How many people here raise their chickens as pets?

[Leigti]

Howdy all

Due to the season and moulting, there have been no eggs laid for a couple of months now and we are having to buy eggs; some of which get scrambled and fed to the girls.

Yep, my five, spoiled, bantam princesses are definitely pets 

My friend told me of a lady she knows that has about 10 chickens, all eggs Lane breeds. And she is constantly buying eggs from the grocery store to feed them. I think she kind of has something backwards she does this year around no matter what.
And the above post where the person said it was hard to name 40 chickens? Oh it would be really hard for me. I have always got my chickens three or four at a time and I name them in groups. And it takes a long time to figure out names for three, it would take me forever for 40.

 

[Teila]

Hey jenniferlamar70

Good luck with the hatches

If the LF Cochins are anything like their bantam counterparts then yep, they make great broody mama’s.

One of my gals can go broody 3-4 times in summer.

If I do not let her have a hatch and I break her from her broodiness when she returns to laying she lays 10-12 eggs over a period of a couple of weeks or so and then goes broody again.

I have another Pekin who goes broody 2-3 times in summer.

Another went broody when she was 6 months old, I broke her from that bout and she was broody again 4 weeks later, broke her from that one and 8 weeks later, she was broody again, broke her, 5 weeks later, broody again, broke her, 5 weeks later broody again. In 7 months she went broody 5 times

We had a photo shoot yesterday so I thought I would share … it is very rare to get them all in the picture at the same time, all with their heads up and not butts up

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Hey jenniferlamar70 Good luck with the hatches If the LF Cochins are anything like their bantam counterparts then yep, they make great broody mama’s. One of my gals can go broody 3-4 times in summer. If I do not let her have a hatch and I break her from her broodiness when she returns to laying she lays 10-12 eggs over a period of a couple of weeks or so and then goes broody again. I have another Pekin who goes broody 2-3 times in summer. Another went broody when she was 6 months old, I broke her from that bout and she was broody again 4 weeks later, broke her from that one and 8 weeks later, she was broody again, broke her, 5 weeks later, broody again, broke her, 5 weeks later broody again. In 7 months she went broody 5 times We had a photo shoot yesterday so I thought I would share … it is very rare to get them all in the picture at the same time, all with their heads up and not butts up

Oh how cute. I love broodys. The incubators are nice but I would love to have the natural upbringing from a mama hen. Just easier. I love how fluffy all your girls are. We have quite a few hens. 30 in my personal flock. I have some I'm hatching for breeding stock plus my cute little duckys. They are alot of work but I love them all so much.

 

[mjbws]

What a great picture! Love it!!!

 

[Lisa Wood]

I have always loved animals and meat from the store. My main focus for farmers is that they are treated well until they die, but that is not the case. I could not eat my chickens, even though there ate some I favor and some I hardly interact with, at their request. That said, if the end of the worldcand grocery stores came, I would eat them if hungry enough. I think we all
would. I dont have a problem YET eating store bought chicken, but I believe there are worse things than death. Being a battery chicken would be on the list.

 

[Fletch83]

Little cuties!!!

 

[wyattoakfarms]

I'm curious on this because I'm a vegetarian not vegan.. I love chickens I always have my whole life. I love the egg factor. But just feel the most passionate about the animal. Growing up around poultry farmers I feel like the odd ball lol. Are their others that feel this way or is it just me?

I love my chicken I don't keep them as pets but I do like chickens I rasie and sell hens and roosters and keep the ones I like and I also have a different coop for my egg business

 

[ldawntaylor]

I'm curious on this because I'm a vegetarian not vegan.. I love chickens I always have my whole life. I love the egg factor. But just feel the most passionate about the animal. Growing up around poultry farmers I feel like the odd ball lol. Are their others that feel this way or is it just me?

I understand where you are coming from quite well. My mom is a bit baffled about why I wanted chickens since - in her opinion - all they are good for is eggs. I grew up vegetarian so I doubt I will ever reach the point of butchering and eating one of my birds.

But, I've also reached the point of having to do something with most of my cockerels for the well being of my flock. It isn't easy knowing someone will likely end up eating them. But, in my opinion, that is better than them killing each other. Besides, if a person is buying an animal or bird for their own consumption they are unlikely to mis-treat that creature. So, in a sense it is the next best thing to being a pet.

It seems to me that anyone who owns a living creature has a responsibility to keep that creature healthy. Over crowding or budget for food are a couple things that must be kept in mind.

The only way I can avoid my current dilema and still keep chickens is to get rid of all male birds and only keep the females or vice versa. I am dealing with the same thing with my goats too. These considerations are part of why my cat and dog are both spayed.

I wish I could keep them all...but I have a responsibility to them that I took on when I bought them.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I understand where you are coming from quite well.  My mom is a bit baffled about why I wanted chickens since - in her opinion - all they are good for is eggs.  I grew up vegetarian so I doubt I will ever reach the point of butchering and eating one of my birds.

But, I've also reached the point of having to do something with most of my cockerels for the well being of my flock.  It isn't easy knowing someone will likely end up eating them.  But, in my opinion, that is better than them killing each other.  Besides, if a person is buying an animal or bird for their own consumption they are unlikely to mis-treat that creature.  So, in a sense it is the next best thing to being a pet.

It seems to me that anyone who owns a living creature has a responsibility to keep that creature healthy.  Over crowding or budget for food are a couple things that must be kept in mind.

The only way I can avoid my current dilema and still keep chickens is to get rid of all male birds and only keep the females or vice versa.  I am dealing with the same thing with my goats too.  These considerations are part of why my cat and dog are both spayed.

I wish I could keep them all...but I have a responsibility to them that I took on when I bought them.

I understand you quite well. We have a bunch of roosters right now. I have a fee homes lined up already but they can't take them all. Some I'm going to have to sale. It's a rough position to be in. To believe in something so much but like you said. Can't have a bunch of roosters fighting to the death.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

i do...