trying to figure out what todo.....could be a touchy subject for some

[bethandjoeync]

I raise this topic here because this is about using chickens as food not pets

we have some friends that are interested in chicks..
..well not for raising them and eating them....but for feeding them to his snakes as actual food.

also we have a friend that is from Vietnam and is interested in partially incubated eggs for human consumption, called Balut. which would be very lucrative, if we could incubate enough eggs to satify the demand that is already there.

the thing is...could I do it? mentally and emotionally i mean? (this is coming from Beth btw, Joey would probably be all for it)

does anyone do either of these?

just curious

 

[GarlicEater]

I know snake people will buy mice, rats, chicks, etc and feed them to their pets. This does not mean YOU have to sell them for this purpose, of course. But it is commonly done.

As for balut, I think I'd have to be AWFULLY hungry to eat one. But I wonder what they sell for? I wonder if chicken balut or duck balut are more popular? Most of us cringe at the idea of balut but we happily eat mass-produced chicken, pork, and beef.

For you, you have to decide what you want to do. It's a free country, you're free NOT to do anything

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
After the terrible time I had getting eggs to hatch last year, I could have made a fortune selling Balut.

 

[Imp]

There was someone on here last year that said they made a lot of money selling Balut. You might try searching for the thread.

Imp

I just did a BYC search

keyword- balut

topic only

got about 10 threads.

 

[schellie69]

Only you know if you could do this. On the chicks I am sure if I did not know for sure where they where going I would be okay.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Quote:
After the terrible time I had getting eggs to hatch last year, I could have made a fortune selling Balut.

BAHAHAHA I was thinking the same thing!

no really to the OP; my thoughts are this - they are meat birds, does it really matter on which day of their life they get eaten? If they were in the wild they would regularly be eaten in the shell and as chicks as well, it's nature. we are removed from that aspect these days but it's still there.

 

[BunsNChicks]

I don't think I would have a problem with it...but then again I raise food for my dogs to eat. Maybe the best way to think about it is to just try and stay as emotionally removed from it as possible...not really sure how to explain that. We raise some rabbits and for those that produce for us they have a forever home, and a great one at that! (regardless of whether they cease to produce or not) but the babies...well they are for eating lol! Our breeding stock have a great life, spoiled, fed and named. I can't eat anything that has a name.

 

[booker81]

If I had the market, I would consider it, but at this point, I'd rather grow 'em and eat 'em

I would have no qualms about helping someone procur healthy food for their snake or reptiles, no would I have a qualm about Balut.

My only caveat would be that they are handled safely and if chicks for feed, with a quick death or good care until it's their time. For Balut, I would want to make sure that there is minimal wasting of it. Would seem a right shame to incubate only to have them thrown out for whatever reason.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Well it's your decision but for me, I'm wanting to make sexlinks so selling the boys would usually be difficult. I'm planing to grow them out as food so if I could sell them as chicks it would save me the cost of raising them.

As for Balut, I think it's incredibly gross but hey, if selling it brings in the money to feed my chickens I'd consider it. For me it would depend on the price I could get for the eggs verses the price I could get for the chicks.

 

[aggie9296]

Depends on your comfort level and how attached you get. I can eat chicken, just not ones that I have named!