Are chickens pets or livestock??? The Great Debate!

[cowdogcadillac]

breakfast,lunch or dinner too!


mine are pet livestock till it's time to go

 

[7L Farm]

I live on a farm. Found a coop. Moved the coop out of the woods & remolded it & now have 10 RIR. The purpose was like blue bell ice cream Eat all I can & sell the rest. Reality, their livestock but as time moves on I've come to really get attached to the birds. After all I take care of them hoping they will provide for me & others as well . Now they become my friends they rely on me & vice versa.This is a great debate?

 

[JustDawn]

My girls are pets.
I love being out there with them.
They all have names.
They have pink curtains in their coop.
They have a screened in porch and a play yard.
They are kind enough to give us breakfast every morning and we appreciate their eggs.
They roam my backyard with my dog Mogul, and my children.
They like to sit on my son's lap and swing on the swing with him.



And well... they have to be pets because I'm not allowed to have livestock where I live!!!!!

 

[teach1rusl]

I think they can be either. The ones I have now are pets and will not be eaten even after they are older, but I've considered raising meat birds too. If I do end up trying that, they will be treated kindly/well until they are processed, but they will not be named.
Your girls will most likely calm down again around laying age; yours are adolescent crazies right now...lol.

 

[Alabama ee]

For us, they are both. We have named all 6 of ours. We enjoy watching them in the yard. However, for most of them, when they stop laying eggs, I will find them a new home. Having fresh eggs is the main reason we have them.

 

[Organics North]

Interesting question. Either or is really the only answer. Some good points being made. Like many BYC'ers A few of ours are pets and others are livestock.

I think the main thrust of this is really out the the general public.. Us chicken lovers do not need to hide in the closet anymore!!! Chickens are really versatile creatures and can make great pets if one is so inclined to have a chicken as a pet..... I for one can think of a lot of animals that are way less snuggly, loyal or entertaining than a chicken..

Chickens also can be great livestock for the backyard, the homesteader, or on the farm..

Hail to the versatile chicken!!!!

ON

 

[wendyrun]

Quote:
ME TOO!!!!
We got them for eggs and truth be told, entertainment. But if they are not pets, they aren't legal, so that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

 

[awesomefowl]

Both.

For farms, they're livestock and taste good!

for people like my self, they're cute fascinating little pets whici lay eggs and are edible!

 

[BlueBirdChick]

That's a hard one for me they were pets up until I let me guard down and my rooster showed me who was boss. But then the tides turned and I had to show him who was Alpha Rooster( lol even though I am a girl) He was being mean so I swatted him on the butt, now it's not his fault for being charged full of hormones, hes getting at that age where he's wanting some lady company hhehehee

But I still do care for my chickens though but Im not gonna let them push me over or my children again. I think he know realizes uhoh theres a bigger badder chicken lol.. But I know that he's still the Rooster and gotta let him do what he's got to do. But there's a mutal respect there I think.. I do love my chickens but the whole reason I got them was for egg production because Im getting tired of paying out of the nose for eggs, at the store I go to 6 eggs cost $1.22 now thats ridicoulus but they gotta make a buck somehow.

Though most know now that I have chickens so they are wanting eggs. I've even barted hay for eggs cant go wrong with that espicalley when winter is on its way But I dont want my chickens so scared of me that they run away like my two older hens

I have five 3 month olds and they dont run away from me because when they were still chicklets I held them.. And I have almost one month old pullets inside and I try to hold them as much as I can so they get use to me...

I think theres a fine line between them being pets and livestock in my opinion. Mine are livestock and will be shown when my daughter is old enough at 4H... Oh yeah and I almost forgot if I ever did want a livestock pet it would be 2 ducks cause I love ducks lol

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Both. Most of my chickens are ornamental (silkies and mille fleur d'uccles) but they still lay edible eggs, and extra chicks and roos get sold at the flea market. My EE's are providers of eggs and the roosters usually get sold but this year will probably get eaten. My chickens are my pets they all have names and the silkies will most likely live out their life here. My general rule is if it has a name I will sell it for someone else to eat it, but I can't eat it myself. However this year it will probably change since I know my neighbor butchers roos I will probably butcher 2 of my EE roos as well and eat them. I will be raising meat chickens next year and as such they will be treated just as well as my pets, but they will not get names so we don't get exceptionally attached to them.