Chickens: Pets Or Food?

[Kansaseq]

My chickens sort of blur the line between pets and food. My dogs are absolutely pets; they are my children, and I'd do anything I could to heal them if they were sick. And while I have favorite chickens, and have even brought sick ones to work with me (I'm a vet tech), they have a much, much lower status than my dogs. The emotional attachment is not the same.

 

[Bookworm chick]

Quote:
Well said!

 

[TreeHugger]

I consider mine as pets - yes I eat the eggs. I was raised on a farm & have butchered my share of birds. My mother use to raise hundreds of meaties & butchering day was an all day thing. Anyone who came to help butcher got to take some home. To be honest I'm not a fan of chicken & chicken on the bone grosses me out. I'll take over processed chicken nuggets in the shape of dinosaurs any day . Overwise I might have raised meat chickens also. My oldest bird is about 5 now.

 

[Uzuri]

A little of both.

Every single one of them has the potential to end up on a plate, but they also may *earn* a name. That's likely to keep them off the plate into old age. Only the friendliest, most "doglike" hens get a name.

Only one has a name. Except Rooster, whose name is Rooster, and he doesn't really count. Name or not, if he gives me trouble, he goes.

 

[ange]

MY chickens are, it is hard to say, i use them for eggs, which is why I started, but when they will not lay anymore, I WILL HAVE TO trade or sell or swap them, I will not be able to butcher them, so.... now I have a welsummer that I HAVE to trade, sell, swap, I thin k she is not laying anymore or not as much, I would love to keep them for pets but then I RUN OUT OF ROOM FOR PRODUCING CHICKENS

 

[CoopCrazy]

Both ...

 

[CherokeeCowgirl]

Ours are food first. There is always a hen or rooster that manages to rope our hearts and we let those live and just be a 'pet'.

We are almost a completly self sufficient family. We raise, grow, hunt, butcher and process our own food. We teach our children to live this way. We also teach to respect, love and be kind to your food animals. To keep them happy and healthy. I guess you could say that my meat birds are treated as pets but I think that is a good thing. I wouldn't want to eat an animal that has been abused or lived in dirty conditions or did not eat a very healthy diet.

 

[houndit]

Food and income.

 

[AHappychick]

food and pets for me, depends on the bird Many a roo has escaped the stew pot for being so personable and hens always are sold and never eaten

That being said we have quail for meat purposes only and I have processed all of my extra roos even silkies before but I prefer not to. But I will not buy meat from a store so my freezer has to stay full, although it is full with more meaties than my pure breeds but somehow all birds must give back in some way, be it by being a pet or income producing or food producing

 

[momreda]

Quote:
I think your points are valid and I agree with all the things you said about your domesticated pets. I have never really thought of my chickens vs my other animals in that way.