Strictly pet chickens! Anyone??

[Mama&thePeeps]

There seem to be a lot of us here that call our chickens "friends, not food."

 

[shay20]

our chickens are our pets, i could never raise a chicken to eat.
I also can not put one down i do want ever i can to save the chick.

 

[THough1956]

My chickens are just pets! I don't even eat the eggs. Some are show chickens!

 

[sparkles2307]

Hey that Therapy Pet idea is good! I work in Social Services and I know there are a lot of kids who need animal therapy but I think theres only one place in the county that does it... Now you got me thinkin!

 

[desertgirl]

Vegetarian here.

Friends don't eat friends.

 

[mamaKate]

I don't have the space or desire to raise meat birds. My two chickens were supposed to be working pets. The dogs guard the house, the cats do rodent control and the chickens were SUPPOSED to provide eggs, manure and do bug patrol. They're certainly pulling their weight as far as manure is concerned but they refuse to eat anything except chick starter

. As for eggs, they're still too young . There has been some debate as to the gender of my BO. A roo would be disappointing but the bird is here to stay; even if that means keeping a house chicken to spare the neighbors.

 

[danischi24]

My chickens are my children & I'm not even a great egg fan. My pullet has a better life than my dog! She cuddles in bed (the dog isn't allowed in bed as she sheds), has a mealworm farm just for her & is getting 2 imported friends soon. She is bathed, sprayed for parasites, her nails & beak trimmed often.

 

[chickie momma di]

hi guys
i can understand if someone raises and humanely processes their birds to feed their family in a better way. I however could not at least not now anyway. new to the chicken thing (less than a year).
I am not of that mindset. We just spent $90 to take our Gracie to a vet cause she was havin problems. Love the eggs as an added bennefit. My birds give me peace of mind when I've had a terrible day. They give me joy and peace just watching them do what they do. They work hard eating the undesired pests in my garden and yard and provide the best fertilizer. They will live their entire lives w/ us knowing they will loved and well cared for until they pass on their own.

I would however be humane enough to not let any animal suffer if not able to fix whatever might be wrong. Unfortunately had that experiance w/ a cat, dog, and a ferret. broke my heart and still angry w/myself for not being stronger sooner can't stand to see them suffer.

Was also a veg for 2yrs. Not now but still feel real guilty everytime I eat meat. Just me. Tough to do veg only when having to prepare meals for fam also.

Nice to see so many veggies out there and real nice to see folks who keep their birds for their enjoyment also.

peace and happiness always

 

[loiscae]

I plan on letting my hens live out their lives and not be slaughtered. In fact I got them becuase two of them are too old to lay and the owner was going to slaughter them!! I have one that will lay one egg a day and two that dont. I dont care, they will live on my farm and eat bugs!

 

[lovin'mychicks]

What a debate! I love the fact that we are all able to speak our minds without reproach.

I would say that our chicken farm philosophy is somewhere in the middle of the road. We raise bantam chickens for pleasure. They are our pets and they all have names. Their eggs are used to hatch or sold to hatch not eat. Because of their compact nature, they are fun for the kids and people enjoy watching them and having them (requiring less space/feed than larger chickens)

We also have some of our larger chickens that have names and they are 100% pets. I could never eat anything with a name. However, they are something we "farm." We raise them, take care of them, give them a nice home with plenty of space, we respect their needs and raise some young to sell. But at the end of the day..we will eat their eggs and them if the situation calls for it. We want to have a healthy flock that can reproduce in a healthy manner. At some point in the "farming" process some much be culled and replaced. They provide so much more to us that just substance. They are great pests controllers, they provide a wealth of knowledge and experiences to my kids, and they are enjoyable to have around!

I think that those of you who keep chickens solely as pets are awesome! It is a luxury that I do not have as They are part of our income and lifestyle. I think very highly of my birds as they provided so much for me and my family.

Thanks for letting me share!