From Soup to Pets

[enola]

Th difference between store bought chicken and two or three year old chickens is VERY different. Your family will know the difference.

If you are afraid to butcher your hens, maybe you can find someone to butcher them in return for half of the hens.

Most hens remain fairly productive for at least three laying seasons. When you get new chicks, help the family to realize that the chicks are not pets. When I was a farming wife, everyone was allowed one pet. That's all. The kids chose cats and dogs, i never realized how lucky I was.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Th difference between store bought chicken and two or three year old chickens is VERY different. Your family will know the difference.

If you are afraid to butcher your hens, maybe you can find someone to butcher them in return for half of the hens.

Most hens remain fairly productive for at least three laying seasons. When you get new chicks, help the family to realize that the chicks are not pets. When I was a farming wife, everyone was allowed one pet. That's all. The kids chose cats and dogs, i never realized how lucky I was.

Yep - we have the "sacred chicken" list in our flock -those birds who are guaranteed to live out their lives with us - everyone else is "on the chopping block" (which doesn't always mean up for eating, but also up for selling, etc). Out of 17 adult birds and 5 brooder babies there are 4 birds on the list - everyone else is fair game.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

#4 is not an option, imo, if by "she will fend for herself" you mean to cease providing for the bird with the expectation that it will find it's own food, shelter, etc on your property living out it's life as that "full" life will be shortened by the first predator to come along and find said bird. If I am misunderstanding your meaning I apologize, but the situation as I have described would be more cruel than just dispatching the bird and being done with it.

I agree sending a hen out to pasture to fend for herself would be cruel at best. It is a possible option, and the use of capitals was just a means to suggest that I was trying to convince myself that it is a reasonable option. It is, of course, not a reasonable option.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

W
Well said, what I needed to hear, my first layers are exactly 1 yr olds. Are they not as productive the 2nd or 3rd year? I will be ready to butcher them for food when they are not paying rents. Though my family threatens that they won't eat chicken ever if I do. I normally joke, you will never know what chicken is in the freezer.

I believe they are just as productive in their second year. After that, I understand production falls off. I am not sure by how much but it probably is noticeable in the 3rd year. I am sure someone else may have a better sense of this. It may also depend on whether they are production or heritage hens.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

I say keep her as a pet. Why not? If she brings happiness to someone, isn't it worth the feed? My five year old hens still lay eggs. I have the luxury of a large coop and property that they can free range. But I also have 10+ older hens that I keep around. They still eat bugs and weeds. That's enough. I also butcher chickens that I raise for food. It is more trouble than it's worth if you've never done it before. I guess my point is, what's it worth in the end?

Thanks polychip. Our coop has space for 8 hens based on the well publicized chicken math. (Everyone said build bigger than you think you need!)

As well, I did not even raise the issue of how the kids will feel about dispatching a pet let alone eating her!

I am sure you are right that butchering a hen is probably more work, trouble, disgust, guilt, angst and dry-heaves then it is worth.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

You will be ostracized . Every one is allowed one pet. Never name your food.

When I was a farming wife, everyone was allowed one pet. That's all. The kids chose cats and dogs, i never realized how lucky I was.

Yep - we have the "sacred chicken" list in our flock -those birds who are guaranteed to live out their lives with us - everyone else is "on the chopping block" (which doesn't always mean up for eating, but also up for selling, etc). Out of 17 adult birds and 5 brooder babies there are 4 birds on the list - everyone else is fair game.

It is very interesting that 3 different posters have suggested that everyone is allowed one pet. That is the beauty of these forums. I would not have thought of that until after I dispatched Butter Chicken and had a young man crying about my cruelty! Well, I currently have 4 hens and 4 other family members. Any bets on whether all 4 will make the "sacred list"? That leaves room for 4 new hens that will be on the "chopping block" (or selling) list.

 

[aart]

It's delicate balance,
juggling this 'new' thought of where meat really comes from and our anthropomorphic romancing with animals since folks start getting meat wrapped in plastic

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

Is your relationship with your family and their relationship with life such that a reasonable conversation about the situation would result in them understanding the choice to use the bird in a new way (as a food source)?

We are currently having these conversations.

These are not simple issues. Do you want to eat Lady Dianna who has lived a very fulfilling life eating bugs and worms and foraging out in a beautiful forest in the beautiful sunshine or eat chicken 13420343 from farm 235235 who has never seen the sunlight and who has not had enough room to even turn around!? The conversation has been somewhat directed at we gave Lady Dianna a nice life. She would never have lived if we did not decide to provide a place for her to live. If we didn't we would be eating chicken 1340343 instead. At some point the risk is that they do not want to eat chicken at all.

As well, this is somewhat directed at providing to our kids a connection between the food they eat and it comes from.

 

[RichnSteph]

Ah we're in the same boat over here. At the end of next month we're culling 3 of our 4 new roosters but that's a no brainer. The painful part is that one of our hens is up near 5 years old and a serious pet. I don't think she lays anymore or if she does it's somewhere else. Every morning she runs out of the coop to get away from the rooster who is trying to kill her, I think. She spends all day wandering the neighborhood making new friends. She once spent a week down the street with our friends, I thought she'd wandered off or been taken by a predator. She goes next door to help the other neighbors when they BBQ and when they are gardening. Yes you read that right. She heads over there just as soon as she can see them starting the BBQ pit. Right now she doesn't eat much in the way of feed but after 5 years I'd hate to just let her go to waste and have been trying to get around to culling her but I mean come on.... the neighbors like her, I like her, my daughter likes to carry her around and bring her in the house.


Hmm.... After going back an reading that myself I think we'll let this one be the "one pet" my daughter is allowed to have in the flock. Besides I'll bet that a 4 month old rooster that weighs close to 8lbs is better eating than an almost 5 year old hen that might weigh 3.

RIchnSteph.

 

[polychip]

Thanks polychip.  Our coop has space for 8 hens based on the well publicized chicken math.  (Everyone said build bigger than you think you need!)

As well, I did not even raise the issue of how the kids will feel about dispatching a pet let alone eating her!

I am sure you are right that butchering a hen is probably more work, trouble, disgust, guilt, angst and dry-heaves then it is worth.   

We do small batch in the fall. About 25 chickens. Henry Ford style. Even so, sometimes I get a hen that is injured beyond repair and I will process her to be humane. I would much rather do 25 than drag out all the gear and get smelly for just one hen.

Others may say differently but the chickens I butcher and use for soup taste the same as one I bought at the store and made stock from. To me they do.