Diverse, locally bred chickens were once used for both egg and meat production. As farms specialised so did the chickens, along with the breeds, feeds, and environments they live in. This has had ethical and welfare implications for poultry — like male-chick culling for egg production — and has embedded negative environmental impacts. There might, however, be another way of doing things. Hear from farmers who are trialling dual-purpose poultry systems, seeking resilient, traditional breeds that can thrive on a lower protein diet; the welfare researchers who are documenting the evidence and system economics; and chefs exploring ways to bring these ‘different’ products to market.