MILLIONS of people must have experienced a steep learning curve this January, as Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver set about explaining to the public the difference in living conditions between free-range and broiler chickens via a week of hard-hitting television programmes.

The programmes followed Hugh's "Chicken Out" campaign in which he wants to replace the cheap chickens sold by supermarkets at less than the price of a pint of beer for ethically-reared free-range chicken. To illustrate the different systems an experiment' was carried out by buying 4,000 day-old commercial chicks and rearing half in an intensive unit and the other half in an environmentally-enriched free-range unit, with access to fresh air, grass and sunshine.

Certainly, the difference in the behaviour of the birds was quite noticeable as they began to develop. The broilers did little but eat and drink and as they grew they each had less space in which to move around and exhibit "normal" chicken behaviour. Some birds also had leg problems, a condition highlighted by the animal welfare charity Compassion in World Farming (CIWF). The free-range birds however obviously enjoyed the freedom of being outside on grass but the extra activity meant they took an additional seventeen days to meet the slaughter target, which inevitably incurs a greater cost in production.

Viewing all the programmes I felt the outcome of the campaign was going to be interesting. For me there were good and bad practices in both systems shown. The setting up of the broiler unit clearly illustrated that when going into such a project, research and planning are paramount and the fact that Hugh had very little time in which to work on his second-hand building and complete the procedure thorougly was unfortunate. I was for example, shocked that anyone would even consider putting day-old chicks into a building that had been power-washed before being allowed to dry. No matter how many shavings were put in it meant that the shavings in contact with the floor would have been damp and damp litter is one of the quickest ways to introduce bacterial problems in poultry.

Another example of poor husbandry came when free-range hens were to be caught before being taken to residents on the Millway Estate. "First catch your chicken," said Hugh, but most poultry people know that if birds are to be caught next day, you leave them in their overnight accommodation and catch them in that confined area, or gather them up when they have gone to bed and box them ready for delivery next day. Chasing them around the garden and throwing yourself at the birds must have terrified them, for this is the action of a predator from the chicken's point of view. It was also a shame that "Chuffy" had to be killed. The upset of the residents was palpable and the public would probably be most surprised if they new how many farmers and smallholders have a special animal or bird that will never see the inside of a slaughterhouse.

Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Fowl Dinners" was very cleverly staged and showed the procedure of rearing and producing chicken for meat and egg production and even by today's standards was quite brave television. For many right at the beginning, it came as a complete revelation that male day old chicks of the laying breeds were gassed and Jamie shocked many by showing a group die in such a way. It was shocking, even to those of us who knew this happened. Smallholder asked for more information from the Humane Slaughter Association and was told that the law allows the use of either (i) 90 per cent argon (or other inert gas) in air with a maximum of 2 per cent residual oxygen or (ii) a minimum of 60 per cent argon (or other inert gas) with a maximum of 30 per cent carbon dioxide in air and a maximum of 2 per cent residual oxygen. Among the HSA's recommendations are that the gas concentrations must be continuously controlled and monitored and that chicks must not be allowed to become piled or bunched up on entry to the apparatus. The Humane Slaughter Association's "Code of Practice for the Disposal of Chicks in Hatcheries" provides information on the law concerning gas and other methods for humane killing and makes recommendations about good practice. Information about the HSA and its publications is available at www.hsa.org.uk.

So, the programmes shocked us and certainly gave an insight into the workings of the poultry industry. The question then is how would viewers react? Certainly many "Smallholder" readers contacted the magazine directly and felt that the "Chicken Out" campaign should be wholeheartedly supported and free-range was definitely the way forward for future chicken rearing. A few felt that free-range had been shown in the best light on the programmes, having been filmed in the summer when conditions outside on grass are much kinder than over the winter period, when poultry is usually much happier indoors. Many readers felt that the Freedom Food requirements for broiler production appeared more acceptable and acknowledged that for sheer economy, this system was certainly a welcome compromise.

I also carried out some rather un-scientific research by asking a cross-section of 24 people that I came into contact with, if they had seen the programmes and would they now alter their buying patterns? Every person admitted that they would like to see the poultry running around free-range but only seven said they would now only buy free-range. Three people felt they had been put off chicken and weren't sure when they would next buy it but an overwhelming 14 still intended to buy standard chicken because with a family and a tight budget that is what they could afford.

I was then intregued to see if my findings had any bearing on how the nation as a whole reacted? For that I went to the supermarkets. A spokesman for Asda said there had been a slight increase in free-range chickens sold but no dip in standard chickens. A Sainsbury's spokesman said, "In the week following the programmes Sainsbury's had seen a slight overall increase in demand for all chicken ranges, compared to the same period the previous week. Over this time, free-range, organic and RSPCA Freedom Food chicken had experienced record demand with over a 50 per cent increase in sales. In addition, sales of standard chicken ranges have either remained constant or seen an increase. Sainsbury is committed to constantly improving animal welfare standards and offering customers choice; our aim is to achieve the RSPCA Freedom Food Standard as a minimum requirement across all fresh poultry."

A spokesman for Tesco said, "We don't normally release data in this way but following up the story on Jamie Oliver's and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's "Chicken Out" programmes, you may like to note the following: Sales of Tesco standard chickens have not been affected by the C4 TV programmes. This week beginning 21 January, daily national sales of standard whole birds are running approximately 7 per cent above the November 2007 daily average (we have taken November as a comparison since December sales are strongly affected by Christmas). This shows that customers are still seeking the great value and good standards of animal welfare that our standard range offers. Total chicken sales are approximately 10 per cent up on the November average, which is great news for British farmers.

"But there's better news still. Sales of our Willow Farm whole birds, which offer even higher standards of animal welfare at an affordable price between standard and free range/organic, are slightly up as a proportion of total chicken sales. It's encouraging that making improved animal welfare an accessible choice for all is paying dividends. Free range sales are also running slightly higher as a proportion of total chicken sales.

"Interestingly, data from the Axminster store shows that during Hugh's campaign in the town last year, Willow Farm sales as a percentage of total chicken sales did spike for approximately two weeks and there was a slight dip in standard chicken sales (slight because standard chicken sales are far higher). However, standard chicken sales were back to normal or even slightly higher three weeks after the campaign started."

Poultry farmers have not been surprised by the initial feedback. Peter Bradnock, chief executive of the British Poultry Council, said, "What we've seen is that curiously, the programmes have served to promote all categories of chicken sales. The supermarkets know exactly what the conditions are like in broiler units and insist on a good standard of welfare, safe food and availability. I think consumers actually have a good understanding of what supermarkets assure.

"At the moment all chicken is produced according to the demands of the marketplace and their customers. If that changes, then poultry farmers will change with it. This has always been the case because the industry has never had subsidies. In the longer term I think we will see an increase in premium free-range and lower density indoor production but that was a trend in place before the programmes."

Certainly the evidence is that consumers will make up their own minds and although the "Chicken Out" campaign will have had a marked affect on many people, others will continue to buy cheap chicken. Hugh is right, chicken shouldn't be so cheap - but once consumers are used to it, old habits die hard. Smallholders all know the real price of producing food, the hours of work, the quality of the feedstuffs and the day to day management and would agree that to produce two chickens for a fiver is way too cheap. But how can we convince others?