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I like it.
I like it.
Chickens: Pets Or Food?
- Thread starter bmelanco
- Start date
Yes, pets and meat.
I keep layers and they're a little more like pets. I raise broilers that are definitely for meat.
All my birds are food. It would be way to expensive to keep them as pet. We have way to many.
No store bought meat for my family.
No store bought meat for my family.
My chickens are in-between I suppose. I don't love them the way I love my dogs, that's for sure. My chickens don't have names, I don't pick them up and cuddle with them. That said, I really enjoy taking care of them, giving them treats and I can sit and watch them for hours. I eat/sell their eggs but I will never kill one of my chickens. I don't take issue with eating chickens, as I eat them, I just can't bring myself to do it. I actually sometimes wish I could, but I cried even giving up a rooster who kept attacking me. It's just not in the cards for this suburban girl
Personally I really don't care what people consider chickens as long as they are treated humanely until it is "their time". I just believe that any living thing deserves a decent life however short it may be. If people want to diaper their chickens, have at it - I'm sure the chickens are fine with it given the alternative and it's not MY house!
Personally I really don't care what people consider chickens as long as they are treated humanely until it is "their time". I just believe that any living thing deserves a decent life however short it may be. If people want to diaper their chickens, have at it - I'm sure the chickens are fine with it given the alternative and it's not MY house!
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They not only exist, but they are on BYC. Can't think of any names right off the top of my head, but there are even those who keep ducks in diapers in the house. Not my cup of tea, but I guess it's their house.
It happens. Its weird by my outlook - some things just shouldn't be done. But people do it.
Visit YouTube and look it up. You can learn how to do it yourself, if you'd like.
And I assure you, there are BYC'ers who diaper their chickens.
I wasn't actually questioning the existance of those people, it is a type of sentance that I was using which means that "the subject" (in this case chicken diaperers) are not particularly large or representative group. (representative of people who keep chickens as pets)
My point is whoever does it, not the majority and not as big a deal as some try to make it into. Those people are not the flagship representatives of people who keep chickens as pets. (I don't care if someone does or doesn't diaper thier chicken. To each thier own.) I think it gets brought up without merit when the question of chicken pet vs food comes out....
The actual answer to this (and many other questions) is belief. If you believe chickens to only be food, that's what they are to you. There is absolutely no way to prove that they are and should be food and no way to prove that they are not food and should be pets. Not yet.
I edited this for clarity.
They not only exist, but they are on BYC. Can't think of any names right off the top of my head, but there are even those who keep ducks in diapers in the house. Not my cup of tea, but I guess it's their house.
It happens. Its weird by my outlook - some things just shouldn't be done. But people do it.
Visit YouTube and look it up. You can learn how to do it yourself, if you'd like.
And I assure you, there are BYC'ers who diaper their chickens.
I wasn't actually questioning the existance of those people, it is a type of sentance that I was using which means that "the subject" (in this case chicken diaperers) are not particularly large or representative group. (representative of people who keep chickens as pets)
My point is whoever does it, not the majority and not as big a deal as some try to make it into. Those people are not the flagship representatives of people who keep chickens as pets. (I don't care if someone does or doesn't diaper thier chicken. To each thier own.) I think it gets brought up without merit when the question of chicken pet vs food comes out....
The actual answer to this (and many other questions) is belief. If you believe chickens to only be food, that's what they are to you. There is absolutely no way to prove that they are and should be food and no way to prove that they are not food and should be pets. Not yet.
I edited this for clarity.
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- Dec 22, 2009
- 440
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ALL my bantams are cuddly and loved pets and the eggs are just another reason to have them. Haven't had to by an egg for over 25 years.
Quote:
It happens. Its weird by my outlook - some things just shouldn't be done. But people do it.
Visit YouTube and look it up. You can learn how to do it yourself, if you'd like.
And I assure you, there are BYC'ers who diaper their chickens.
My point is whoever does it, not the majority and not as big a deal as some try to make it into. Also, it's not a subject that those people get into very much on BYC, but inevitably every time someone asks the food vs pet chicken question they attribute diapered chickens to be the "hallmark" of people who do not consider thier chicken food. Those people are not the flagship representatives of people who keep chickens as pets. (I don't care if someone does or doesn't diaper thier chicken. To each thier own.) I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of people talking about those people without aknowldeging that they are not the majority group of pet chicken keepers. I think it gets brought up without merit when the question of chicken pet vs food comes out....
You're probably right. But can I inject here that the diapering of chickens is just so quirky, so oddly funny that it is FUN to bring it up.
People love this sort of stuff, and they love to talk about it.
Can't you just see someone sitting on the couch, watching The Food Channel and munching popcorn with their diaper wearing chicken? I mean, the imagery is just too much
Of course it isn't mainstream and certainly not representative of chickeneers at large. But owing to it's wacky nature, you gotta laugh along with us when we get it going (you know you want to!)
It happens. Its weird by my outlook - some things just shouldn't be done. But people do it.
Visit YouTube and look it up. You can learn how to do it yourself, if you'd like.
And I assure you, there are BYC'ers who diaper their chickens.
My point is whoever does it, not the majority and not as big a deal as some try to make it into. Also, it's not a subject that those people get into very much on BYC, but inevitably every time someone asks the food vs pet chicken question they attribute diapered chickens to be the "hallmark" of people who do not consider thier chicken food. Those people are not the flagship representatives of people who keep chickens as pets. (I don't care if someone does or doesn't diaper thier chicken. To each thier own.) I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of people talking about those people without aknowldeging that they are not the majority group of pet chicken keepers. I think it gets brought up without merit when the question of chicken pet vs food comes out....
You're probably right. But can I inject here that the diapering of chickens is just so quirky, so oddly funny that it is FUN to bring it up.
People love this sort of stuff, and they love to talk about it.
Can't you just see someone sitting on the couch, watching The Food Channel and munching popcorn with their diaper wearing chicken? I mean, the imagery is just too much
Of course it isn't mainstream and certainly not representative of chickeneers at large. But owing to it's wacky nature, you gotta laugh along with us when we get it going (you know you want to!)
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What an interesting thread. I don't diaper my chickens! I think my dogs would eat the chicken!
Currently I am still figuring out what I'm doing with my chickens. I enjoy eating their eggs, honestly. I don't think I could eat any of the chickens I have, BUT I am seriously thinking about getting some meat birds - with the specific purpose to raise, slaughter, and eat them. I have been studying the Meat Birds section of BYC. I do like the idea of raising my own meat. I love chicken, but haven't been able to eat it too much since I started raising my "pet" birds - I don't know why, it just looks so gross lying in styrafoam trays or vacuum packed in plastic. I think about the chicken slaughter houses, and then suddenly raising my own chickens and then slaughtering them (with respect) somehow sounds so much more humane. I don't know if that makes much sense to anyone else, but that's how I've been feeling lately. I think I'm a farmer at heart, but living in town, chickens are the only livestock I could raise on my own property!
I do love watching my pet chickens develop and grow into egg layers. I really feel "enriched" when I eat my own chickens' eggs. I also really enjoy watching them run around, and just doing what chickens do.
Currently I am still figuring out what I'm doing with my chickens. I enjoy eating their eggs, honestly. I don't think I could eat any of the chickens I have, BUT I am seriously thinking about getting some meat birds - with the specific purpose to raise, slaughter, and eat them. I have been studying the Meat Birds section of BYC. I do like the idea of raising my own meat. I love chicken, but haven't been able to eat it too much since I started raising my "pet" birds - I don't know why, it just looks so gross lying in styrafoam trays or vacuum packed in plastic. I think about the chicken slaughter houses, and then suddenly raising my own chickens and then slaughtering them (with respect) somehow sounds so much more humane. I don't know if that makes much sense to anyone else, but that's how I've been feeling lately. I think I'm a farmer at heart, but living in town, chickens are the only livestock I could raise on my own property!
I do love watching my pet chickens develop and grow into egg layers. I really feel "enriched" when I eat my own chickens' eggs. I also really enjoy watching them run around, and just doing what chickens do.
I want to be a pragmatic farmer-woman, but darn those chicks and their cuteness!
I try not to cuddle them too much - only enough to make it easy to handle them if necessary. And I'm very aware that they are happiest outdoors.
If I snuggle one too long, DBF leans out the window and calls me "chicken-lover...." It's pretty funny since he loves the chickens just as much as I do.
It's wonderful to hear the discussion about humane treatment of meat animals.
We are getting a new set of egglayers, so we are building a transition coop....I have the feeling this coop may become meat bird housing after the new egg layers are integrated.
I try not to cuddle them too much - only enough to make it easy to handle them if necessary. And I'm very aware that they are happiest outdoors.
If I snuggle one too long, DBF leans out the window and calls me "chicken-lover...." It's pretty funny since he loves the chickens just as much as I do.
It's wonderful to hear the discussion about humane treatment of meat animals.
We are getting a new set of egglayers, so we are building a transition coop....I have the feeling this coop may become meat bird housing after the new egg layers are integrated.
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