logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
26m 28s

Fed: U OK Hen?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

We eat chicken. A LOT of it. We might love the taste, but what about how we're treating those birds?

After witnessing first-hand the reality of indoor chicken farming - how most of the chicken we eat is raised - Dr Chris van Tulleken wants to know: are the birds happy enough, or is our method of rearing cheap chicken actually cruel?

If so, what’s the ‘happier’ alternative – and do carnivores like Chris care enough to pay the price for that, or does a love of meat ultimately trump ethics?

Chris battles with his conscience, and finds the answer hard to stomach.

Up next
Nov 24
The Animal Employment Agency
<p>We live in a time of automation and robotics; the machines run the factories, and AI will soon take all the jobs. And yet, even today, there are certain niche jobs where only an animal will do. Comedian and biologist Simon Watt is out to meet some of them, and the people who t ... Show More
26m 28s
Nov 17
Bodies
<p>The London Anatomy Office accepts around 350 human bodies donated for medical research and education annually. You may imagine that these bodies are presevered in chemicals for medical students to study over weeks and months. And some are. But many are used - almost fresh - to ... Show More
26m 28s
Nov 10
The Life Scientific: Kevin Fong
There can't be many people in the world who've saved lives in hospital emergency rooms and also helped care for the wellbeing of astronauts in space – but Kevin Fong’s career has followed a singular path: from astrophysics and trauma medicine, to working with NASA, to becoming an ... Show More
26m 30s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
The backyard chicken dilemma
Short & Curly listener Tabitha thought it would be great to get some backyard chickens. Delicious, fresh eggs every morning and cute birds to name and look after. But in reality, it wasn't so easy. Like, what happens when the chickens get older and stop laying eggs? Is it okay to ... Show More
24m 6s
Apr 2025
How to buy a happy chicken
Britain’s obsessed with chicken - we eat more than a billion birds a year. And to (literally) feed our hunger, many farmers have turned to fast-growing birds. But now, a new initiative is persuading supermarkets and restaurants to try a slower-growing breed. Will it mean higher-w ... Show More
23m 52s
Oct 2023
Finding the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey with Tyler Dawley
As Thanksgiving approaches, our focus shifts to the star of the holiday feast: the turkey. While many folks might be tempted to choose their turkey solely based on size, there is so much more to consider when selecting the perfect Thanksgiving bird for your family.Tyler Dawley, a ... Show More
27m 48s
Aug 26
Help He Wants His Chicken Drumstick Back
William is feeling inspired - but where has this inspiration come from, you ask? A thirst trap. And not just anyone’s, mind you. Meanwhile, our favourite ‘dilemma daddies’ are back at it again, answering your questions like is it ever OK to put on used underwear after a shower? T ... Show More
45m 9s
Feb 2023
The Plant-Based Chicken Brand Taking Over LA
<p>Ross Mackay launched Daring in 2020 to remove chicken from our food system. In 2022 alone, the company helped save more than 500,000 chickens, and is daring to fix the chicken industry.</p><p>For more on Daring and show notes: <a href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/daring-plant ... Show More
33m 19s
Mar 2024
Who Invented Indian Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken is a much-loved Indian dish, both within the country and around the world. But who can claim they invented it? That question is the subject of a lawsuit. Our reporter tries to get to the bottom of butter chicken's origin and finds out that it is a journey through I ... Show More
7m 49s
Mar 2025
Classic Debate: There is Nothing Wrong With Rearing and Killing Animals for Human Consumption
This event took place on the 31st of October 2016 at the Royal Institution in London. CHAIR: Afua Hirsch - Writer and broadcaster SPEAKERS FOR THE MOTION: AA Gill - The Sunday Times’s star restaurant and TV critic AGAINST THE MOTION: George Monbiot - Guardian columnist, environm ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 2024
Playing chicken with biohazards. Are humans at risk from bird flu?
Bird flu – or Avian flu – has been detected at a number of chicken farms in Victoria and NSW. The discovery comes in the wake of an outbreak in the US and tests that found humans had symptoms associated with bird flu. How safe is Australia’s poultry industry, and how safe are our ... Show More
19m 2s
Apr 2021
Dr. T. W. Stallings: One Man's Corvid-Hating Quest to Make Oklahoma Literally Eat Crow
<p>Times were tough during the Great Depression. Economic unrest, massive migration and falling crops left many people struggling to survive -- even the simple task of finding food from one day to the next became increasingly challenging. Amid this chaos Dr. T. W. Stallings saw a ... Show More
42m 14s
May 2023
Vegans: are they unhealthy?
<p>The new scientific research coming in about being vegan is fascinating, controversial and important to understanding the climate crisis. Today we use studies to understand how omnivores, vegetarians and vegans differ in health, environmental impacts and culture.</p><br><p>What ... Show More
53m 47s