public places, I don't want them to know that I know they're looking.

So get rid of it, you say? It's expensive, I hear, and doesn't always work. Two weeks before I got married I let it grow out, hiding inside the house the entire time, and then took a train into Perth city to try and get it waxed. That was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done, going out with it very obvious looking like that. I remember huddling up in my hoodie and avoiding eye contact with everyone on the train. The waxing people were super friendly but no matter how hard they tried the hair just would not come out of my face and they finally stopped when it started taking skin. So then I had to march my ass through town and get back on the train with a super red neck and chin with awful, thick hairs sprouting out of it. Really wanted to pass out or something. So if you check my wedding photos the skin damage is there, though Michelle, Jarrad's bestie, did photo shop some for us :P

Anyways! There is no way to really wrap up this post, except to give the awkward smile I give when explaining the furrball issue :)

Also I'm super tired of explaining my anosmia to everyone, I can't smell!

The End.

P.S: Plucking doesn't do it for me, try plucking a hair from your husband's beard and see how he reacts to it.

P.P.S: Crunchie has also found something he really really likes about the new girls.

Six Soft Sexy Unsesexed Silkies

MOAR CHICKENS!

The two partridge girls (hopefully, am I right?) have come to us from Wendy at Mirasole Chickens, the same place Janine's silkies and wyandotte/buff orpington cross came from! The other 4 girls came from a real nice lady named Jaq Dhalstrom on Walkabout Farm in Donnybrook. One of the white silkies, fondly named Crossie, has a crossbeak and we got him/her for free so hopefully it doesn't die on us. Been reading up that you can shave their beaks back a bit with a fingernail file so hopefully that will do the trick. The cross beak isn't so bad that it can't eat or anything, a perky, happy chook.

Arriving home for the first time!

Such a hot day that Jarrad brought them to the AC.

Baby's first yogurt.

nomnomnomnom (Crossie top right white)

The children posing, aged 9 weeks old, HUGE!

Totally not spoiled.

Our backyard! Lookit the dam >:o

Matt and Kim dropped in for Xmas hello!

Skittles like "letmeinletmeinletmein"

Everyone chowing some yogurt, 11 weeks.

Runty being runty.

Bitch posing for the camera

So overall things are doing pretty well.
It seems like we'll never be finished doing anything in the house or on the property since we are not exactly break neck pace sort of people. Speaking of breaking necks I'm going for an MRI on Wednesday to see if there's anything causing my headaches and neck pain! It's probably all muscle related but wish me luck anyways, and pity me for having to take my tongue ring out and rejoin the ranks of the normals! Feeling quite exhausted of being in pain all the time, putting on a great big happy face at work, when I can work. I wish I could do a bit of writing but I'm feeling a bit sapped. Depressed! DON'TEATALLTHECAKEDON'TEATALLTHECAKE!

Crazy Naked Chicks

I don't care what anyone says; they're beautiful. 

This weekend we picked up Transylvania naked necks from Chookloop, a hour and some drive all the way out in Yarloop. The lady that owns the nakeds, Cathy, urged me to buy a lotto ticket because we ended up with four pullets and just one cockerel. Pretty freaking lucky, eh? This is my first flock so any advice is like, totally welcome. I thought I named the little boy James Bond because he has a bow-tie on his neck but I keep calling him Boyfriend and Preacher, which makes the girls his choir girls. I swear to god they never shut the hell up. They're always; "Peep this!" and "Peep that!" I'm trying to sleep for chrissakes. They're currently staying in the house until we move to the new property at the end of the week, or next week, or whatever. Jarrad wants to move on the 15th I think, but we GETTHEKEYSONTHE10THWOOOO!!!

Boyfriend in the middle there^ More obvious white barring.

Buns and Skittles have been replaced. Not amused.

Jarrad hasn't really been taken with the chickens at all. I am like  totally excited though because they'll be the first thing in a long time that I get to watch grow up (except Evangeline. And the Janine's silkies.) Haven't really been working a lot because of some poopie doodle neck pain shitcrapfuck going on so I'm stuck inside with the peepers. Perhaps a valid time to box up my bookshelf :P

WE GOT A HOUSY, YAY!

Might be awhile before I update again. Maybe some pictures from the work Christmas party, which is going to be awesome this year! Except that Janine was invited along so I think we all have to sit on our hands on the bus ride up the Perth -pout-

Chicken Brain

 My brain is currently obsessed with chickens. I pester the shit out of them in the day time and dream of them at night time. I swear to god I heard myself give a residual cluck as I woke up this morning. (Spoiler: we might have a new housy soon so there-will-be-chickens. Many many chickens!)

"Look Renfield, I'm drinking wine and eating chicken!"

So the pastry thingies turned out awesome. I took them into work where they were quickly set upon and devoured. So freaking easy I even decided to make them again, though the next batch was lemon butter and peaches, mmmmph!

Jarrad and I went to the 2012 Dardanup Bull and Barrel festival with cages in tow, thinking there would be tons of livestock, as was previously described to me. Unfortunately there wasn't huge variety in poultry but we did snag four beautiful silkies and a wyandotte/orpington mix from Mirasole Chickens. I'm pretty sure that like three of the silkies are little boys but the lady gave us a discounted price on them and we've been able to rehome one of the boys because a workmate lost her silkie roo to a fox :(

Not sure if this is Petal? She was the mascot for the tent.

Bringing the birds home.

And bothering the shit out of them, literally.

Megan spoils the silkies.

And makes noises so they stretch their dorky necks up.

Pretty sure they were posing for me.

I thought I'd do a little entry about Janine's chickens. Well...the OTHER chickens. They're all her chickens because we bought the silkies for her as a present. I don't really remember all their names so you'd have to hop over to her blog and bother her about them. They really are handsome birds though. Oddly enough Debbie's property is for sale and can be found on Gumtree.

Debbie's driveway. Jelous.

Some chickens grazing@Debbie's.

Janine's chickens when they first arrived.

Wondering what the hell I'm doing singing at them.

Some real bull. A whole lot of it.

A barrell bull at the Bull and Barrel?

The main event.

How rude.

There was a takoyaki stall there. Mmmmph!

A drunken mistake. Why Australia, whhhhhhy?! 

Fiiiiiiiire!

Baby ducks! Get me a ducky ._. !

Rachel and her new flow toys. 100% jelous.

Dressed up for Halloween at work. Aussies say "wat?"

Sleepy Crunchies.

Sleepy Millies.

Newys! Looking beautiful this time of year.

Spoilers ahead!

I know it's a messy update but at least you know I'm alive now :)

"It's a bakery :D!"

Total sob story, I don't think we can afford to see Gabriel Iglesias when he comes to Perth in October. That's like when I found out that Repo played in Toledo a month after I left and Andrew Zimmern was around AND THEN I MISSED RAMMSTEIN PLAYING IN PERTH BECAUSE I NEVER READ THE PAPER. And them's just the breaks.

I wish I could make him one thousand chocolate cakes.

BUT TODAY! I have something better.

Today we're making this:Blueberry Cream Cheese BraiddadadaDAAAAH!

I've been looking a lot lately into making my own sourdough starter but I've been sort of cowed by all the information out there and all the forums littered with bread fanatics freaking the fuck out about pineapple juice versus water and unbleached white versus rye flour and catching wild yeast versus using plums or grapes and yadda yadda yadda. It's enough to make my head spin like The Exorcist. Just make a loaf of fucking bread for christ sakes, it can't be that hard and long winded. 

Anyways, I'm waiting for this book to come in the mail (after I buy it, whenever that is :o...) so I can be better informed about this decision. Because making the perfect sourdough is like..a hardcore life decision yo. Respect. 

So I've coped out and found a recipe on one of the bread forums that uses instant yeast instead of starter, so it's all like "BAM I'M BREAD" instead of "Shh, I'm taking a nap, come back after you fed me." 

Obligational picture of Buns from this morning.

Jarrad's one looked nicer than mine >.>

Gentle.

 And here's the halfway point. As I'm typing this these suckers are in the oven and hopefully on their way. I didn't refrigerate them overnight but did so for only 6 hours. They should be fine, eh? Slow rise my ass, I say. Aw well, we'll see if they fall flat or not. In the mean time enjoy some local port and cheese that we got from Balingup this afternoon. Plum port from the Fruit Bat place (it's cheaper than the site list) and some cheeses from Cambray Sheep Cheese! Delicious.

Now I'm off the read The Sandman, since Rachel lent it to me. Just finished reading Linsner's Dawn comics, which were totally mind blowingly awesome. Must get the rest of The Walking Dead and iZombie when I have moneys :o!

Will try to remember to post results later!