How do I keep from getting attached?

[Mishiveous]

CX are ugly but they are very friendly. I thought they had great little personalities. I only had 6 because I took them from some lady that thought it was a good idea to get her grandkids chicks for Easter. Umm, yeah. Great idea.

It was great for me

I wasn't going to eat them because I really liked them. Then one turned blue...I figured CHF. When I turned her upside down to put her in the killing cone she died. Tons of fluid in her so I'm sure it was CHF.

I didn't want to see any of the others suffer so I went ahead and butchered. Fluid overload is not a nice way to die...me butchering was much more humane.

After I tasted them I decided that they were the finest chickens ever and I will be ordering more meaties. Next time though I will butcher at 6-8 weeks. I personally don't like the giant 6-7 pound dressed bird.

 

[Ibicella]

Don't interact with them beyond necessary. Do your chores and leave them alone, except when you need to handle them for weighing or whatever.

Keep a couple of your favorites for pets.

 

[noahsark]

I can completeley relate...After we saw that video "food inc" I couldnt buy chickens from the grocery store at all...any meat for that matter..thankfully i live in a small rural farnming town, where I can afford to buy homegrown cow..as far as the chickens go..I could bond with a butterfly..ever since I was 2 I brought home everything! If i run over a bird, i turn around and go see if i can save it..its my nature..My friend suggested that i raise them, we split everything down the middle, then they come take them in the midddle of the night and get them freezer ready..
The first 20, i kept in the house, in a horse trough..Went in their room 20 times a day, named them, held them..it was horrible...Even come harvest day i could just pick them up...This batch I kept in the garage from the beginning..went out in the Am to change water and feed, then at night to change water again..At 4 weeks, they went in the coop..They wont let me touch them, and all my freedoms look exactly the same. ( the last batch was a mix of heritage) easier to distinguish...Im doing better this time..It helps for me If I get one that I plan to keep..In my case I got all roos, and one hen..this way i can love the one, and ignore the rest..Its still hard..but Im doing better.

 

[savingdogs]

I'm thinking perhaps if they all looked exactly alike. I raise Buff Orpingtons and I really love them, but I can hardly distinguish one from another and they all have the same (nice) personality. Only one has the name Feather, because she is missing some (roo's favorite).
We recently lost one and because the others are so much like the missing one, I can't say I miss her exactly. I have seven of her twins out there............

I was looking at McMurray's and Cackle hatcheries, they were saying to feed a special high protein diet. I thought people were tractoring them, how can you make sure of the protein level if they are in tractors? Is that so they grow super fast and you can eat 'em quicker?

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Quote:
If you think your cornish will be ready in 12 weeks bud think again it isnt happening. unless you like eating rubber stage prop chickens. ticked off dark Cornish roo at 12 weeks old feed out in a feed out pen because I thought I could make em bigger faster.

Just doesnt work they are somewhat slow to mature but when they do they do convert nicely I have some going on 7 months old there aprox 7 lbs but very well developed Not so much as BYC member Al's but there still yet nice.

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

I had similar concerns having never raised livestock until we got our chickens. The first time I stayed away for most of the processing but did do the final going over for missed pinfeathers. After I tasted the meat and thought about the good lives our birds had, and the very healthy food source they provided our family, I was converted. Still can`t do the killing myself, and I probably won`t, but I do the plucking and everything else with DH. Our BA hens look similar so we call them "the girls". I only have two that I have named. Until we can identify gender I call them all "babies" and once we know the boys they are lovingly referred to as "dinner". Helps decrease my attachment and remind me of their purpose

 

[WhetzelMomma]

I don't think there's anything wrong with being attached. Personally, knowing my food personally means that I can appreciate it in a different way. I want to have a relationship with my food. It makes consuming it something I have to put a lot of thought into.

 

[cjdmashley]

roaches are bred for tarantulas food and is just another "exotic pet" DH loves to freak people out with. kids love to hear them hiss
Quote:
Off subject.........What do you do with hissing cockroaches?

 

[ondreeuh]

Quote:
If you think your cornish will be ready in 12 weeks bud think again it isnt happening. unless you like eating rubber stage prop chickens. ticked off dark Cornish roo at 12 weeks old feed out in a feed out pen because I thought I could make em bigger faster. http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r212/somanytears_album/darkcornish1.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r212/somanytears_album/myroo-1.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r212/somanytears_album/moreroosters-1.jpg http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r212/somanytears_album/IMG00171-20100719-0858.jpg

Just doesnt work they are somewhat slow to mature but when they do they do convert nicely I have some going on 7 months old there aprox 7 lbs but very well developed Not so much as BYC member Al's but there still yet nice.

I beg your pardon! Please forgive me for the very understandable mistake of thinking the Dark Cornish were similar to Red.

Red Cornish @ Dunlap's Hatchery "Dunlap's also offers the slower growing Red Cornish for the specialty markets and those who have difficulty raising the White Cornish. The Red Cornish have high livability, strong legs and will make excellent fryers starting at about twelve weeks of age."

I love this site for the information but man, there is not a lot of tolerance for someone making a simple mistake.

 

[Bassleg]

I raise Delawares and they are duel purpose and I find it's easy to eat a mean Roo. my two cents