How do you live with yourself eating the birds you raised?

[Chick Charm]

Go on and love your chickens. After they stop laying good enough.......Go on loving you chicken in some soup, or fried up, or whatever your preference. If you can't bring yourself to do it (which is understandable for many) have someone else do the dirty work for a few bucks . At least you know you are getting premium grade birds without any hormones or any other stuff in them.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Well, I find it hard.
I do it, and I feel that I do it for the right reasons, most of which have been mentioned here, but I do find taking a life hard.
I don't name my meat birds but I do raise them like children and give them lot's of love . . . even the gross stinky CX. And it is hard, even though I don't do the actuall killing myself, unloading them at the processor and seeing the look in their eyes is not a high point for me. BUT there are many hard things in life that we must do, especially as adults and parents. The chickens in the stores had to die too, but without lovely lives and someone who cared.
So I guess what I am saying is; for me it is hard, but the reasons for the choice are very very valid.

 

[Tropical Chook]

The way I live with myself is by telling myself the next one I butcher is going to taste just as good. I also don't name my birds because they're not pets. I do spend quite a bit of time with them but not on a pet and pet owner basis. Usually I trying to figure out how to proceed with my whole chicken keeping plan

Even my head roo and head hen, both of whom I really like, are just here for breeding purposes. I heritage Thai chickens rather than meaties, so at the moment, hens still get kept for breeding and egg laying, while all roosters end up on the table. From birth to slaughter, my birds free range as they choose, they get the best possible life a chicken could have, with all the freedom in the world. Not only do they taste a million times better than store bought chicken, but I also know they have live a life free of cruelty right up until the moment of death.

Now, if it makes you feel better.....................I grew up a city boy, and I only got started with chickens this year. When it came time to slaughter the first one, I cleverly planned things so that I had some urgent business to take care of just as my wife's dad arrived. He was then asked to do the deed. I managed to pull the same stunt again with the second bird a week or two later. Unfortunately however, when it came to the third one, I think he had me figured out

, because he simply handed me the chicken and said it only takes a minute Well, that first one I killed took about two hours because I really had to work up the courage. Yes, its head did come off with a single chop, and I'm pleased to have discovered, it was a lot easier the next time. Now, just a few months later, I have no problem butchering them. It's not fun, and I get no pleasure out of killing them, but it sure is satisfying, if that's the right word to use.

So, here is one city boy that successfully crossed the line and who has now become a country boy. No longer do I need to buy store eggs, and by this time next year, I won't have to buy any chicken from the stores either. What a great feeling, now I just wish I could have the same success growing veggies

 

[zazouse]

I love to eat chicken and knowing how the ones that are sold in the stores are raised makes it much easer to eat my own.

I also raise surplus roo's to feed my dogs and it isn't easy killing them no matter how many times i do it.

 

[aimeeinwv]

When you are raised to eat what you grow, it's not a big deal. I have a dog, she's my pet. I'm not eating her. When you have 200 chickens, some have personality.. others are total bird brains that can't even figure out how to get out of the gate to go to pasture when you open it.

Having chooks as a pet is fine, but having 200+ of them like we do.... yeah, your feed bill alone will convince you they are good eatin!

They can live great lives with us, on a farm free ranging and be butchered humanely. OR they can go live in a chicken house at Tyson and live in a cage for a year spitting out eggs, then get tossed against a wall or stomped to death. Or better yet, tossed in a grinder to be disposed of. Trust me, they live longer on farms, they eat better on farms, they are dispatched more humanely.. and they are right tastier!!

ps: Wanna talk about my piggies? LOL!

 

[missychicky]

intelectualy I know all of these are really good, valid pionts. But emotionaly, Taking the life of another living animal just sounds horrible. I guess I've just gotta convince myself, not sure how I'm gonna do it though...

 

[True Grit]

You don't have to. It's a good thread with answers from a lot of good people but what feels right for you probably IS what is right for you. And for your chickens.

 

[Royd]

I have a couple of Ideal leghorn crosses, that are just nasty, mean little creatures, and if it weren't for the fact they are my most consistent layers, I'd wring their scrawny little necks, in a NY minute.

 

[Ibicella]

Hey, your feelings are valid and understandable. Don't beat yourself up. I LOVE animals and I love chickens for the individual beings they are. It doesn't feel good to me at all when I have to harvest. It's my least favorite thing in the world to do.

You're not being a wuss or anything. It's not easy trying to reconcile the fact you are a compassionate and aware person with the fact that sometimes, we have to kill.

The way I do it is to treat it like a job and keep my mind moving and not dwelling. Make it fast, don't give yourself time to think.

And don't beat yourself up.

 

[Dora'smom]

I wasn't sure I could do it, either, but when my beautiful Welsummer, Twiggy developed problems with internal laying, and eventually we couldn't do any more for her, well. . . I did it. My husband had just spent the better part of a year off from work with grief and stress issues stemming from the death of his father, so I knew he wasn't a candidate to help her. It took quite awhile for me to work up to it, and I researched this forum for pros and cons of different methods, and then did my best to ease her end. I treated her with respect and love, and knew that I was doing what was right for her. Her life was better than any commercially raised chicken, and I think her end was, too.
I had hoped to raise a few Cornish Crosses in our tractor, before the weather got too cool this fall, but we are behind on the new coop and run, so I will have to wait until next spring. When the time comes to dispatch those birds, I know I will be taking them to a local processor (we live in the suburbs, and it isn't practical to do this in our backyard) , but I also know that being as sentimental as I am, I will feel guilt at the look in their eyes, and will be worrying about what they are feeling.
We don't plan on butchering any of our laying flocks, but that doesn't mean that we won't have to cull occasionally for humane reasons. I now know I am capable of doing it. I expect that we will not name any of the meaties we raise in the spring. That will help us when it comes time to process.
Just knowing that the birds will have lived a really nice chickeny life with us, except for one bad day, will help when the time comes. I am sure of it.