Does anyone feel bad about eating chicken?

[ophelia3178]

I was just curious, most people won't eat a dog because they're pets and they're cute and cuddly, but when you have chickens as pets it's the same deal right? I'm just curious to see how many chicken owners eat chicken still, I personally don't. PS WHY DO MY CHICKS SHAKE THEIR HEADS WHEN I TALK TO THEM (SOFTLY) ???

 

[vehve]

Personally I'd rather eat homegrown chicken than the bland supermarket grown in 9 weeks variety, but sadly I don't have the space to convert to that. I think many chicken keepers see their chickens as a food source (although the main product would be the eggs), but when thinking practically, isn't it better to eat your excess roos? You'll get 50% of them anyway, and the possibilities for re-homing them aren't endless. Culling them at young age just seems pointless and more cruel to me, better to grow them into a meal. That way you can influence what kind of life they get to live up to the day they're shipped off to freezer camp. I don't know how good a spent hen tastes, but I'm sure my dogs will appreciate those.

The dogs I wouldn't eat, because they're on a better health plan than the chickens. They have been a larger investment, and they are useful when hunting, so they get medicated, which would lead to a bit questionable meat. Also, I'm a bit more attached to them, because they are more pets than the chickens are. I wouldn't have a problem with trying dog meat sometime though, just not my own.

We grow sheep for meat in the Summers, I don't have any problem eating those either, nor would I with any other livestock if we kept anything else. I like beef and horse-meat.

*Edit* And from a ecological point of view, chicken is among the most efficient meat when it comes to feed conversion rates. I'm not ready to switch to insects yet, but I'm told it's the food of the future. Rabbits and guinea-pigs would be an interesting project too.

 

[ophelia3178]

I don't like store bought meat, the process is horrifying. I would rather eat my old cow or old chickens/roosters, or hunt my own meat. But sadly I'm too compassionate, I'm just curious about others now

 

[vehve]

The biggest problem is that people aren't willing to pay the price that keeping animals in a more humane way would put on the meat. Cows don't have it that bad, but chickens and pigs are often kept in less than ideal conditions. Of course this also depends on where you live and what kind of legislature is in place.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

When my pet chickens fall out of favor I eat them just as quick as I do the rest of my chickens. I ate dog when I was stationed in Korea and it was gross so my canines are safe.

 

[catchick247]

I still eat chicken, it's actually my favorite meat. Endless possibilities! I'm not sure I would eat my own chicken, but I have a farm near by that free ranges their meat chickens and sells them off. I'm planning on buying one in a couple of weeks for my moms birthday dinner.

 

[jbtcajun]

A old large hen makes a pretty good gumbo like a big old roo..
I would much rather eat something I raised or hunted then participate in the commercial torture of meat animals.

 

[pattyhen]

I do eat my own chickens they are my pets. I know I'm going to hear from everybody about this one. I cannot eat my chickens or my ducks eggs. I boil them and feed them back to the chickens and the ducks. They do not go to waste. I've had chickens for ten years now and this has always been my way.


Patty