Romance Meets Reality

[BantyChooks]

My toddler is being a bit needy so I couldn't read the rest of your post but please don't kill yourself. You can still have BYC in a nursing home.

Don't worry, I am not planning on it any time soon. I've still got some life left in me

 

[BantyChooks]

I think it's not so much struggling because I have to part with them as it is knowing that they are going to be eaten. That's what bothers me.

Can you eat storebought chicken? Or is it just your chickens that bother you? Just curious.

 

[Matilda Belle]

Can you eat storebought chicken? Or is it just your chickens that bother you? Just curious.

I eat chicken, but I could never eat my own.

 

[BantyChooks]

I eat chicken, but I could never eat my own.

Gotcha.

 

[Matilda Belle]

I guess I should never say never. Since I got chickens a year ago, I've done a lot of things I never thought I could do. lol

 

[BantyChooks]

I guess I should never say never. Since I got chickens a year ago, I've done a lot of things I never thought I could do. lol

It took me two years to even be able to cull sick birds on my own. Three before I could process for meat. A lot of things changed in that time. Who knows, it might happen to you too. For now, it's just good that you're able to make the right choices for the health of your flock, even if they are hard.

 

[Shadrach]

It doesn't get any easier.
I try to keep as many roosters as I possibly can.
A 1:1 ratio is possible but you need lots of space and of course it all goes pear shaped the first hatch.
I keep 4 separate groups, each with a rooster and 3 of those groups now have the roosters son living with them. Mostly it works but you have to be prepared for conflict and if necessary be prepared to either eat a rooster occasionally or as I have done in the past, give away breeding pairs, often to people who want to start keeping chickens.
Quite a few keepers manage a 1;3 ratio very successfully. there are reasons why this works which I won't go into here.

 

[roosterhavoc]

It doesn't get any easier.
I try to keep as many roosters as I possibly can.
A 1:1 ratio is possible but you need lots of space and of course it all goes pear shaped the first hatch.
I keep 4 separate groups, each with a rooster and 3 of those groups now have the roosters son living with them. Mostly it works but you have to be prepared for conflict and if necessary be prepared to either eat a rooster occasionally or as I have done in the past, give away breeding pairs, often to people who want to start keeping chickens.
Quite a few keepers manage a 1;3 ratio very successfully. there are reasons why this works which I won't go into here.

A lot depends on breed. 1-1 ratio works just fine without over mating with gamefowl.

 

[Shadrach]

A lot depends on breed. 1-1 ratio works just fine without over mating with gamefowl.

Yes, breed has a major impact I would agree.
It works fine with jungle fowl as well.

 

[aart]

I think it's not so much struggling because I have to part with them as it is knowing that they are going to be eaten. That's what bothers me.

So as long as you don't know they will eaten, it's ok?
All the chicks you sell, you won't know ....but those males might be eaten too.
Reality is, creating more chickens will led to some deaths.

and gave two away to a nice couple that intended on eating them.

Curious about this couple...were they Asian...I hear there can be a market for silkie meat within that culture.