0:00:03 > 0:00:05Hello and welcome to Inside Out South West,
0:00:05 > 0:00:11stories and investigations from where you live.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Tonight:
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Couch potatoes, tune in.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17So, do we need more exercise?
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Yes.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Time to get on your bike with Nick Baker.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27I think I might have got me leggings caught!
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Also tonight, think you know your eggs?
0:00:30 > 0:00:33It is stretching the consumer's perception of free range to what I
0:00:33 > 0:00:35consider a very dangerous level.
0:00:35 > 0:00:42Proposals for new chicken ranches ruffle feathers.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44And where's their dough?
0:00:44 > 0:00:46A special delivery for the bakery owner accused
0:00:46 > 0:00:50of not paying his staff.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52But we'd like to give you the opportunity to answer some
0:00:52 > 0:00:53questions from your staff.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54I've made my statement.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59They've baked a cake for you.
0:00:59 > 0:01:06I'm Jemma Woodman, and this is Inside Out South West.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Most of us already know that if we don't move around,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20then we're likely to put on a bit of weight.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23And there's a bit more bad news, too.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28Our couch potato lifestyles can affect the way we think and feel.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30But as Nick Baker has been finding out, getting active doesn't
0:01:30 > 0:01:37have to cost the earth, and it may change your life.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42The great outdoors.
0:01:42 > 0:01:48Here in the South West, it is all on our doorstep.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I've spent my whole life exploring the countryside,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and that often means getting a bit of exercise at the same time.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58I know, I know - work, weather, and well, life means doing things
0:01:58 > 0:02:06like this isn't as easy as we'd all like.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Now, personally, I love getting cold and wet.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I relish the challenge of being outside.
0:02:14 > 0:02:22But I also appreciate it is not everyone's cup of tea.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27For many, the perfect way to spend a cold winter's day is at home
0:02:27 > 0:02:34on the sofa in front of the fire.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38The Coxes are one family who know they spend far too
0:02:38 > 0:02:40much time sitting down, and they want to do
0:02:40 > 0:02:45something about it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49So, on a scale of one to ten, how fit do they think they are?
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Maybe a six?
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Maybe a four?
0:02:56 > 0:03:00What about an eight?
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Three.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05And what about telly time?
0:03:05 > 0:03:06I like to watch my soaps.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Most of the evening.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Probably go on my iPad most of the time before bed,
0:03:11 > 0:03:17and then in my pyjamas I just watch TV.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19So, do we need more exercise?
0:03:19 > 0:03:22THEY LAUGH.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Yes.
0:03:24 > 0:03:30I would like to go swimming and I would like to go new places.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31New places?
0:03:31 > 0:03:32I can help with that.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36But first, time to see how many people are in
0:03:36 > 0:03:43the same boat as the Coxes.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Excuse me, excuse me, we are doing a bit of a survey about people's
0:03:48 > 0:03:50physical activity levels.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Neville, would you say you're a runner bean or a couch potato?
0:03:53 > 0:03:54Couch potato.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Runner bean, any day.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Definitely a couch potato.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59You're a couch potato and proud of it?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Don't say the BBC never gives you anything, look,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03you get a runner bean!
0:04:03 > 0:04:05She hit me with the bean.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06Cheeky boy.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Do you want to take a runner bean, then?
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Runner bean or a couch potato?
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Oh, couch potato.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Grab a potato, then.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Get a potato for your tea.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17The scores are pretty even here, but nationally
0:04:17 > 0:04:20it is a different picture.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23In the last 40 years, we have become far less active,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and that is particularly bad for children, of whom one third
0:04:26 > 0:04:30are now overweight by the time they leave primary school.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32But, if families can be persuaded to exercise together,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35there is a big benefit for everyone.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Now, we are not talking about becoming an ultra-athlete
0:04:38 > 0:04:40here, we're talking about just simply getting outside,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43stirring the blood up a little bit, going for a walk in the park,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46owing to the swings and slides, even taking a bike ride, anything,
0:04:46 > 0:04:52any activity at all will help you get a little bit fitter.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Time for the Coxes to give it a go.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Now, this might not look like the sort of place that
0:05:00 > 0:05:02an adventure will start, but let's face it, adventure
0:05:02 > 0:05:05is wherever you choose to seek it, and for the Cox family,
0:05:05 > 0:05:12today is hopefully the start of something very new.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16When was the last time you were on a bike?
0:05:16 > 0:05:17About 12 years old.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Good grief, right, so this really is, this is a real
0:05:20 > 0:05:21biggie for you, this one.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22This really is, yes.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25I know you are thinking about going electric, have you?
0:05:25 > 0:05:26I have gone electric.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27Excellent.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28I have decided to go for it.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31All it does, it gives you that little bit of extra wattage
0:05:31 > 0:05:34just when you need it, just get you up those hills or keeps
0:05:34 > 0:05:36you up with the family.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37And then it becomes a social experience.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I will be flying past, I'm going to be a blur?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Thumbs up, thumbs up, let's do this!
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Cycling is a great way to get fit.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It is good cardio, and it is gentle on the joints.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48There are still a few hazards, though.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I think I might have got me leggings caught!
0:05:50 > 0:05:53This cycle path follows the old railway line out
0:05:53 > 0:05:55of Plymouth towards Dartmoor.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It is pretty easy-going, but there's always an uphill somewhere.
0:05:57 > 0:06:05Hi!
0:06:08 > 0:06:10And for nature lovers like me, there's also lots of places
0:06:10 > 0:06:13to have a good look around.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16There...!
0:06:16 > 0:06:18What sort of spider is it?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21It is one of the tangle webs, it's a beauty.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26They are all completely harmless.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29That's a peregrine, can you hear him?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31That's a peregrine up there.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32There he is.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34There he is, he's flying, he's coming right over us.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37He is up here, there he goes, right over us.
0:06:37 > 0:06:38Look, look, look.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Wow.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42You sure it's not a pigeon?
0:06:42 > 0:06:43Definitely not a pigeon.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46That was a peregrine falcon, one of the fastest birds on earth.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49There may even be another...
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Ooh, ooh...!
0:06:50 > 0:06:51Oh, no, it's a cyclist!
0:06:51 > 0:06:53You're getting twitchy.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55See, that is why you are called a twitcher, you see?
0:06:55 > 0:06:57You're already becoming a bird-watcher.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02And with that revelation, it is time to push on.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04If you were feeling really energetic, you could keep
0:07:04 > 0:07:08going all the way to the North Devon coast, 97 miles away.
0:07:08 > 0:07:14That's one for the Coxes to work up to, though.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16I'm in a bush!
0:07:16 > 0:07:18So, how have you found it?
0:07:18 > 0:07:19I'm still alive.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21There was a lot of screaming.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23There was, a lot of screaming.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24There was a lot of falling into bushes!
0:07:24 > 0:07:28I fell in one bush, not a lot of them, I fell in one.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I've never, ever had the confidence to go on a bike.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32Never have done.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33There is a big stigma.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36I know I'm a big girl, there is no denying that,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38and it is trying to force myself.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42And I think we have cracked it.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47Success for now, but can they keep it up?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50One month later, Christmas has been and gone, usually the perfect time
0:07:50 > 0:07:55to sit back and relax in front of the telly.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57But what I want to know is, did the Coxes manage
0:07:57 > 0:08:00to get out and about much?
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Hello, hello!
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Hello!
0:08:04 > 0:08:05How are you?
0:08:05 > 0:08:06Fine, thank you.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08It's a bit chilly today.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Cos I've been thinking about you a lot over Christmas,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13on the grounds of mainly it is the worst time of year to be
0:08:13 > 0:08:16inspired to go outside, cos it's been horizontal rain,
0:08:16 > 0:08:17lots of wind...
0:08:17 > 0:08:19How have you managed to get around that problem?
0:08:19 > 0:08:20Well, in fact, ask the kids.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23They were on a bike ride yesterday in that pouring rain.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24You went out yesterday?
0:08:24 > 0:08:25They did.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26Yeah, after school.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28On the way, it started bucketing down.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30And then Liam didn't even have a proper coat,
0:08:30 > 0:08:31he was wearing this.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35So, do you think you got out pretty much every day over Christmas?
0:08:35 > 0:08:36Yeah, I think we have.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39It's me and Nick, really, that lets the side down.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42That's why I'm talking to you!
0:08:43 > 0:08:47It is me that has let the side down, but now I feel more confident.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49The kids, they are doing what they normally do, they're
0:08:49 > 0:08:50children, they love bike riding.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54But I can join them, and that is the biggest thing for me.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57You know, we have got other people in the family involved, everything.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59That's great news, that's brilliant to hear.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00You look happy about that.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01Yeah.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06My New Year's resolution was to do more outdoor activities as a family,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08and following on from this programme and following on from that,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11I'm going to try and incorporate a healthier diet.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12We had a million carrots last night!
0:09:12 > 0:09:14A million carrots, that's a lot of carrots.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17You don't have to take quite that many.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20But, no, I think, in a year's time, I think you're going
0:09:20 > 0:09:22to see a changed family.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Me the biggest.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I am going to have the biggest change, because I am
0:09:27 > 0:09:31going to be going out doing it, and that is the best thing.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Well, you've said it now, Claire!
0:09:39 > 0:09:42And you can find out how to get fit the fun,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45free and easy way at...
0:09:53 > 0:09:56There is something reassuring about picking up your daily loaf,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59and the South West is famous for its long-established
0:09:59 > 0:10:02bakeries, and its hills!
0:10:02 > 0:10:08For bakers, it has been a good way to earn an honest crust,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12but more recently some of them have been left short of dough.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Our reporter has been finding out why.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Endacott's one of Britain's oldest bakeries.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24They have been mixing it up here in the Devon town of Oakhampton
0:10:24 > 0:10:27for more than a century.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31But recently, frustration has been rising faster than the dough.
0:10:31 > 0:10:37You work for a month expecting to get paid, and you don't.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Staff fear a once thriving business could be toast.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Very, very sad for the people that has got mortgages,
0:10:44 > 0:10:50people that have got families to feed, it is a very, very sad day.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52The problem, say the bakers, is that they have not been
0:10:52 > 0:10:54paid all their wages, and even vital supplies such
0:10:54 > 0:10:58as flour are in short supply.
0:10:58 > 0:11:06They all try and keep it going to see how long that will last.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08This is such bad form.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12This is the owner of Endacott's, Nicholas Gould.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14He runs an assortment of cafes and bakeries
0:11:14 > 0:11:16from his house in Somerset.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Since he took over last year, staff say things have been
0:11:18 > 0:11:21hopelessly half baked.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Has this ever happened to you before?
0:11:24 > 0:11:25No.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Well, I've spent my life in here, it's never happened.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I've never owed money to anybody, now I'm starting
0:11:30 > 0:11:35to owe people money.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Jo Banfield used to work for Mr Gould as a waitress
0:11:37 > 0:11:42at another of his businesses in Dorset, until it suddenly closed.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46So shocked and so devastated that you just wonder
0:11:46 > 0:11:49what have you done wrong?
0:11:49 > 0:11:50You try to...
0:11:50 > 0:11:54You cannot take it in, I think, for a while.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57She was so angry about the way the Harbour Cafe was shut down,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00she brought a case for unfair dismissal and won.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05But she has yet to be paid the £4000 she was awarded in compensation.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09I am still fighting, and I still have yet,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11even though I have a judgment against him he still
0:12:11 > 0:12:13has refused to pay.
0:12:13 > 0:12:21He is quite entitled to shut his business,
0:12:26 > 0:12:27but he has responsibilities to the employees
0:12:27 > 0:12:29that he had at that time.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31We have evidence of problems at other businesses Mr Gould has
0:12:31 > 0:12:33bought in the last few years.
0:12:33 > 0:12:41Urban Brunch in Yeovil seems to have closed down.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46And Mr Gould bought the Oven Door Bakery
0:12:46 > 0:12:47in the Hampshire village
0:12:47 > 0:12:48of Fair Oak in June 2016.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50It has been closed since November, apparently for refurbishment.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54We invited anyone who worked at the bakery to come and talk
0:12:54 > 0:12:55to us about their issues.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Katie told us about her connection to the business,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00dating back to the 1970s.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03It is meant to be a family business, and my cousins used
0:13:03 > 0:13:04to help out as well.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08She says she is owed £1,800 in basic pay and overtime.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Do you think you will ever get your money back from him?
0:13:11 > 0:13:13No, unless we taken to court, that I don't have the money
0:13:13 > 0:13:17to taken to court!
0:13:17 > 0:13:20It is about more than the dough for Katie.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22She was born in the flat above the bakery, and has
0:13:22 > 0:13:25a sentimental attachment to the place.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26Gutted.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28My dad is devastated.
0:13:28 > 0:13:36I think it has hit home that he has destroyed it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41Early last year, some staff began to be paid late or incorrectly.
0:13:41 > 0:13:48Towards the end of 2017, some staff were not paid at all.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Donna served customers at the Oven Door for four years.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54When I first started, it was great, loved the job.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Even worked on days off.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Donna says the problems started when Mr Gould took over.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02In October, she wasn't paid.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I had to beg him to actually put the money in my account.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10I had no money for food, electric, rent.
0:14:10 > 0:14:16I'm a single mum, and that was my only income.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Mr Gould eventually paid Donna summer fair wages.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23The staff here all told us the same thing.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Before Mr Gould took over, the Oven Door
0:14:25 > 0:14:27was a thriving business.
0:14:27 > 0:14:33They do not believe it will ever reopen.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35So why have things soured so badly?
0:14:35 > 0:14:39We contacted Mr Gould to find out.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41He said he had been dealing with a number of issues
0:14:41 > 0:14:44at Endacott's, including break-ins and problems with admin.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47He said he had appointed a new manager who would add focus
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and direction to the business.
0:14:50 > 0:14:58So we popped back to see if things were sweet again.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01But Mr Gould had told the staff not to allow any filming.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Thanks anyway.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Thank you.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Bakers Tony and Kevin, wanted to have their say anyway.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10We spoke a few weeks ago.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12What is going on now?
0:15:12 > 0:15:17Nothing has changed, really, and we are still working as hard
0:15:17 > 0:15:21as we can to keep things going.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Trying to keep our customers, which is very difficult,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26because we're running out of ingredients.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Your world has been ripped away from you.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32You know, you cannot make decisions, you cannot go forward.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35And it is just hard.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Mr Gould told us he would not comment further because of what he
0:15:38 > 0:15:41described as life legal cases.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45He did not respond when we asked him about waitress Jo's owed cash.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48With other staff worried about whether they are going to be
0:15:48 > 0:15:52on the breadline, we wanted to give Mr Gould one more chance to chew
0:15:52 > 0:15:53it all over with us.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58But first I went to see Joy at this bakery near Yeovil.
0:15:58 > 0:16:04Joy says she is owed £500 for bread she supplied to Mr Gould last May.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07We have written, we have begged, and we have asked.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11He has not replied to any of our correspondence.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15I'm disgusted with them, really, if you wanted plainly.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21To think that he will not make any provision to pay.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Joy has decided to let her talent do the talking.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27She has baked a show stopper for Mr Gould.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29I'm giving it to you to present to him because I don't
0:16:29 > 0:16:31want to see the man.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34All I want is his money and just to forget all about him.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37But if he is that hard up that he cannot pay,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40he obviously needs to eat, so let's give him a cake.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Yes, where's our dough?
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I would have put a bit more on, but I think that's enough.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48And it is not just me, it is the dough for everyone that he owes.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Not just us here.
0:16:51 > 0:16:58But perhaps he will do the decent thing and pay his debts.
0:16:58 > 0:17:05One cake, special delivery.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07I've got a cake that I would like to give you
0:17:07 > 0:17:10with a question.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12There is a question...
0:17:12 > 0:17:16You are trespassing.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18This is such bad form.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20But we would like to give you the opportunity to answer
0:17:20 > 0:17:22questions from your staff.
0:17:22 > 0:17:30They have baked a cake for you, which asks where the money might be.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37So, suppliers like Joy wonder if they will ever see their dough.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41They can only hope that Mr Gould might finally digest their message.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Where is the money that you owe all these people?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Why have you not paid it?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Why can you not pay it, and why can you not explain why
0:17:50 > 0:17:52you are not paying it?
0:17:52 > 0:17:58Just come forth with the money and man up.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Man up and pay your bills.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Next tonight, we are in the historic landscape of West Cornwall,
0:18:08 > 0:18:13where there is something of a farming revolution in prospect.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16For its advocates, it is the future of egg production.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21For opponents, the industrialisation of the countryside.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24The plan is to build for large chicken sheds,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28housing 112,000 hens, potentially ranging
0:18:28 > 0:18:31over these green acres.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35It will be the largest in Cornwall, visible for miles,
0:18:35 > 0:18:41and some of the locals are passionately opposed.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48John bought this cottage in the middle of these fields last May. In
0:18:48 > 0:18:52the past, planted with Reg. In a few years, he could be entirely
0:18:52 > 0:18:56surrounded by chickens. People around here, who in the past
0:18:56 > 0:19:00have lived relatively close, not as close as I would have two to chicken
0:19:00 > 0:19:06ranches, tell me that my house is very likely would be uninhabitable
0:19:06 > 0:19:11because of the odours, the noise. If it is uninhabitable, and I cannot
0:19:11 > 0:19:14live here, really nobody else is going to want to live here, so
0:19:14 > 0:19:20effectively I could be homeless. This family home is right next to
0:19:20 > 0:19:25the plant farm. This farming contractor is worried about manure
0:19:25 > 0:19:30from chickens free ranging in the fields next to him. What is your
0:19:30 > 0:19:35main concern John? The biggest problem, there is a
0:19:35 > 0:19:40potential for 6500 hens to free range on that ground, and you and
0:19:40 > 0:19:45run off will affect my only source of drinking water, which is here.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49And that's it, that is our only source of dripping water for me and
0:19:49 > 0:19:51my family. And you're concerned it will be
0:19:51 > 0:19:56polluted? Absolutely. It is not good enough,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00it needs to be addressed. John has filmed flooding in heavy
0:20:00 > 0:20:05rain here, with water rushing off the adjacent field. Therefore other
0:20:05 > 0:20:09houses with boltholes nearby. The applicant declined to take part in
0:20:09 > 0:20:15our film. The big push for free range egg production is something
0:20:15 > 0:20:20new in the South West. It has come about because the public are
0:20:20 > 0:20:23demanding ever higher welfare standards. Currently, around half
0:20:23 > 0:20:27the eggs in the country are produced in what is known as enriched cages.
0:20:27 > 0:20:33The supermarkets want these phased out. By 2025, it is likely that
0:20:33 > 0:20:39virtually all egg production will be free range. That has got big
0:20:39 > 0:20:45implications for smaller scale free range operations like this farm. The
0:20:45 > 0:20:539000 birds here in three barns supply and egg packing business.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Got a gorgeous comb on her head, bright red wattles under her chin,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02and lovely bright eyes. I really, lovely, healthy looking bird.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07But Dan believes this traditional system is being undercut by the farm
0:21:07 > 0:21:13is like the plant new facility. The regulations for free range eggs say
0:21:13 > 0:21:18no more than nine birds per square metre on the barn floor area.
0:21:18 > 0:21:26Outside, each bird has more space. This outside space is crucial. Here,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29birds get to glean and clean their feathers and show their natural
0:21:29 > 0:21:34behaviour. Come the night time, there will be around 5400 birds in
0:21:34 > 0:21:41here, and this is their set up. Over there, there is a scratch area, they
0:21:41 > 0:21:45can have a dust above, here, the food and manure drops through the
0:21:45 > 0:21:49slats. And this is where the magic happens, they lay their eggs, one
0:21:49 > 0:21:54around every 24 hours. It drops onto the conveyor belt before going off
0:21:54 > 0:22:01for packing. But Dan says all of this now faces
0:22:01 > 0:22:03unwelcome competition from bigger farms which stack the birds above
0:22:03 > 0:22:10each other in a system called multi-tier. It is possible to get as
0:22:10 > 0:22:13many as two thirds more hens for the same ground floor area in
0:22:13 > 0:22:19multi-tier. Because parts of the tears can't as extra floor space. --
0:22:19 > 0:22:25count as extra floor space. Flat deck sheds. It has been how
0:22:25 > 0:22:28free range eggs have been produced for many years. We are moving into a
0:22:28 > 0:22:37new era, and these sheds that hold a lot more birds, so for instance,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40this shed holds 5400. If you can imagine as shared much bigger with
0:22:40 > 0:22:47up to sort of 30 thick -- 32,000 birds in it. It is stretching the
0:22:47 > 0:22:51consumer's conception of free range to a dangerous level.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57Dan's eggs sell for £1 50 for six, and he says he can compete with the
0:22:57 > 0:23:04big boys using multi-tier. They are supplying eggs for 90p. He wants
0:23:04 > 0:23:11clearer labelling to differentiate between the two.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13between the two. The other suppliers say the meeting consumer need for an
0:23:13 > 0:23:19affordable place -- price. They also think the system has advantages.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24This is my multi-tier shed. Inside, there are a number of different
0:23:24 > 0:23:28levels for the birds to perch. But welfare at happiness is just like
0:23:28 > 0:23:36any other system of free range production. We think this is quite
0:23:36 > 0:23:38crowded, but it is quite easy for a hen to go up and down different
0:23:38 > 0:23:42levels. As far as the hens are concerned, they prefer this
0:23:42 > 0:23:47environment. The RSPCA recognises both systems is
0:23:47 > 0:23:51chicken welfare friendly. But for its Freedom food labelling scheme,
0:23:51 > 0:23:56it won't each bird to have eight centimetres of perch for next year,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59so they can more easily replicate their natural behaviour.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05The multi-tier producers do not have a problem if the edges account is a
0:24:05 > 0:24:12perch, but for smaller ones, these new purchaser a big extra cost.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Since most big supermarkets now insist on free range egg farmers
0:24:15 > 0:24:19being in the RSPCA scheme, that is another headache.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24My margins are small, so to have to spend ten, £20,000 bidding in perch
0:24:24 > 0:24:30rails is massive for us. And there is another problem. When
0:24:30 > 0:24:33the chickens fly up or simply fall off their purchase, there are more
0:24:33 > 0:24:37collisions, and that leads to an injury that these birds are
0:24:37 > 0:24:44particularly prone to. At the heart of a chicken is this, you find it
0:24:44 > 0:24:50underneath the breast meat, and it is prone to fraction -- fracturing
0:24:50 > 0:24:56after a collision. You can see where this has healed after a fracture. In
0:24:56 > 0:25:00some free range flocks, scientists have discovered that a percentage of
0:25:00 > 0:25:05the birds have a fracture of this bone. It is painful for the bird.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09Restore University vet school tracked thousands of birds in a
0:25:09 > 0:25:13variety of multi-tier and flat deck sheds, both with and without
0:25:13 > 0:25:17purchase, and filmed mishaps. They found little difference in the rate
0:25:17 > 0:25:23of injury in flat deck barns with you purchase, and multi-tier barns.
0:25:23 > 0:25:31But this professor thinks we need to be very cautious in fitting perches
0:25:31 > 0:25:32in traditional existing flat deck sheds.
0:25:32 > 0:25:39The problem is you will see an increase in bone fractures. What the
0:25:39 > 0:25:45level of that increase will be, between about 15-25%. The RSPCA have
0:25:45 > 0:25:51suggested putting the perches in. I think we should be certain that we
0:25:51 > 0:25:57now what the relative welfare benefits and detriment to introduce
0:25:57 > 0:26:03those measures. Certainly it would be detrimental from the point of
0:26:03 > 0:26:10view of Keele bone fractures. The free range at producers
0:26:10 > 0:26:15Association recently passed a motion of no confidence in the RSPCA, and
0:26:15 > 0:26:19were angry that the charity had pulled out by new research project
0:26:19 > 0:26:22run by John aimed at settling the debate over whether retrofitting
0:26:22 > 0:26:27perches does increase the fracture rate.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30A fundamental principle of animal welfare is that animals are able to
0:26:30 > 0:26:34express their full range of natural behaviours. And for laying hens, one
0:26:34 > 0:26:39of those is the ability to perch. In any system, hens should be able to
0:26:39 > 0:26:43have the opportunity to carry out that important behaviour. Keelboat
0:26:43 > 0:26:47fractures are concerned, and they are something that happens in all
0:26:47 > 0:26:51system with or without purchase. If we take away purchase, we still have
0:26:51 > 0:26:57the issue of high levels of injury, but we have also denied the birds
0:26:57 > 0:27:00that opportunity to carry out important natural behaviour.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05The factors, both types of free range farms have an image problem.
0:27:05 > 0:27:12The chickens are not freely ranging and like staying inside. The study
0:27:12 > 0:27:17suggests in any seven-day period, some 30% of birds do not venture
0:27:17 > 0:27:19outside. They need a bit of encouragement.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23I think having shelters is very good because that gives them a feeling of
0:27:23 > 0:27:28security so they feel they are safe from predation. Trees seem to be
0:27:28 > 0:27:34very good, they like trees, and that perhaps gives them some thing
0:27:34 > 0:27:39interesting to do and also gives them shelter as well. The idea is if
0:27:39 > 0:27:41they are away from the housing structure, where most of the
0:27:41 > 0:27:45fractures are likely to occur, it means they are going to be
0:27:45 > 0:27:49interacting with the structure that much less.
0:27:49 > 0:27:56Back at the farm, one local hopes the future residents, the free range
0:27:56 > 0:27:59chickens, might like to stay in their nice, warm sheds.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04In my head, I'm having to make alternative plans will stop where am
0:28:04 > 0:28:10I going to go, what am I going to do? And that is quite stressful.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And for the smaller scale producers, there is the fear that they will
0:28:13 > 0:28:18simply be put out of business. We are not just going to lose these
0:28:18 > 0:28:22flat deck producers, but these guys are the originators of free range in
0:28:22 > 0:28:27the UK, and we will lose all that experience and will just be mass
0:28:27 > 0:28:34production of free range eggs, which is really, really sad.
0:28:34 > 0:28:40And that is all for this week. We will be back next Monday with more
0:28:40 > 0:28:51stories and investigations from where you live. I will see you then.