Venting about Roosters

[Jetsko]

To be fair, most pet stores don't really sell many pets, just pet supplies. For example, hedgehogs are pets, but to get one, you usually have to go through a breeder, because I've never seen a pet store sell a hedgehog. Same with the Bengal cat breed. Never seen one for sale at a pet store. Just because a pet store doesn't sell a certain type of animal pet doesn't mean that the animal is never meant to be a pet. There are plenty of people who have wonderful pet chickens that function in every way as a pet.

I agree with everything else you said though! To me, chickens make super-versatile pets. Sometimes they make tasty ones too!

 

[cleoandtheflock]

I kept two for breeding and I have meat chicks. I see no issues in meat chickens or raising your own meat.

I'm an animal lover, but that does not mean my family doesn't eat chicken. I don't eat meat, but I'll butcher it for my family. I have livestock and I have pets.

I think it's funny when people say they couldn't kill a chicken, but buy chicken meat at the grocery store.

I myself don’t eat animals but could watch or kill a chicken if necessary. I also thinks it’s just silly people could never even watch a chicken be killed but happily go buy some chicken for dinner at the store! I love animals but think we should treat them right.

 

[FortCluck]

I myself don’t eat animals but could watch or kill a chicken if necessary. I also thinks it’s just silly people could never even watch a chicken be killed but happily go buy some chicken for dinner at the store! I love animals but think we should treat them right.

I feel like it's strange people will eat chicken, but won't watch one be butchered.

 

[Kusanar]

I feel like it's strange people will eat chicken, but won't watch one be butchered.

I haven't been around for the killing of anything I have eaten, but I am quite aware that meat was once alive and I can take a deer apart with the best of them.... once it is gutted and cold...

 

[FortCluck]

I haven't been around for the killing of anything I have eaten, but I am quite aware that meat was once alive and I can take a deer apart with the best of them.... once it is gutted and cold...

Some think meat grows in styrofoam at the grocery store

 

[Kusanar]

Some think meat grows in styrofoam at the grocery store

Yeah... I know.... I actually want to build a cold room at my farm so we can process big things (like deer or cow) more easily as there is a room that will stay cold to hang them in and butcher in the cold and dry. As it is, it's hard to get deer season and cold enough to hang outside to happen at the same time and you really need to hang them at least overnight to finish bleeding out before chunking them up.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some think meat grows in styrofoam at the grocery store

So sad but true. A friend of mine (city gal) asked me if I grew potatoes in my garden, and when I said I hadn't tried it, she said, "You should! You can just pick them from a tree like a tomato."

 

[FortCluck]

So sad but true. A friend of mine (city gal) asked me if I grew potatoes in my garden, and when I said I hadn't tried it, she said, "You should! You can just pick them from a tree like a tomato."

 

[igorsMistress]

I can't fault people for keeping chickens as pets, and I'm blown away that people didn't see it coming when keeping chickens started becoming popular.

If all a person has is hens, it's easy to see them as pets, they're just large birds after all. They'll eat from your hand, some enjoy petting or being held, etc. There are leashes for them even. So when they get a cockerel when buying pullets it can throw a person, especially if that person became quite attached before the roo revealed himself.

When I first decided to keep chickens, they were pets with benefits. My grandkids held them, they ate from my hand, I loved them. We had 6 six pullets, until we had 5 pullets and a roo who kept even very seasoned folks here guessing on gender for a long time. I kept him until we knew he wouldn't work with our situation and then we put him down. We cried because he was a pet.

My views have changed over time though. It takes work to not become attached to an animal I care for every day because I love animals. I also eat meat, and breed my birds to feed my family. It took time for me to get here and I NEVER thought I could do it.

I've lived on a farm, I know where meat comes from. Living in the city removed me from that process and I became soft. It's how most of America has grown up. Can't fault that, people need a job to live and most of those are in cities.

So, having been on both sides of the fence, I don't blame people for trying to keep a loved pet. Pets are thrown away so easily by people, visit a shelter sometime, that I root for those trying any means possible to keep those boys. Even though it often doesn't work.

BYC is often divided on the subject of roosters. You have the kill them now crowd and the do everything possible crowd. Neither is wrong, the camps just need to learn that not everyone has the same views and one way doesn't work for everyone.

 

[FortCluck]

I've been on both sides of the fence too in my point of view has changed over the past few years.

I think I am in both of those crowds, it depends on what I'm working with. Sid I did everything possible for, but rehomed him instead of butchering him.

I know that people say to roosters cannot live together peacefully if there are not enough hens, but I have changed my view on that the past few weeks. We got HeiHei when we got rid of Sid who was 'Squatches brother because he was being a bit aggressive towards everyone even people. We put HeiHei in and Squatch has been best friends with him since. They didn't even fight...

This is HeiHei

This is Squatch (Black Jersey Giant). He's been so amazing with the chicks. He make sure that everyone gets scraps and chases the big chickens away from the chicks so they get equal food. He's just my favorite!