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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Joanna Partridge

‘It’s absolutely dire’: why UK chicken farmers want to call it a day

Versatile and relatively affordable, chicken is the UK’s most popular meat, with the level of consumption far outstripping beef, lamb or pork
Chicken is the UK’s most popular meat, but pressures are pushing producers to reduce their flocks or even shutting down. Photograph: David Tadevosian/Alamy

James Mottershead’s family has been in the chicken farming business for two decades, but nothing compares with the current situation. “Absolutely dire,” is his summary.

Based in Shropshire and operating from six vast sheds that churn out 1.3m chickens a year, the business has been hit by a cocktail of pressures.

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