Chickens Are livestock yes, But who gets to say all chickens are? Because there domesticated? Like Dogs and cats? My Point is, alot of us view our birds as pets. The very Slogan of BYC is My Pet Chicken Makes Me Breakfast! and It probably got to be that way because so many of us really like our animals. When My Favorite chicken died, i was so sad! Sometimes emotions do come in to play with chickens, especially if they are not intended for meat purposes. So I think its fine You don't feel that way (though i find it hard to believe you didn't find any sympathy when your duck swallowed a nail) But you shouldn't make other's feel bad because they actually want to Help there animals.
I would stay away from the those posts like that and not tell too many people that
Bye the way the very Definitions Dont say anything about being heartless and cruel.
do·mes·ti·cate
to tame (an animal), esp. by generations of breeding, to live in close association with human beings as a pet or work animal and usually creating a dependency so that the animal loses its ability to live in the wild.
live·stock
the horses, cattle, sheep, and other useful animals kept or raised on a farm or ranch.
(It says Nothing about not being a pet, it can give eggs and still be a pet)
As for being heartless maybe, Evil, no your not, your probably with the majority of people in the world, the thing is, the majority of people are not on this forum.
I say all this respectfully