Anyone get attached?

[Member 671655]

This is a meat bird we named meatloaf and he is the sweetest. Anyone else get attached to a meat bird?

 

[Molpet]

Yeah
She died around a year old.

 

[AntiqueB]

Although I have never raised them, they seem to have a host of health issues, not the least of which is needing to be on a strict diet. I don't imagine quality of life is very good for them.

 

[Member 671655]

Although I have never raised them, they seem to have a host of health issues, not the least of which is needing to be on a strict diet. I don't imagine quality of life is very good for them.

I know. And, we haven’t and won’t make them live an extended life either, I understand the health issues and that’s why we ended up putting our jumbo pekin down because of quality of life issues. I was just wondering if anyone else had gotten attached.

 

[Sussex19]

I don't have CX meat birds, but do get attached to some of my duel purposes cockerels that I raise for meat.
I had to keep one, and still have, he even has his own flock of hens.
Other times I just get the job done....

 

[LaFleche]

I was just wondering if anyone else had gotten attached.

I never raised them because I raise enough dual purpose breeds, but from what I hear, quite a lot of people get very attached to them because of their friendly and gentle nature, and would rather not slaughter them.

 

[chanceosunshine]

I have raised Freedom Rangers and Kosher kings. They are ready in 12 weeks as opposed to 8 like a CX.

I have always kept two hens back because I am soft. One of those lived for four years and she only died after she didn't make it back to the coop at night and was predated upon. BUT, I would never keep a CX, I think that will be futile.

I literally cry on harvest day...I just can't help it. I was so involved in our first batch of Freedom Rangers that they followed me everywhere. I can't even tell you how hard harvesting them was. I tease that all our meat birds are seasoned by my tears.

Now I try very hard to stay aloof from the flock. It's better for my heart. Meatloaf is lucky to be cared for like he is. I'm so glad that none of our birds will ever suffer like the birds in factory settings.

 

[AntiqueB]

Pretty much every chicken has a personality and can be loved. My son and I don't eat chicken for that reason, and heaven help us if we ever acquire a cow! We'll be vegan for sure.

 

[Birdinhand]

Compassion, empathy and care need not be at odds with homesteading. The book animals make us human helped me go deeper on this subject. Just because we rely on something for food doesn’t mean we can’t care and connect with it while it’s alive. CX live fast and die young and ironically are some of the sweetest most zen creatures. I do grow attached to them. I’ve been vegan as well as gone through phases of eating mostly meat… I don’t think eating meat makes you a murderer, especially if you grow it yourself and take care in the process. In eastern medicine it’s said the spirit or shen radiates from the eyes, CX have amazing eyes. I’ve raised hundreds of CX and enjoy spending time with them, there’s something about their presence that you can sense from their gaze, it’s very peaceful. If you give them a chance they will get comfortable with you and want to “hang out” and chill. Their biology on the other hand is something like 10 x that of a typical bird and if you don’t harvest them them young, things go south, they will suffer… it feels like a mercy killing honestly. Sure, you can extend their life by starving them, but that’s trading one suffering for another. It took a while for me to reconcile all this. They are the most efficient converter of grain to meat. They essentially have the smallest most efficient biological footprint environmentally in terms of a source of meat, 2.5 lbs of grain to a pound of meat vs cattle which are more like 18 lbs of grain to a pound of meat. Once you get the hang of how to raise and cull them humanely, they are pretty darn close to the perfect livestock, IMHO. I think it’s possible to allow oneself to get attached, up to a point, while keeping in mind the time limit of their rapid biological clock.

 

[Member 671655]

I have raised Freedom Rangers and Kosher kings. They are ready in 12 weeks as opposed to 8 like a CX.

I have always kept two hens back because I am soft. One of those lived for four years and she only died after she didn't make it back to the coop at night and was predated upon. BUT, I would never keep a CX, I think that will be futile.

I literally cry on harvest day...I just can't help it. I was so involved in our first batch of Freedom Rangers that they followed me everywhere. I can't even tell you how hard harvesting them was. I tease that all our meat birds are seasoned by my tears.

Now I try very hard to stay aloof from the flock. It's better for my heart. Meatloaf is lucky to be cared for like he is. I'm so glad that none of our birds will ever suffer like the birds in factory settings.

That’s what I try to remember is we are very humane in our slaughter. And the love for our birds is intense. Our meat ducks will never be killed because we have one that we have trained to be a companion duck and the intelligence in that khaki Campbell is astounding.