How long do you keep your chickens?

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

If you have ever watched the movie Avatar it sums up my attitude on this one nicely.

I do and have killed birds to eat. I have also eaten locally hunted deer. I don't eat meat that I don't know or that I cannot be assured of how it lived - or how it died. If a hunter takes a deer on my land he must promise to make it swift and then to let me come and thank the deer. I do the same with the chickens.

I think we should never ever kill casually or forget what it is that we do. But, many many creatures are prey animals that will overbreed if not kept in check by a predator. It is a role they play in the circle of life. Just my 2 cents.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

I think I'm middle of the road too.

I don't want to eat factory farmed chicken so I buy free range and plan to eat my excess cockerels when I have them.

I want to breed to SOP so there will always be culls. Cull hens have a good chance to find new homes as layers if I don't need them for the layer flock. Cull cockerels are much harder. I'd rather know they had a good life even if it was short.

I know I will have some pets that get a life pass but I expect to assess the breeders in Fall and anyone not needed for breeding next spring will be sold. I have rare breeds so there are usually people who are looking for them.

 

[tammye]

mine are here until they die of natural causes, they have become my pets like it or not. Maybe the next flock will be different, this is my first time and never had any intention of eating them anyway, but I did not expect to enjoy them so much and desire to spoil them so much like I do with all my other pets.

 

[mistyfeather]

Anyone who would letter an animal suffer should not be aloud to have animals ...period.

 

[dmiravalle]

As a meat eater and meat grower, I thought I would chime in. Hope ya don't mind.

We raise organic meat, beef, pork, chicken and turkey.

What we do here and how we raise our kids is to respect the life of the animal you are growing out for food and be grateful to that animal.

Our animals are cleaned daily, brushed, petted, loved, exercised, and treated as pets. I know this is hard for a lot of people to do, because they are worried about becoming attached to that animal.

However, I believe that we should put that animals welfare first above our emotions and be grateful to have a healthy meat source to feed our family and friends.

Happy animals are shown to produce more milk, better meat and be healthier overall with less "chemical care".

Our milk cow has a pasture, our job is to make sure it is free of bad weeds, not to keep her cooped up and from accessing the weeds.

 

[mamabigbird]

I keep my birds until they die of natural causes unless they are suffering a lot. I have a kind hearted BIL who does the deed for me.
He has been a hunter/farmer for years and I trust him to be swift and kind to them. He helped me say goodbye to Blondie today,
a four and a half year old red sexlink hen. Bless you Norm.
Otherwise they are considered as coop insulators for the ones who are laying.
They free range almost every day so they aren't a burden on the food supply.
That said, I have chickens as pets first and egg layers as a bonus.

 

[ARose4Heaven]

I am all for making the animal happy and well cared for as long as it lives. But in my lot, it only lives as long as it lays an egg or helps produce offspring. No eggs, it goes to freezer camp.

I enjoy my birds..they are funny, entertaining and show personality. But so do cows, and sheep, and even fish, and most of us eat all of those. In some countries, cows are sacred, in others dogs and cats are edible. It is all in what you are taught from a child. I was raised farm. I think farm. You may have been raised another way, and think another way.

I think we should be able to agree to disagree, agreeably?

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Aside from the few I rehome (to excellent homes only), all of my chickens live out their natural lives with me. If they are suffering and not treatable I put them down through my wildlife rehab group, other than that every one of my birds lives until their body decides their time has come. My chickens are spoiled, too.

 

[nancy/pets]

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[dmiravalle]

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We let our old ladies live their lives free range. I am a farmer/grown up a farmer and was taught that if something, ie cow, pig etc, produce well for you through out their lives we should owe them back. Our older chickens are great for bug patrol, especially since we are an organic farm and the ducks do great at night with pincher bugs and noctornal bugs.

I do not believe in procreating bad genetics however, and feel that if that animal cannot contribute something positive to the gene pool, it shouldn' t be bred.