Strictly pet chickens! Anyone??

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I think it is OK to feel that way RFBL.

I actually never heard of keeping a chicken for strictly pet purposes until I joined BYC. This is a great place for you to be.

Chickens are a huge source of food ( we don't have K-9 teeth for nothing

) and that is natural for those of us who view them as livestock/food to talk about things like that. Don't let it upset you and get you down and run you off from this site because this is the most chicken friendly place I have ever seen.

And I was surprised to see the BYC poll results on why you own chickens. I am from an area where no one considers them pets but livestock and to see so many choose them as just pets was surprising to me, but in a nice way. I think it is great to give some chickens the opportunity to live out a wonderful life as a pet.

 

[MagsC]

Though I was raised in and around farms so dont find the thought of eating chicken abhorrent (?), I just plan to keep mine as pets and for eggs.

 

[NEK38583]

I use to do that. I use to keep them for the day they hatch till the day the die. Now have a 2 year rule when a chicken turns 2 I sale it, but every now and then I come across a chicken that I can't sell. I have some that are so old here that they are eligble for medicare.

 

[suburbanminifarm]

Mine are strictly family pets. (As you can see by my avatar) My 7yo DD is like a small Paris Hilton with her "purse chicken." I don't live "in the country." I happen to be a lifelong vegetarian. I'm new to BYC but there are all kinds of nice people here, i'ts a big forum.

 

[Eggie and Me]

Quote:

someone else from CA

Like you, we are in the city and are just lucky enough to have several neighbors w/chickens. We've only had our gals since 4/15/09. They were 2 days old and we fell instantly in love. We read and planned on easter eggers, but when the local feed store only got Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks we jumped in. We bought 4 RIR's and 3 BR's. Monday they turned 19 wks old and we are in no hurry for eggs. They will be nice, but not necessary. Our gals have their own "rooster" our 5 yr old long haired mini doxie, Boomer. They follow him around the yard and when they are free ranging in our back yard should I come into the house for a minute, when I come back to the door all 8 of them are standing there waiting for me. They are just way to wonderful...

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I'm not sure where we fall in. We'd never (probably... can't really ever say never) eat our own chickens. All have names and are pets with benefits.

That said, as they get on in years we'd be okay with other people taking them and, if they desire, eat them... we just don't want to know much about it... don't ask / don't tell.

 

[Laurieks]

PETS! The only ones who leave here are extra roos going to the feed store, hopefully to be pets, since they're banties.

Quote:
I could run a retirement home for 'past their productive life' city chickens! As long as they all got along. With visitation on weekends and holidays

DH would love that, hehe.

Nite all,
L

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
That's not wierd at all. When you hunt, you're not hunting a deer that you raised from babyhood, bottle fed, petted and made over, sweet talked, etc. Plus, killing with a gun or arrow is a little more emotionally distant than killing with your hands or an ax up, close and personal.
My chickens will be stictly pets (notice how by a mere switching of a few letters that word changes to pest...lol) I have no ill feelings toward farmers and others who raise their own food, nor against hunters who hunt for food. Like many of you on here, I couldn't kill any animal I'd named and cared for in pet fashion...well...unless it was suffering/in pain...then my DH would have to do it.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
This is an interesting question, so I hope you don't mind my sharing my thoughts, even though I may not entirely be a fellow traveler.

I never had a pet or wanted one. I got my chickens as livestock - for eggs, manure for the garden, and to help keep the insect population down. They were meant to be part of an organic backyard food production system.

HOWEVER, I'm growing fond of them. Also, in an effort to get my grandchildren involved, I allowed them to name the chickens. What would I say to them now if I decided to cull one that is no longer a productive layer???

On the other hand, we live in a city and are allowed to have only four. If I keep all the non-productive layers, how will I achieve my original goal of getting healthy eggs?

It's a quandary... Probably I would try to re-home them. I've heard that some people do that - that there are people who like to keep them just for pets and not worry about eggs.

So I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Quote:
This has to be the most chicken-friendly, non-utilitarian place I have seen. I can't imagine that you'd find anywhere better. Frankly, I was kind of surprised to find so many people who treat them as beloved pets. Have you seen the "you're a crazy chicken person if" thread? Some of those people admit to putting a sick chicken in bed with them!

I'll reserve my opinion of that - so I don't get kicked off this board. From my perspective, this is a very polite site - almost too polite. Sometimes it seems like even respectful disagreement or questioning is discouraged.

Anyway - back to your point. I think you'll find plenty of fellow travelers here. Best to you and your chickens!

Katherine

My knowledge of chickens could fit on the head of a pin, but.... I've read that some chickens continue laying till old age, just not as many eggs and more sporadically. THAT would be a good question to post. Ask people about egg production in thier older hens. Anyhow, my optimistic point was: Maybe yours will continue to lay for a long time, just not as prolifically?????

 

[nwgirl]

My chickie babies are my pets. They are about 20 weeks old and are spoiled rotten! I had to rehome the rooster a couple months ago. Saddest thing ever! I'm the type of person that quickly gets attached, so it was really, really hard to do, but I made sure he went to a good home.

I wanted chickens for so long but I never imagined I would love them so much.

Chickens rock!