Why are we raising chickens?

[Rooster_Tyranny]

When people ask me whether my chickens are livestock or pets I'm never entirely sure what to say. In this day in age pet seems to mean "my child", and for me that's definitely not true.
Each of my chickens have names and I love seeing their personalities and little quirks and they bring me so much joy, but I know the only basis of our relationship is the fact that I give them food (to the point where they sometimes thinks I AM the food ), and that they are incapable of caring about me beyond that. Some people will tell stories of how their chickens love to crawl into their lap and cuddle with them, or demand to be sung to sleep or let into the house or whatever, and I have never seen that once. But who knows! Maybe they just handled their birds more than I handled mine.

I choose my breeds based on looks and egg laying productivity, I could never settle for a Leghorn or a ISA Brown or anything "boring". I'm considering getting meat birds and I think I could handle it as long as I went into it knowing they were gonna die. I don't know what I'm gonna do with my birds once they stop laying and I don't like thinking about it, but I know I'll never cull my strictly ornamental breeds unless they're sickly, that would seem unfair.

Personally, I don't ever want more than say 15 birds, because if I go beyond that I won't get to know every bird personally. That's why I will never show chickens or try to breed the "perfect standard". I have nothing against people who do though, it's very impressive that they can pull that off! It's just not my cup of tea.

 

[LulaBell]

I struggle with the purpose of the animals life. Is it meant to be food, to supply other living things so they may sustain life? Is it considered a waste of the birds "purpose / potential" to live until old age and die naturally? Sometimes I wish the circle of life didn't have so much grey area for me.

 

[aart]

Is it meant to be food, to supply other living things so they may sustain life?

When you look at wild animals, yes, indeed it is....but it balances the whole ecosystem of earth and sea, animals and plants.

Is it considered a waste of the birds "purpose / potential" to live until old age and die naturally? Sometimes I wish the circle of life didn't have so much grey area for me.

Add humans with their desires and beliefs, things get confusing...black/white/grey.

 

[Clairenh]

We got our first chickens this past August. We got three red sex link pullets from the local Agway. My boyfriend and I have never had pets (we've been together 13 years). I am allergic to pretty much every pet, plus dust. We always viewed pets as something of "shit factories" that also mess up your house and furniture. In the spring, I read Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma" and the combination of how our government and monoculture f'ed up our country and food, and the chapter on chickens made me decide we should get some. My boyfriend loves to garden and cook, and our best garden was the year we got a bucket of chicken poop from a friend. Soo, I sold him on the idea based on their ability to compost, eat bugs, provide fertilizer AND eggs.

Then we got them, and they stole our hearts. We are not soft, tree hugging animal loving people (remember the shit factory concept). Not at all. But these three little fluff butts just worked their magic and next thing you know we are finely chopping all our kitchen scraps, carefully grinding up their egg shells to feed back to them, and yes even shoveling paths in the snow for them to free range around. The youngest Rosie, is an aspiring parrot, and jumps on our shoulder every chance she gets, and also naps in our lap. I honestly don't know what we will do when one dies naturally, or has to be killed due to suffering. I don't think I could eat them, but to just bury them seems like a waste of their final gift to us. We'll just have to see what happens when that sad day comes.

 

[MissJane424]

My girls are definitely pets. We picked up the bantam cochins from my daughter's kinder hatch. They are like my feathered children We added 3 silkies, one of which is not longer with us, but since having them mid way through December they have graced us with maybe 3 eggs Haha.

We are currently only getting 1 bantam egg every 1-2 days as broody behaviour is getting in the way right now. When all 4 are laying they are good little workers, but they will be living their best, spoiled chicken life with us, long after they have stopped laying.

This is my first time having chickens and I don't think I will be without them again! They are amazing.

 

[path.otto]

I got my chickens as a retirement treat for myself. I don't anthropomorphize them, they are chickens. I have euthanized two of my original 5 due to illness and I picked up 4 more when I saw an ad for an Omlet (4 pullets included) in Mpls. I gave one of those, turned out to be a rooster, to my vet. I also adopted my neighbors 5-year-old Ameraucauna last year. I enjoy them. They make me happy with their antics. We like their lovely eggs. They aren't quite pets but they aren't just livestock, either. I don't kid myself that when they gather around me in the run, coop or outside that they like me; I'm merely the purveyor of food and treats. That's ok with me. They bring me joy, I bring them food and treats and a pretty good life. Seems like a fair tradeoff to me.

 

[Mrs. K]

Path.otto - I know exactly what you mean, and mine are laying gang busters now! Now if I can just get down there before the eggs freeze. They get me my daily walk, my daily dose of sunshine, and food for my table. I just like having a flock, the birds come and go.

Do try a broody hen, incredible fun to watch!

 

[igorsMistress]

I understand your quandary. I named our first chicks, treated them like pets with benefits.

It's been a learning experience. We've had 2 roos we culled for various reasons. It was very difficult for my husband to do, they had names so he thought of them as pets. Lesson learned.

I want to raise chickens for meat but I'm not sure I can do it so I got quail to practice. I've intentionally kept my distance to see if I could do it. I've made the choices on which to keep and handed the rest to the executioner, and I managed to cook and eat them. I felt horrible but honestly, my animals have a better life than factory animals and that counts for something. I appreciate the meat on my table, I don't want the animals to live a miserable life first.

 

[blackandtan]

And Deathlayers

What are deathlayers?

 

[aart]

What are deathlayers?

Let me google that for you
deathlayers