I have a dilemma...opinions plz!

[wischickenlover]

My chickens are pets. We have them for the delicious eggs they give us, and we sell the extras. They do not get made into soup-they live here to be a ripe old age and are loved as any other pet would be. I have 49 hens and 4 roos, who all get along well...most of the time. Just yesterday I received a call from a man who has a sheep farm about three miles up the road from me. He wanted to know if most of my eggs were fertile, and is interested in buying some to incubate. He came over to take a look at my chickens (I have a few different breeds), and was very interested in buying them for hatching. He wasnt sure at first because I have 3 banty roos and only 1 standard-said he really wanted all standard chicks. But when he saw them, he thought they were gorgeous and changed his mind about the banties. I asked him how many he would be wanting and he then said he is wanting 600 altogether and has been asking around. The red flag went up that he is wanting them for processing, and not for eggs or pets. He said he would be back in a week and wanted me to save all of the eggs til then. The more I thought about it, the sadder I got. I dont want my chicks being eaten eventually.

DH has the opinion of "make the sale." (With feed prices so high now, we could really use the extra funds). I dont know what to do. If I sell to him, I will think about it for months after, and feel guilty. I thought maybe I could make a deal with him....For every dozen that hatch, I get 3 to raise, instead of paying me for the eggs. Does that sound fair?? Opinions and feedback please from this wonderful board of chicken lovers!

Thanks!
Tiffany

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

If you eat chicken then whats the big deal? If you don't then your deal sounds good. You wouldn't know the chicks personally or even meet them probably. So you wouldn't care that much. If you really feel strongly about this and don't want your chickens offspring to be eaten though then ask him about your deal.

 

[cjeanean]

Well, how much are you planning to sell the eggs for?? (per doz) because that's like 50 doz eggs. That means you end up at least 100 chicks....which is insane. I know you regard your chickens as pets, but not everyone else does, and technically they are for eating and providing eggs. They are livestock, and I don't see a problem with selling him hatching eggs even if he plans to eat them eventually. You know that they will get at least a few good years, since you don't have any fast growing chickens that would be good for meat. I understand how you feel, but I think you should sell them to him and not worry about it. I guarantee he isn't gonna be thinking about dinner with the size banties get!!! At least not for a long time. And money is always nice to have!!! Good luck!

I also think you should try out a batch before you let him buy all those eggs....it would suck for him to spend that much money and have the eggs not be that fertile.

 

[wischickenlover]

I dont eat chicken, I dont cook chicken, I dont even buy chicken. I have seen the horrors of how they are treated for processing. That being said, I would always think about the hatched chicks being processed. I realize I would never know them, but knowing I would be responsible for their deaths if I sold to him, would really bother me. So I just dont know!

 

[wischickenlover]

I dont plan to sell him all 600 eggs-that would take me forever at 2 dozen a day. He just wants as many as I can get for him in a week's time. As far as fertility goes....I would guess that about 80 percent or more of my eggs are fertile. I know this just from using them and seeing the bullseye in most of them. Thanks for the input! Anyone else?

 

[smileybritches]

hey i've been to ladysmith!! nice town. if selling the eggs will cause you to lie awake at night thinking terrible thoughts then don't do it. the thoughts will eventually fade but will also pop up at times later on in life.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

Not all chickens for meat are treated bad. I only let my mom buy from sources I trust though. And most chickens are slaughtered before they are a year old cjeanean. It is sad that they don't get to live long but otherwise they are not tender and juicy.

 

[morelcabin]

Quote:
Yup, she's right...if it is going to bother you, then don't. We all have enough thoughts that come up already over poor choices that we regret. The biggest secret to a truly happy life is DON'T DO ANYTHING YOU MIGHT EVER REGRET...
And this is coming from someone who believes livestock is simply that, meant to eat...but if you feel differently then you do what is right for your own peace of mind and don't let money infuence that.

 

[Peeps]

Well....what's the difference if he eats the eggs or hatches them then eats the chicken's? Either way the chicks are doomed. And it's not like you will never have any more eggs, you get 2 doz a day! I'd sell em!

 

[fullhouse]

I guess I don't see how eating feritle eggs is any worse than eating chickens from those eggs.