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It offends me when people equate chickens with people. Chickens are first and foremost food animals and one cannot continue to support nonproducing animals on mere sympathy and warm fuzzies....some of us have families to support with the money and every penny counts. As does every single egg.
You & I have always been on the same page Bee.....
I agree here, this whole touchy feely huggy pie kissey poo chicken thing is getting way out of hand, we prefer to just take the common sense approach to raising animals, I think my birds get much better care and are in better health than those who treat chickens as pet's. Reason being is they aren't constantly messed with and put into unatural conditions, like house birds and such, They don't get exccess amounts of foods/treats they shouldn't have, they don't get heat in the winter, or ice jugs and pampering in the heat of the summer. They adapt so much better look better and never come down with all the injuries and illnesses which are so prevelant here with the trendy chicken IN crowd. And my birds are show birds worth a considerable amount of $$. JMO
I agree with you to a point. I don't baby my chickens and I am constantly preaching to others not to do so. My chickens get safe coops at night, quality foods, treats (leftovers or scratch grains) when I can afford them or have them. The don't have heat in the winter nor A/C in the summer (though each coop has fans directed at their nestboxes and roosts). I do regular health checks and what I consider to be good care, but that's it. The rest of the time they are outside being free range chickens.
Having said that, my chickens are a hobby for me. They really serve no purpose other than to give me something to do and put a smile on my face. I am disabled and don't leave the farm much, so having the chickens and other critters really motivates me to get out and do something. Their feed when not completely paid for by selling their eggs comes out of my spending money, not the house money.
At best Ellie is laying only two or three times a week. As I stated in my OP I don't depend on her for eggs because I don't sell the bantie eggs anyhow. I hadn't considered the egg eating angle. Thanks for mentioning it.
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