NBC News Article "Backyard chickens dumped at shelters"

[plund]

Quote:
"And when they came for me there was no one left to speak!"

 

[tdgill]

hipsters?

 

[Katcynth]

I do have to say, I'm new to owning chickens, grew up around some farms but only saw the happy side when I was younger. I personally do not think these first six I have gotten would ever see a pot.. lol they are just too **** cute!

But I know as I go along I will eventually be able to. But I always research before I get something. I was on here for months before I ever thought about getting any. There are a lot of people who don't. My husband for one. I go out of town for xmas and he gets a puppy. I come home and the idiot that gave him to dog gives him adult dog food to feed her.... I've always had dogs so I immediately run out and get puppy food.. You need to research before I get anything. You won't be able to learn everything by research but you can be better prepared.

I also think these people don't really know where their food comes from. I would much rather buy from a farm market locally then what crap you find in the grocery store. The end is the same for the animal but at least you know they had a much better life than in a commercial factory.

 

[SChunn]

"And when they came for me there was no one left to speak!"

Exactly.

I have a big problem with this. I raise show collies. At this point I'm afraid to breed another litter. I health test and screen my homes. Anything I produce is welcome back here in the event that the new home can't take care of them. I follow the bills and send my legislators letters and I make phone calls. Very few of the bills and new laws will do anything to fix the "problem". When I see shelters advertising for puppies and hear about animals rescued from other countries brought here, California begging for toy breeds, I have a hard time buying pet overpopulation. I do rescue and I do see the pitiful conditions that a lot of critters end up in in shelters. The article doesn't take into account how many of those animals were "dumped" because an elderly person couldn't handle them anymore or a family had some life altering event. Don't jump me for saying that. There does come a time in everyone's lives that they can no longer care for anything but themselves. Most of us like to think that there would be a way to do it or that able family would step in, but we don't all have that option. Personally, I'd rather those animals ended up in a shelter or sanctuary than left to die or turned out to fend for itself. I also think that without listing the sheer numbers of chickens produced each year the 500 at the sanctuary seems like a lot. In reality it is a very small percentage.

 

[YardBirdCountry]

I'd rather be an abandoned backyard chicken than be trapped in the factory farm system.

"Because chickens are notoriously hard to sex, some backyard farmers wind up with roosters, which are often culled and killed because they can be noisy, aggressive and illegal, and, of course, they don’t lay eggs at all."

Right but the factory egg suppliers that you support toss all male baby chicks into grinders. (And the hens have it far worse).

No doubt that there are "hipsters" who do not have the time, the commitment, the knowledge, or the appropriate amount of land necessary to raise chickens. I would never try to raise chickens in a condo or apartment. This article misses the point.

It's like the politicians who pat themselves on the back for passing a ban on cockfighting but won't do anything to allieviate animal cruelty in big-agra, and try to protect the horrible status quo with "ag-gag" laws. (I'm not a fan of cockfighting but again... given a choice I'd rather be a feathered gladiator than live in a battery cage.

 

[Lorien]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/20...-the-truth-behind-abandoned-backyard-chickens

This was the follow up article on NPR. The real issue is cities that do not allow roosters. As we all know, orders from hatcheries often contain accidental roosters which are now the animal shelter's problem. I do think people should have a better plan, but if your neighbor gets cranky and a new ignorant chicken owner doesn't feel like they have any other choice it seems kind of fitting that the city ordinances are causing the city problems...IMO.

 

[finnfur]

I do not understand her statement at all. What does it mean ?

Its a Vegan statement and isn't supposed to make sense. Its to be emotional.
“To go back in time sounds wonderful,” she said. “But there is not enough land on this earth to sustain the amount of meat, dairy and milk that people want.”
I think the farmers are doing a good job with less land.
I have been to some "rescue places" and I'm not sure the some of the animals are not better off being culled.
[FONT=Noto Sans, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif]The culled could be feed for the carnivorous ones that have a chance of being re-homed.[/FONT]

 

[finnfur]

I don't know why anyone is surprised at this article. It's the same thing that they are doing to those of us the breed dogs. Next, they'll want to shut down hatcheries and then go after those of us who sell chicks and hatching eggs. Most people I know that raise any kind of animal, for profit or hobby or show, take really good care of the animals. They have to or they don't produce. There are so many movements out there to "protect" domestic animals it was just a matter of time. The laws regulating what we can and can't own or what we can do on our own property will eventually trickle down to what we can or can't eat/produce. Don't vote to restrict others rights if you don't want yours restricted in the very near future.

Yep - they have already created a problem by closing all Equine slaughter houses. Now we have a major downturn in the economy over the last five years and people are giving away and abandoning horses. Not to mention all the neglected ones. Now the rescues are over flowing with animals.

 

[Ginger ninja]

I don't care when my hens are past thier laying days. They have done well and good for you by providing you eggs. The only way you can pay them back is by giving them love in thier old years. Stupid people should think before they GET any pet, chicken, hamster, dogs whatever.

 

[bugglesmommy]

My rooster Uncle is 9 1/2 years old now, about as fertile as a rock, obviously doesn't lay eggs and here until old age gets him (or he gets it) .