Topic of the Week - Winter Egg Laying

[Akrnaf2]

There have been a few years I was very happy to get whole flocks of spent layers for my winter meat needs and find it's a wonderful thing when people realize that others can utilize the birds they no longer can justify supporting due to lack of laying.  This past season my sister gave me her whole flock of 17 hens and earlier in the year had given me her extra cockerels and those birds are now in a jar on the shelf, a flavorful winter meat supply that I am most grateful for this year. 

There are many who just let old layers age out and die in their flocks and I find that to be even more of an irresponsible approach than any other....that bird often dies a suffering death and the meat is wasted, all because a person doesn't want to make the hard choices of what to do with a retired layer that is still in possession of an aging and soon to be malfunctioning reproductive system.  The most humane and responsible choice, IMO, is to cull those old birds while they are still healthy and thriving so they don't have to sicken/suffer and die and their meat be wasted when others would welcome the food. 

I agree with you IN 100%!
IMO the best you can do to yourself your family is to eat your own birds that you take care of and you kmow what they have been eating and how they have been raised.
IMHO it is a stupidity to give/sell your birds and then go to the market and buy a chicken for supper. .......

 

[Akrnaf2]

Sorry

 

[Akrnaf2]

Triple post!

 

[bobbi-j]

I agree with you IN 100%!
IMO the best you can do to yourself your family is to eat your own birds that you take care of and you kmow what they have been eating and how they have been raised.
IMHO it is a stupidity to give/sell your birds and then go to the market and buy a chicken for supper. .......

I wouldn't call it "stupidity". Some people just can't process their own birds for sentimental or emotional reasons. If they can give or sell their birds to someone who can use them, there is nothing wrong with blessing someone else who could use the meat, eggs or companionship that spent hen could provide. I am with you, though, in processing our birds. I figure I put in the time, money and effort to feed and care for them, I'm not going to give them away.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
In order to be accurate, the "can't" would have to be changed to "won't". They can, they just won't do it. They say they "can't" but unless they are physically unable to hold a knife or lift a chicken or mentally unable to understand how to perform actions that would render a chicken dead, they can indeed kill a chicken...they just choose not to do so.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wouldn't call it "stupidity". Some people just can't process their own birds for sentimental or emotional reasons. If they can give or sell their birds to someone who can use them, there is nothing wrong with blessing someone else who could use the meat, eggs or companionship that spent hen could provide. I am with you, though, in processing our birds. I figure I put in the time, money and effort to feed and care for them, I'm not going to give them away.

I agree on not giving them away. I'll eat them before I do so.

It may not be stupidity, it may be sentimental, but to buy a chicken that has led a less than awesome life to eat because one it too 'sentimental' really makes no sense.
If one is going to raise poultry, or any other livestock, one needs to put their big girl pants on and do the WHOLE job, not just the cuddly part.

I refrain from using the word hypocritical but IMHO, that is what it is.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep...I agree. Contributing to cruelty because you are too sentimental has no sensibility attached to it in any way.

 

[Akrnaf2]

Giving up something from high qualities, healthy and clean
Just to BUY the same, only from poor quality and of questionable cleanliness, Surely is included in the definition of stupid acts, in my point of view.

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't disagree that it makes no sense, but I think we're going down a path that we don't need to travel. Like I said - I eat my birds. But I'm not going to judge or condemn someone for giving away their spent hens if they feel the need or desire to do so. Especially if they're blessing someone who can use them. My whole point was, it's not irresponsible to give away (not "pawn off") chickens that are no longer laying. What people do with their spent hens is their business. Not my problem. (However, as I stated earlier, I would disagree if they're being treated inhumanely - like just being turned loose for nature to take its course.) We don't know that everyone who rehomes their spent hens are buying or eating the grocery store franken-chickens. Some people who eat eggs don't eat meat. Oh, whatever - I'm not going to try to explain myself any further.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep....I've been greatly blessed by those who won't kill their chickens, as I get the results of that way of thinking and benefit from it greatly. I'd rather they give them to someone who will insure a quick death and good use of the meat than to just turn them loose and let the predators have them or keep them in the flock until they sicken and die of age related ailments.