How about you just leaving your chickens alone?

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I find this thread interesting, considering I have chickens that were bred in places that the chicken was potentially a family member and village treasure, with close human interaction, and the dogs were just animals that scratched around in the scrap pile to be served for dinner as needed. Imagine a chicken at the table, the village champion, being hand fed a tidbit of dog meat.The only difference is culture. I will say that birds from this genetic background certainly act the part, being much more interactive and social than the regular table birds with an often abrasive demeanor.

When both are treated and raised kindly, the chicken will always want to be with other chickens, most dogs will choose the company of humans over their own kind. Dogs are the only species that will take a humans advice as far as where something is as well as will ask for help from humans. I love both species but a chicken is going to look after itself, my dogs will look after me.

 

[varidgerunner]

When both are treated and raised kindly, the chicken will always want to be with other chickens, most dogs will choose the company of humans over their own kind. Dogs are the only species that will take a humans advice as far as where something is as well as will ask for help from humans. I love both species but a chicken is going to look after itself, my dogs will look after me.

You must not have experienced quite all of the types of chickens out there. I have birds that very much prefer my company to that of other chickens, and can learn very well, things like come here, get in the pen. Granted, you will never experience this with birds not selected for close human contact and relationships with a specific handler.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You must not have experienced quite all of the types of chickens out there. I have birds that very much prefer my company to that of other chickens, and can learn very well, things like come here, get in the pen. Granted, you will never experience this with birds not selected for close human contact and relationships with a specific handler.

And you apparently haven't had the same with a dog, especially if you can talk about eating them. I don't eat my chickens nor my dogs, both get to be all they can be.

 

[varidgerunner]

And you apparently haven't had the same with a dog, especially if you can talk about eating them. I don't eat my chickens nor my dogs, both get to be all they can be.

I have many experiences with many dogs, both good and bad. I have a pretty close relationship with my dogs, and I allow them to do what they were bred to do. I don't make them wear sweaters, or humanize them, nor do I believe in prolonging their lives to protect me from the pain of their passing, at the expense of their suffering.

What animal is food, and what animal is taboo, is largely a product of the culture you were brought up in. The only backwards way of thinking is to think that one animal is edible while another is not. If you don't eat your dogs, or your chickens, that is your prerogative. Just know that there are cultures that don't share your view.

Know also, that there are cultures that have had chickens for a very long time, certain birds are considered very sacred, and are even given funerals. It is hard for us to imagine, but if you experience the type of birds that these people interact with, and the level of interaction, it is easy to see how a chicken might be considered more of a one on one pet and less of a barnyard scavenger left to it's own devices, except when stealing eggs, and harvesting excess cockerels.

There are chickens that crave human attention, that strongly dislike being around other chickens, will interact with it's people, begging for food, tolerating handling, adhering to boundaries, and be quite stunning to look at. If you haven't had any, that is because you have had birds that weren't selected for those traits. Most likely you have only had birds that were selected for eggs and meat, and more recently pretty feathers. Until you have experienced all that a chicken can be, you really aren't an authority on what they can't be. Can they herd sheep or tree bear? No, but they can serve the purpose that most dogs serve for their owners, that of companionship, regardless of their inherited abilities at a specific task that caused them not to be eaten by our ancestors.

Keeping a chicken as a pet is no different than keeping a lab without being a duck hunter, or keeping a border collie with no sheep. Might not be the intent they were bred for, but they serve a purpose to those who feed them.

 

[limited25]

Why are you guys so soft on the dogs but callous when it comes to the chickens. A lot of people, currently and even more when you take in account history, eat dogs. Standards are a bit double especially when the majority of visitors on this site are taken into consideration.

The same way a person with similar relationship with chicken would feel.

Centrarchid, I'm sorry you did not get the condolences you needed when "something" happened to your flock. It appears to me that you have animosity toward certain people here who did not understand the pain you were feeling. You just admitted you understand how Joe feels losing his dog, but wanted to get even with people who did not sympathize with you.

I'm sorry Centrachid that you lost your chickens that you loved. I'm sorry that you feel hurt and now feel like you need to hurt back. I hope you can come to terms with it, and feel like you have friends again.

 

[MeepBeep]

When both are treated and raised kindly, the chicken will always want to be with other chickens, most dogs will choose the company of humans over their own kind. Dogs are the only species that will take a humans advice as far as where something is as well as will ask for help from humans. I love both species but a chicken is going to look after itself, my dogs will look after me.

And although you may consider that a superior 'pet' trait it's not a universally shared opinion...

I owned an exotic wholesale pet business and retail pet store for many years and still dabble in the business, there is no shortage of people that have zero interest in dogs but find many other critters to be the more ideal pet of choice...

 

[centrarchid]

Centrarchid, I'm sorry you did not get the condolences you needed when "something" happened to your flock.  It appears to me that you have animosity toward certain people here who did not understand the pain you were feeling.  You just admitted you understand how Joe feels losing his dog, but wanted to get even with people who did not sympathize with you.  

I'm sorry Centrachid that you lost your chickens that you loved.  I'm sorry that you feel hurt and now feel like you need to hurt back.  I hope you can come to terms with it, and feel like you have friends again.

No. That is not the issue.

I keep dogs and chickens. Dogs are all working pets. Most of the chickens are regarded as consumable although some are working pets by any measure that are treated such that living at least a decade is not out of the question. The pet chickens are very well cared for but not loved to death through incompetence the OP alluded to.


The effectively ganging up on the "pet" keepers of chickens as done early in the thread does not sit well.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I respect all life and eat no animals personally. My dogs don't wear clothes and my chickens choose what to do with their days, they also wear no clothing.

Joe the OP, was stating that people should just let their chickens be chickens, and to stop micro managing their lives, he also is upset because he lost his dog. So some respect for him and how he feels about his dog needs to be given.

I've had some good conversations with my chickens and enjoy their company and antics. What others want as pets and companionship isn't my business.

I believe nature dictates that predators don't eat other predators, they only kill them, unless they are starving. So for humans to eat another predator is unnatural. That is why most people don't eat dogs.

 

[limited25]

If that is the only issue, then why hijack this thread? Why not just start a new thread with that topic?

 

[centrarchid]

It seems to me that a lot of people here every day are chasing their chickens around, trying to diagnose one thing or another. Some folks are trying to feed them this and that hoping for some kind of result.
They worry about each feather and they way the bird walks or acts.
They are all worried about their poop and runny little noses.

There's death in numbers. Sometimes chickens up and die for any number of reasons, or even for no apparent reason at all . Bury them, throw them away, and quit fretting about it, it happens.

Most of you aren't aviary vets, and most folks here aren't either.

I leave my birds free to be birds. I don't chase them around trying to pick each one up for inspection all the time. I feed them, water them, and am grateful for every egg they give me. If they're off by a few one day, they'll make it up in a day or two, or maybe a few. I don't run to adjust their diet, or try to find a medicine to cure something they don't have.
Birds aren't perfect. You get the sniffles, I get the sniffles, they also get the sniffles. No reason to run to the vet and spend your hard earned cash. Leave them alone.

Throw them a treat every now and then, or make them a toy. They'll keep busy being chickens, and doing what chickens do. They don't need a darned Mariachi band to keep them entertained. And they certainly don't need to be handled every day. Do you want to be handled and inspected every day? I'll bet you might quit producing eggs too.

Birds are just like you and me. They naturally want to be well, and will be most times if left alone, unless the whole flock is afflicted with something.

They're food. Not pets. They produce food, and they are food. The sooner this is realized, the less neurotic you will be about your chickens.

Don't be neurotic, and on behalf of the birds, just leave them alone.

I did nothing to hijack. I did present an alternative view that I think is less biased.

You old-timers (not really targeting OP on this) need to suck it up and be more tolerant of the neurotic poultry keepers. They do need help, not pointing out of ignorance.