My Chickens are not Pets!

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
Kind of like the difference between commiting murder & hiring a hit man. IMO if you're gonna eat meat you should be willing to kill it.

Yep, that's my opinion. Hence, I'm willing to kill for my own food. I would hope that people who do eat meat on this list would at least accept and acknowledge that in order for them to eat someone must kill the animal. Basically, its a necessity if you aren't a vegetarian.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Finn's Mom :

IMO if you're gonna eat meat you should be willing to kill it.

You are right. Yet my emotionial mind and my logical mind do battle over this subject from time to time.

I am grateful for those that are able to do the deed for me.​

I don't have a problem with those who aren't willing to kill an animal. I have problems with people who eat meat but get all queasy and squeamish that I'm willing to hunt or kill an animal for food.​

 

[bigchicken2]

To me my roos are wonderful pets. But my hens are just for eggs. But I do sometimes kill my roos (mmm chicken

) But I have a rule: Don't kill your pet if it has a name. No one can make me not like roos. I absolutely LOVE them.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

I do not raise Cornish X's because I don't know if they are the reason I have a severe problem with store bought chicken. I have severe reactions, allergies to either what food chickens are fed or how they are processed or how they have been breed. I don't know and it doesn't matter any more.

So I raise chickens, ducks and now quail for meat. I name some of my animals and they are given treats daily. I breed my own birds for the most part. I cull my own flocks and when I do I thank each one for their lives and the food they put on my table. Because without them I would have very little meat in my diet. When I can;t take care of them anymore, I'll be a vegetarian and I am not looking forward to that.

No, its not cheaper, not without land to free range on. They go to freezer camp to calm squemish pet people, my daughter being one. It sounds better than butchering, doesn't it, and they are used to bringing home processed meat and freezing it.

I do find it very interesting that a store bought chicken is only good for 1-2 days before being prepared and yet our home processed chicken will hold for a week in the refrigerator. Store bought chicken used to last a lot longer, what happened? Makes you wonder what they are doing to those factory processed chickens.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

My chickens are utility first, then pets (the layers, not broilers). IMO, it's hypocritical to eat meat but shudder at the thought of killing it yourself. I KNOW my animals ate healthy food and had a great life. That's more than I can say for store bought food. I'd much rather raise and kill my own chickens humanely than know the bird I bought from the store never saw sunlight or had the chance to chase a cricket through the grass.

 

[pixie74943]

Currently mine are pets. I live at home with my parents so I dont have much wiggle room

however, when I move out, I plan to hatch out chicks, the roos will be instant meat (unless the roo in my layer flock is old) and depending on how many hatch most of the hens will be kept.

If I name it, I'm not going to eat it (unless I name it 'xmas dinner'

) I dont think I would ever have the stomach to 'retire' a layer that stopped laying. Practically I know that I should, money-wise, but I dont know if I would be able to. Even if I did, I wouldnt eat them myself, the critters (Dogs, Cats) would get the meat.

 

[teach1rusl]

IMO if you're gonna eat meat you should be willing to kill it.

IMO, that's like saying folks shouldn't eat vegetable unless they can grow it themselves, or they shouldn't live in a house unless they can build it themselves (not w/a contractor). Some folks can just look at a plant and kill it, and some don't know a hammer from screwdriver (hopefully exaggerated here). Just because someone is adverse (too squeamish, too emotionally attached, or just plain ignorant of the process) to killing their own animals surely doesn't mean they shouldn't eat meat???

While I do in general view chickens as livestock, my girls are pets, to me no different from having 5 pet parrots. They are treated similarly to my pet cats and dogs (minus house priveleges unless being medically treated). I have no issues w/chickens being raised for food, nor do I have issues with someone who sticks a diaper on their house chicken

 

[jodief100]

I think the best way I can put it is:

If you eat meat, I understand if you can’t kill it, but don’t criticize me for doing it. Certainly don’t criticize the person doing it for you.

 

[pixie74943]

Quote:
IMO, that's like saying folks shouldn't eat vegetable unless they can grow it themselves, or they shouldn't live in a house unless they can build it themselves (not w/a contractor). Some folks can just look at a plant and kill it, and some don't know a hammer from screwdriver (hopefully exaggerated here). Just because someone is adverse (too squeamish, too emotionally attached, or just plain ignorant of the process) to killing their own animals surely doesn't mean they shouldn't eat meat???

While I do in general view chickens as livestock, my girls are pets, to me no different from having 5 pet parrots. They are treated similarly to my pet cats and dogs (minus house priveleges unless being medically treated). I have no issues w/chickens being raised for food, nor do I have issues with someone who sticks a diaper on their house chicken

To be pedantic, I disagree. There is a difference between willing and able. Obviously, not everyone is able to build a house, grow vegies or process meat, but we pay others to do it. Its the whole system we live in where people perform specialised jobs, therefore we can have scientists, engineers etc who arent feeding themselves, but are (theoretically) researching ways to better our lives. Obviously those people are likely to be too busy to feed themselves.

However.

I think people should be willing to do the dirty work for what they want. While they may not be able to, I like to think that most people would be willing to build themselves a home if they had the time and the know-how. Similarly, I believe people dont deserve to have what they arent willing to work for.

While not everyone has time to hatch, raise, and process poultry, I think people should be willing to do the dirty work if they're going to reap the benefits.

 

[barredrockgrl]

Quote:
My chickens are pets. I bought them as egg layers and I've said from the beginning they have a "retirement home" here. However, I too find it curious how disconnected our society has become from their food. I have zero problem with people raising chickens to eat, and in fact I'm a little envious of them. Supermarket chickens

genetically modified and living in such terrible conditions. Let's just say that Micheal Pollan has opened my eyes to so many things. Ideally I'd live near Joel Salatin so I could buy my food from him. As it is, I've just put myself on a waiting list for an organic bull in my area, lol.