Am I crazy for treating my chickens as pets?

[Battlepants]

Treating your chickens as pets and (I assume) later eating them is actually a good thing in regards to the chicken. I fully intend to have chickens for eggs (and as pets) and also have meat chickens. I plan on being emotionally detached from the meat chickens but I will make sure they are given a good life, a quick death, and no parts of them are wasted. I can firmly say that even my meat chickens will be treated FAR better than any factory farm chickens.

 

[Sara S]

I don’t know if I am overthinking but an embarrassing thought came inside my mind that people might think I am crazy for having chickens as pets when the average person including myself have indulged in eating chicken whether it be fried or roasted. Am I crazy for treating my chickens as pets like dogs and cats? My defense logic is that some people keep goldfish and tropical fish as pets while some fish like salmon and catfish are eaten. Does any of you feel the same way as I do?

Mine are pets, emotional support pets

 

[Byrd gal]

Don't let other people keep you from what makes you happy. Life is short. Keep them as pets and share your fried chicken dinner with them if you like. Don't complicate things if you are happy that is all that matters. I enjoy eating chicken but I have pet chickens as well. I did take them out shopping at tsc before bird flu. Dance to your own drum we are all different, thats what makes us beautiful unique humans

 

[3KillerBs]

Of my entire Welp 25 batch of chicks last fall, Yellow, the beautiful but bad-type cockerel, was the closest to a pet personality (which could have turned aggressive at maturity). I enjoyed his beauty (I kept his best part -- a really GLORIOUS tail -- salted and dried for craft us in due time), and his goofy personality.

But when I couldn't sell him -- probably because I was honest in calling him a "yard ornament" and revealing that he had bad type for his breed -- and he was unhappy alone as the last bird in the for-sale pen then I made the decision to eat him.

I do not generally make pets out of my chickens, but I love them and care for them and treat them well regardless. And I let a hen who *ought* to have been culled last fall because she lays weird eggs remain because she's my granddaughter's favorite.

People have always had both pet and food animals of the same species. It's only being so far removed from our food sources that we in the modern west think it's strange.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If they're meat birds (since this is the meat bird thread), yes. But if they're not originally meant for meat, no

 

[CNJ]

If you keep a chicken as a pet and then slice its neck for food, you may have a split personality and not know it.
https://www.viki.com/movies/37866c-mouse-the-movie

 

[Dhkoenig]

I don’t know if I am overthinking but an embarrassing thought came inside my mind that people might think I am crazy for having chickens as pets when the average person including myself have indulged in eating chicken whether it be fried or roasted. Am I crazy for treating my chickens as pets like dogs and cats? My defense logic is that some people keep goldfish and tropical fish as pets while some fish like salmon and catfish are eaten. Does any of you feel the same way as I do?

i am fully crazy right there with ya!

 

[Dhkoenig]

The main reason I am asking this is because one my pet chickens is very tame and affectionate. I sometimes bring her inside and let her sit on my lap while I’m on the computer. I also want to show her off to the outside world like in pet stores. I’m in the west coast far away from the current avian bird flu pandemic. But I’m worried people may laugh at me because I have a pet chicken perching on my arm or shoulder.

I'm always proud to have mine, like when I have to take one of them to the vet and everyone is like "ooooooh, you have a chicken in there?" and I say "yep!" and everyone wants to see her! Chicken pride!!!

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I know this is a old thread but I had to say this, NO YOUR NOT CRAZY and if you are I an to! My chickens are the most pampered, loved pets ever they are my babies. Loving them, spoiling them, wanting to show them off is great. I am the same way. I can't wait to take them to fair and show them off