eating your pet open discussion

[ImNotYogi]

The "life or death" hypothetical has always rubbed me the wrong way. I've heard people say they'd choose their child over the cat and my reaction was always a sarcastic "no f'n way". If an actual situation were to arise where death was imminent without immediate action then some people may even ditch their friend in order to save their own life. Most of us don't face situations like that so saying how you'd react is pointless imo unless you actually have those experiences. But most people would try to save their beloved animals if they had time to prepare. For example, with a tornado warning/watch in effect you can do what you can in order to keep animals safe. This is a little off topic.

 

[Sonya9]

The "life or death" hypothetical has always rubbed me the wrong way. I've heard people say they'd choose their child over the cat and my reaction was always a sarcastic "no f'n way".

That sort of scenario is usually presented in a way that says "Cause my child is more important than a cat" which is intended to devalue the life of the cat. If you asked them "if you could only save one of your family members..." their answer would change and they would express extreme guilt at the thought of having to choose because while one may take priority, they would see BOTH lives as precious.

 

[Drewnkat]

My chickens are both pets and livestock.

When we chose to start keeping chickens, the understanding was always that while they are cute, fun to keep, and educational, they are here to provide us with eggs and/or meat.

A couple weeks ago, we had 8 adult chickens, and 13 newly hatched baby chicks. I decided to try hatching more chicks to see if they would sell. As I was in the process of collecting eggs to incubate, one of our chickens that had been prone to eating her own egg escalated the behavior, destroying 3 eggs in one day. I separated her from the flock immediately upon discovering the scene of the crime. I cleaned the coop and nest boxes. She had a name. She had been given many chances, nutritional support, and it was clear the habit had become too ingrained.

I had to choose: risk her teaching the other chickens to eat eggs, losing ALL my food supply from the chickens, as well as any future hatching opportunities... or humanely and quickly remove the problem element. I carefully and thoughtfully decided what to do, and then I took action. She tasted good, although due to her age the meat was slightly on the tough side. It was a little sad, but I had valid reasons for my decision, and having carefully thought it through meant I knew I was making the best decision for my family.

I believe having given her a relatively happy life was the best I could do for her. I believe making use of the animal to feed my family is a lot more respectful than being wasteful and just burying perfectly good meat.

As for the chicks currently making a colossal mess in my garage right now? The hens will join their moms in my layer flock. The roos will become dinner, except possibly one who may get a job offer if he's exceptionally sturdy, good-tempered, and shows promise as a security guard.

It is up to each person to decide what they are comfortable doing with their own flock. Eat more chicken, don't eat more chicken, but the fact remains if YOU aren't paying the feed bill/caring for the chickens, you don't get a say in what happens to them. Some will get a long retirement and die of old age. Some will be raised with the goal of meat in mind from the minute they hatch. And that's OK. When it crosses the line to "not OK" is when someone tries to decide for anyone else what they "should" or "shouldn't" do with their own chickens.

 

[Sonya9]

I believe making use of the animal to feed my family is a lot more respectful than being wasteful and just burying perfectly good meat.

Guess it depends on one's definition of respect for the dead.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, it does. Everything is food for something else when they die, one way or another. The chicken can either be food for humans or food for worms and bugs, either way it's getting eaten. If chicken sticks in your craw, don't eat it. That's pretty simple.

I'm curious if you non-chicken eatin' folks are vegans? If so, even lettuce has a life and would seemingly need as much respect and tenderness as your chickens, but I don't see a thread out there about our friends, the lettuce heads, and if people eat their lettuce friends or not.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I've been raising chickens now for about 5 years, one year with layers before I added meat chickens the second summer. I actually added the meat birds because I discovered that chickens were pretty interesting and likeable animals and that if I was going to continue eating them, I should make sure that they had as healthy, happy lives as I could provide them before the big day.

Since I bring my excess eggs in to work and have several regular buyers, numerous people have come to me with chicken related questions if they are considering a few backyard chickens of their own. One thing I always tell them is this: Before you purchase any chickens, consider what is more important to you, the chicken or the egg. Lets say you purcase 4 or 5 adorable chicks in spring of year 1. Late fall or early winter they will start to lay. They'll do their best laying the summer of year two and probably go into moult in the fall, cutting way back or perhaps even stopping for that second winter. When they start again in year three production may be way down. At that point you'll be asking yourself whether to a) add on to your coop and add some new layers (perhaps your city ordinance won't allow any more) b) try to rehome them on Craigs List (don't fool yourself that they won't be butchered by the purchaser) and start fresh c) be satisfied with maybe an egg a week, per hen for the next who knows how many years or d) Butcher your hens as humanly and with as little drama and buy some new babies.

I don't think there is really a wrong answer, just the answer that works best for you. I have decided to go with option d, although after my first 8 hens, I'm now trying to purchase 2 or 3 new pullet chicks every spring so that I have some just starting, some going strong and some who are winding down. They have an awesome life with an oversized run plus time free ranging almost every afternoon for a few hours (we have 18 acres although they only visit about one acre that is close to the house and coop.) In the early fall when the new babies are big enough to join the established flock the oldest hens are culled, keeping no more than 8 - 9, which is what the coop can hold during the winter months. I do it as quickly and painlessly as I know how and then I do add them to the freezer with my meat birds. Right now, one of last years hens is in the crock pot becoming what I hope will be a very tasty Chile Verde. I don't know the name of this chicken because I did not write it on the freezer bag but she did have a name.

Some people ask me how I could eat a pet. I guess the answer is twofold. First of all although my layers are named, I'm learning that I can enjoy them without turning them into pets. I try to see them as livestock with a much longer time to table than my meat birds. Secondly, I'm trying to do what I can to leave a light footprint on the planet. I like my fresh, healthy, pastured eggs and have issues with feeding a non-productive bird and simply building a larger coop year after year. And I guess thirdly I don't see how it is any more respectful of the animal to bury it in the ground than it is to enjoy a nice family meal. Since I've started raising my own meat I find I cook it with more purpose and focus and I savor it more because I truly know where it came from and feel good about the life it was allowed to live before it nurished my family.

 

[Beekissed]

Excellent post and well said. VERY well said.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

That is precisely what I told my daughter (that this topic was nothing but needless drama) (chick fire's mom here again) but she wanted to engage. Thank you for your response. I think she needed to hear it eventhough she quite didn't want to.

Thank you chick fire's mom for reminding us that this thread was started by a 12 year old. I think this is a very healthy question for her to be asking, essentially, why are some animal's lives more valuable than others? Whenever we eat meat, we are deciding that our lives are more important than the lives of what we are eating. Someone made a comment that no one should ever eat their pet chicken because they are cute. Have you ever seen a piglett or a lamb? OMG they are cute. I have ultimate respect for those who have given up meat because of this ethical delemma. I do, however, have less respect for the folks who look at me like I'm horrible for raising and yes, killing my own meat who are not vegetarian themselves. In my mind, by eating chickens I've raised myself (whether they were originally for eggs or raised specifically for meat or an unlucky rooster who was sold to me as a pullet) I have DECREASED the suffering in the world by not purchasing one of the poor creatures who never saw the sun or got take a dirt bath or scratch for bugs, who were dispatched in a factory with no concern for their fear or stress.

I don't really want to go vegetarian but I find myself eating less meat and making sure absolutly nothing of the chickens I raise goes to waste.

By asking her question, chick fire shows that she is aware of the value of life and is perhaps wrestling with a concept that many city-raised kids never really consider. While there is a bunch of drama on this thread, it's an emotional topic and one I wrestle with every butchering day.

On a side story, my older sister once purchased some rabbits with the idea of a renuable source of protien for the family. Her then 8 year old daughter named them Wheat, Milk and Chocolate, because she was alergic to wheat, milk and chocolate and she figured that way she would never be asked to eat them.

 

[JaceAgain]

That is precisely what I told my daughter (that this topic was nothing but needless drama) (chick fire's mom here again) but she wanted to engage. Thank you for your response. I think she needed to hear it eventhough she quite didn't want to.

Thank you chick fire's mom for reminding us that this thread was started by a 12 year old.  I think this is a very  healthy question for her to be asking, essentially, why are some animal's lives more valuable than others?  Whenever we eat meat, we are deciding that our lives are more important than the lives of what we are eating.  Someone made a comment that no one should ever eat their pet chicken because they are cute.  Have you ever seen a piglett or a lamb?  OMG they are cute.  I have ultimate respect for those who have given up meat because of this ethical delemma.  I do, however, have less respect for the folks who look at me like I'm horrible for raising and yes, killing my own meat who are not vegetarian themselves.  In my mind, by eating chickens I've raised myself (whether they were originally for eggs or raised specifically for meat or an unlucky rooster who was sold to me as a pullet) I have DECREASED the suffering in the world by not purchasing one of the poor creatures who never saw the sun or got take a dirt bath or scratch for bugs, who were dispatched in a factory with no concern for their fear or stress.  

I don't really want to go vegetarian but I find myself eating less meat and making sure absolutly nothing of the chickens I raise goes to waste.

By asking her question, chick fire shows that she is aware of the value of life and is perhaps wrestling with a concept that many city-raised kids never really consider.  While there is a bunch of drama on this thread, it's an emotional topic and one I wrestle with every butchering day.

On a side story, my older sister once purchased some rabbits with the idea of a renuable source of protien for the family.  Her then 8 year old daughter named them Wheat, Milk and Chocolate, because she was alergic to wheat, milk and chocolate and she figured that way she would never be asked to eat them.  

This thread wasnt started by a 12 year old, unless pingu is 12 also, which they havent said.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

This thread wasnt started by a 12 year old, unless pingu is 12 also, which they havent said.

Oops. You're right, I stand corrected.