omg..

[RAWR]

omg..i started crying when my mom suggested getting/raise'in meat birds...i dont think i could do it cause i name everything...lol
i just really dont want anything to do with it....any suggestions on how to help me along with this??

 

[FireTigeris]

Don't name those? Ask for a egg layer for each meat bird? not sure, good luck.

 

[Illia]

Ask for egg layers instead. . . Or just ask for a meat bird that isn't a broiler / Cornish X. Those are so hard to just watch live! They grow so fast and eat so much they eventually cannot even stand, and often get heart problems. I'd say if you had no choice on going meat - Get a more traditional breed.

 

[chicklips]

My first chickens were meat chickens and I was so scared that I would get attached and want to keep them. The good news is that while they were growing I got an egg laying flock as well. The egg layers were my "pets" and while I still looked after and took care of the meat chickens I wasn't sad or heart broken to see them go because I still had egg chickens. You have to seperate the two flocks in your mind one is food, the other is pleasure.

 

[RAWR]

Quote:
my mom (gonzo&hispeeps) is a do it any way

i just hate thinking about it...and i know it would be crule to keep one alive...if it wasnt, i would swip one out and put it in with the other egg layers...

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

I don't know how to help you, except think of how good they'll be lol

My grandpa used to have meat birds, his mom would say tomorrow were having chicken, go kill a chicken for dinner tomorrow.

I kind of think your lucky that your mom wants you to get meat birds, me & my brother want to get them, but I dont have room right now

Good Luck!

 

[Chickenoverload]

Get a dark cornish cause they are still meat birds and lay decently. i think they grow slower then the modern cornish crosses. Hope it helps. i would just stay away from them and act like they aren't there.

 

[hipeatall]

I know how you feel... I am still trying to figure out how to do this myself.
I currently have 28 eggs in the incubator... they are a dual purpose breed. I'm thinking if I was to end up with 14 roosters perhaps I will be able to see this topic in a whole new light

. Maybe a similar set up might work for you...
Good luck!

 

[Illia]

Quote:
There's what I'm talking about. There are plenty breeds that were bred through hundreds of years for meat that aren't a cruel creation to raise or keep, and live quite healthy lives.

Also, another thing that would help, as others have said - Try getting yourself a seperate layer flock or some pet chickens. It really does help seperate your thoughts, and lets you know that atleast some chickens around you have healthy, happy lives.

 

[HEChicken]

Well hon, I actually agree with your mom - I think it is a good idea for all of us to know where our food comes from. My kids weren't too thrilled at the idea to begin with either. We were mainly getting them for egg layers but got a straight run of chicks and they knew from the beginning that we couldn't keep the roosters. Still, they named them and grew fond of them, but when the time came, we did what we had to do. They found it wasn't nearly as traumatic as they thought it would be when they realized we were doing everything we could to minimize the stress, suffering and trauma on the birds. Also, they knew that for the 16-23 weeks we raised them, they had REALLY good lives. What might help you is to do some research on how commercial meat birds are kept and butchered. You can then compare that to how YOUR meaties are kept and realize that they have much better lives, are more humanely treated and are butchered with respect and dignity. In the end, we have to eat to survive, and this is just part of the cycle of life.