People get weirded out when I tell them we have chickens, mainly for eggs, but eventually, they will end up as dinner or stock or soup or something. The rooster is on his way to freezer camp this week. They give me this weird look and ask, "Do you name them?" Yes, I do. And I do consider them as much pets as the dog and cats. But at the end of the day, they are also food, in one way or another. I don't have the land area to keep older hens who are not laying anymore. If I want to continue to have eggs, I will do what has to be done. In the meantime, they get a nice roomy coop, fresh food and water, lots of treats, a big run to scratch around in, free time in the yard to range, and are spoiled rotten by me all the time. I'm sure we will get the best chicken we've ever eaten from them, just like we get the best eggs we've ever eaten.
An earlier respondent was right- we have gotten much too far away from our food in this country. People don't really think about where that boneless chicken breast, or steak, or pork chop came from.