Official BYC Poll: What Is Your Perspective On Chickens For Meat

[Rammy]

I butcher in the fall to keep my flock population manageable.

Extra cockerels who didnt make the cut, aggressive birds, poor layers, etc.

I dont think of who im eating as long as they didnt have a name.
If they had a name, i have to let them sit in the freezer for a few weeks to allow me to forget which bird it is.

I name mine. Usually its BBQ, Deep Fried, Roasted....

 

[U_Stormcrow]

waiting for the official poll of those of us who name the birds we eat, as to "How" we name our birds...

Is it <ahem> "tongue in cheek" i.e. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, BBQ, "Stu", etc
Is it Unique / No Pattern?
Is it themed? i.e. Peter Paul Mark Luke John or Paul, Ringo, John and George or Marigold, Buttercup, Daisy, or...
Or is it purely for identification? i.e. Numbers or similar (I use Breed plus leg band color "Comet Red" "Comet Blue" but also used "Cornish Rex", "Cornish Secundis", next is "Cornish Tertius"...)

I suspect that may show more about us as owners than it demonstrates good poultry keeping practice, however.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally don't eat meat. I do eat eggs but I sometimes have troubles eating them because I know which chickens they come out of. I prefer my bantam eggs.

My husband eats meat, so he eats any extra roosters, or other poultry that needs to go and is healthy. I point, and he takes care of them. He also hunts.

I also buy and bake chicken weekly for my dogs. It would probably be cheaper to raise them with as much as I go through.

 

[Mimi13]

waiting for the official poll of those of us who name the birds we eat, as to "How" we name our birds...

Is it <ahem> "tongue in cheek" i.e. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, BBQ, "Stu", etc
Is it Unique / No Pattern?
Is it themed? i.e. Peter Paul Mark Luke John or Paul, Ringo, John and George or Marigold, Buttercup, Daisy, or...
Or is it purely for identification? i.e. Numbers or similar (I use Breed plus leg band color "Comet Red" "Comet Blue" but also used "Cornish Rex", "Cornish Secundis", next is "Cornish Tertius"...)

I suspect that may show more about us as owners than it demonstrates good poultry keeping practice, however.

I had named two boys I had planned on keeping, PBF (Pretty Boy Floyd) and Duke. I also named two of the “knowingly destined” cockerels, Stuart (Stewy) and Long Tail. And yes, I write on the packaging which bird it was.

 

[CatSeg57]

We haven't started raising chicken for meat yet, but plan to next spring. I felt weird eating the eggs from the layers at first. It's something to get over.
I'm sure I'll feel just as weird when we get the meat birds.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I still eat chicken. But I don’t raise any for meat right now. If meat gets really expensive I may. And if I ever have to put one down say for an injury I would probably eat the meat. But honestly It be rough if I ever had to butcher one of my current hens for meat. I think I would have to raise them with that in mind.

 

[Waves]

When i started to raise chickens, for a while i ate meat as well (absolutely not mine birds, i couldn't! ).
Then, some years ago, i stopped eating chicken, then turkey (like chicken-cousin). It simply began to impress me. Then, i stopped eating all meat. I asked me "why not to eat chickens but pigs, cows, ecc?" It looked to my eyes like an injustice to make this difference between birds and other animals.. My chickens definitely started my walk through vegetarianism, but i was thinking to stop eating meat since i was very young (8yy old! ). Now it's 1,5 year since i'm vegetarian!

This is just my narrative, I read your opinions with lot of interest: it is very interesting to talk about this! ☺

P.S i love to eat my chicken's eggs!!!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I have never eaten my own chickens. NO WAY. They are very close pets! I love them more than my rabbit, cats, and fish.

I eat store bought chicken because I have to....( at least right now ) and I really dislike it. I feel weird, and sad. I'm hoping to raise meat chickens ASAP>

 

[3KillerBs]

I name mine. Usually its BBQ, Deep Fried, Roasted....

The Red Boys, my Ideal packing peanuts, were Vinnie, Stew, Parm, Fry, and Fricasee.

All the chickens get food names, at least so far. Currently I have Dumpling, Omelet, Chipotle, Popcorn, Cordon, and Teriyaki. Picatta was sold.

My Brahma rooster, Marion, started out as a supposed pullet named Rosemary.

 

[dikitty]

This is our first flock of chickens so we haven't had a chance to eat them. I don't really feel weird eating chicken. We aren't planning on eating our girls but I also don't really have an issue eating them, especially since I know what they've been eating. I don't have a problem eating their eggs either.