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

[CatsandCrops]

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.

Joffrey, Arya, Sansa, Cersei, Daenarys, Catelyn, Margaery, Shae...and Dee (You're a bird Dee)

 

[rjohns39]

I raise birds for meat and eggs. I prefer my own chicken to store bought. Not only does it taste better, I know what went into them. Layers all get a pass until they quit, but extra cockerels, Toms, and CX all go to the freezer.

 

[Fowldad]

While raised on a farm and very familiar with where my food comes from I have to admit I was reserve about my first kill. I have 30ish birds, Guineas, Chickens and Ducks. The aggressive 3 Roos I wish would stop being aggressive but I'm not going to try and rehab them into what I think is best, I eat them, hence the meanest one was the first to go. The others are on 'Death Row' if you will, and will be dinner before long. I have never liked killing animals, and still am a little hesitant, however they were given to us to care for and will have had a good life. (My normal is to let them free-range 6 days a week then I leave them in the pen one day.) I refer to the Bantam's as, 'Single Serving's' and will probably let them alone for now. The Guineas I have read taste like a weak game bird so I am looking forward to tasting one. The ducks on the other hand will be hard to eat and I will probably not kill any of these first 5, However as is the case I truly have to just, 'wait and see'. Basically I don't foresee eating any of the ones I have named. But with that said, I have only named about 1/3rd of the flock so go figure.

I don't believe I'll ever go to a non-meat diet as I like bacon with my eggs and meat to go with my mashed potatoes and gravy. I respect and thank those who do not eat meat as this will leave more for me! I very much enjoy gardening and now the fowls can eat the excess. So this gives me an excuse to plant more! In closing I want to say that the major factor in my getting fowls was bug control and eggs, plus the grandbabies wanted Ducks and Chickens and Guineas Ho MY!

 

[Tre3hugger]

I started raising meat birds this year, and now will not buy chicken from the grocery store/a factory farm. My freezer is full of chicken meat I produced and it feels really good. Tastes great too! I know those birds had a stellar life and I feel both humbled and proud when I sit down to eat them. If anything, I feel weird now when I think about grocery store meat and the lives they led. If I can prevent my sustenance being a direct result of cruelty, I will.

 

[Acre4Me]

We eat chicken and eggs. We got chickens, in part, to eat their eggs, and meat. But, those were not our only reasons for getting chickens.

we’ve eaten cockerels we’ve raised. They are good (as long as they get aged a few days), and different breeds bring some mildly different tastes and textures to the table.

We’ve raised Cornish x as well, and butchered 4 batches now - they can’t be beat for efficiently going from chick to a several-meal sized carcass in a short time. But, wow...the poop!

It does not bother us to raise, then eat a cockerel. We have not butchered any egg layers, so I can’t say how we would feel about eating any of them. We interact more with the egg layers.

we had an older relative (a city girl through and through) ask us how we could eat something we raised, and they thought they never could do that. Nor did they think they could eat the eggs that they got from their flock. But, let’s be honest, that city girl was never going to raise any kind of livestock, ever.

raising chickens for eggs and meat, gets one out of the house (like most animal care) and away from the sedentary activities we can so easily get sucked into nowadays.

 

[LizzzyJo]

While I very rarely kill and butcher (and then only boys) there is a large part of me that believes that every non vegetarian should take the life of their meal at least once. If a person eats meat, then they should be taught to respect the animal and know what goes into their bodies. If they can’t bring themselves to kill and butcher then maybe they shouldn’t be eating meat. Just a thought.

 

[Acre4Me]

If they can’t bring themselves to kill and butcher then maybe they shouldn’t be eating meat

well, except many live in Situations where they would be completely unable to do this. An apartment block, for example. Or physically limited and unable to complete this task. I understand the concept, but would not play out in real world.

 

[Tre3hugger]

well, except many live in Situations where they would be completely unable to do this. An apartment block, for example. Or physically limited and unable to complete this task. I understand the concept, but would not play out in real world.

Living on a city block doesn't limit you from participating one time in your life at another location. Or going to the country to hunt a couple times a year. I agree physical limitations could play a factor, but the more people seeked out this experience the more available it would become. Many people who live in all kinds of places spend time and money getting experiences they couldn't normally get at home.

I grew up a city boy in Brooklyn, NY. Now I live in the middle of a 13000 acre state forest on 5 acres of my own. Where someone is from does not have to limit their skill set or experiences.

 

[3KillerBs]

If a person eats meat, then they should be taught to respect the animal and know what goes into their bodies.

Yes.

It's important that people understand that a skinless, boneless chicken breast was not created in a factory by a magical process that provides meat without having anything to do with an animal.

 

[LizzzyJo]

well, except many live in Situations where they would be completely unable to do this. An apartment block, for example. Or physically limited and unable to complete this task. I understand the concept, but would not play out in real world.

Of course everyone has limitations. I grew up in the city, but I would go fishing on the weekends. Although it felt a little sad, I would clean and eat the fish we caught. I respected each meal of meat more once I knew the implications of it. It gave me more respect for each meal.