don’t you feel bad?

[Duck mommy 2019]

Could be, but they might do what I do with my boys and separate the boys with small look but don't touch fences. Mine only need it in the Summer months. Right now they're all buddy buddy.
Edit : mine were also paired up this Summer. Runners VS. Pekins

Research has indicated that animals don't necessarily need to be able to touch each other and that being able to see and hear other animals of their species is often enough. So even a drake "sitting in a pen" is probably perfectly happy, as long as he can perform natural behaviors (swimming, digging) and is able to see and hear other ducks.

we have 4 males, and a giant pond. whenever they fought in summer they could all separate themselves from each other and still had a large area to themselves. if need be we could put up fences and give them their own areas but that wasn’t needed at all this summer

 

[FortCluck]

and I seriously doubt whether HE cares if we eat ducks or not.

I don't eat them, but my family does. I respect hunters, farmers, butcher's, and anyone who provides their own food. Most of this world relies on grocery stores. I'd rather my family eat healthy meat that I have raised than trust the hands of another.

 

[Jpat]

I don't eat them, but my family does. I respect hunters, farmers, butcher's, and anyone who provides their own food. Most of this world relies on grocery stores. I'd rather my family eat healthy meat that I have raised than trust the hands of another.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Please... This is backyard chickens. We are free to do whatever we want with our livestock and not be told by a vegan how horrible we are. Only God will be my judge...

I most certainly agree!

Our nation was built off of multiple morals. One, for instance, being that of most importance. Doing as we believe is right, defending ourselves and our liberties, all in the process of not harming another being and another piece of nature, if it is completely innocent.
Though, our world is taking a turn. Abortion is becoming legal, people are taking away our rights of defense... etc.
Aside from everything else that I shouldn't be babbling about- BYC is no place to not hear another view point, when the opposing view point is their own belief.

 

[CindyinSD]

No need to be offended, I buy meat at the grocery store too, but is it raised humanely? Most likely not, but that should be acknowledged. If anything I've learned the world is full of hypocrisy, myself included; it's just part of life.

I don’t think it’s necessarily hypocritical to buy meat from a grocer if that’s your best option. We all do what we must to provide for ourselves and our families.

That said, more people than likely know it could provide their families with homegrown meat. No room/freedom to raise chickens? Even with a tiny postage stamp of a yard, Coturnix quail are your friends... Er... your doable poultry option. Don’t want an exclusive poultry diet? Add meat rabbits. Of course there are many people for whom even this... or even a small vegetable garden isn’t an option. I wouldn’t dare judge anyone, let alone such a person as this, for eating what is available and affordable.

This has been my first year raising pastured poultry (chickens and turkeys). The raising is easy; the killing is really tough, but I’m a big girl. Humankind’s best diet is omnivorous and I’m not going to stop eating meat. I’m just not. I want to be honest about this and for me, that means raising my own meat animals since I’m in a position to do so. I’m not ashamed of it, nor proud. I’m only doing what seems right to me.

I buy beef from my cousin (until I’m able to harvest calves from my three heifers). That too will be hard—however as I’m not strong enough to butcher such a large animal, that will thankfully be done at a professional shop. Killing/processing is hard not because the animals are pets (they’re not), but it’s hard because I don’t like—in fact I very much dislike—killing a living being.

The turkeys especially are such a joy, just to watch. BUT I have 30 of them and a little over half are males. No I don’t look forward to processing day. I dread it in fact, but it’s part of the deal. If I hadn’t ordered them, most of these birds would never have been hatched. If I had no desire to grow out my own meat birds and keep my own layers, they wouldn’t have even gotten a chance to enjoy life for the 8-10 weeks or six months or several years they have been given. If livestock animals were kept only as pets or as specimens for zoo-goers, there would be very few that even made it so far as conception.

Eating other life is necessary to life. NO LIFE CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT EATING OTHER LIFE. Think about it. We eat life. So do cattle and birds and yes, even vegetables, grains, seeds, fruits, fungi... If it’s never been alive then it’s not edible. And if it is or has ever been alive, then it lived by eating other life forms. This is what we are... this is what we must do or we die, and within a fairly short period of time.

 

[Raenh]

Y'all realize that you grown adults are making fun of a child, right? A teenager at best. And she was asking a question as a child would not understanding why not everyone sees it as she does, and while most of you explained your reasons politely and in effort to educate. Maybe I missed a post or something but I saw no where that she said we were horrible for eating meat, I only saw her ask if we felt bad about butchering our own. Because she sees hers as pets, I do too - I will never let anything happen to my girls, but I get food is food idea. I am not vegan, and I have tried duck long before I had my speedy - i think it was Peking and I didnt like it, and someday I might try muscovy, but it wont be one of mine.

Go back and read her other posts. And dont bother to attack me for defending her right to ask... yeah you have the right to make fun of her or whatever, but all that proves is that your no better then a bully and a hypocrite as well. Enjoy the rest of your evening.

 

[tripletfeb]

I don't think anyone was making fun of anyone else. Just opinions put out there. If someone can't handle it, then don't start or reply to the thread.

 

[Raenh]

I don't think anyone was making fun of anyone else. Just opinions put out there. If someone can't handle it, then don't start or reply to the thread.

Please see below.

She was making fun of her for her way of thinking.

Well played

I actually have, but back to the vegan saying meat is bad and we are horrible people for raising our own meat. Please... This is backyard chickens. We are free to do whatever we want with our livestock and not be told by a vegan how horrible we are. Only God will be my judge...

How she pointedly calls her a vegan, and states that she thinks we're horrible for eating meat.
I'm still trying to find the post that says anything about how horrible people are for eating meat. I'm missing it. All I see is her not really understanding why ppl cull their birds at a young age. To which quite a few politely addressed the question and explained why - more tender meat and how it would be cruel to let birds that were bred to be meat birds live out an unhealthy life.

 

[CindyinSD]

I thought at first that OP was a child, but her later posts seemed to dispel that notion. That said, a child deserves honest, courteous answers as much as an adult. Most of the answers I saw seemed honest and courteous. I don’t think I would have felt insulted by them. If a person asks a question, they ought to be willing to seriously consider all reasonable answers as to whether or not they might add to the questioner’s views of the subject under examination.

 

[Ratchnick]

Looking at duck mommy's other threads it's clear she is young. For example she though that if it was 32f outside at night her pond would freeze solid. This was not evident in this thread. Sounds like a lesson for everone.