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Remember that any chicken that you raise and eat will have had the best life possible for a chicken and a death which is fast, painless, and free of panic and trauma. All small farmed meat tastes better for the
sanity of the animals as much as anything, but also for your clear conscience that what you eat has not been deprived of life while it was living.
If it helps not to name them, do it, but what would help me is knowing that they're not Cornish Xs who've been kept in tiny boxes with nothing to do except eat and not even the room to stand up and flap their wings and stretch. I may not know them personally, but I know the ones you raise will be happier, for whatever chickens feel as happieness.
We did not name the 3 boys I brought away, and the kids know our birds live a good life, it is mostly that it is such a short life, and I did not think that chickens would recognize me enough to run out of the new flock they were with to follow me around the pen. They may not end up as food, but even pulling them away from everything they know has me feeling bad.
I bought a 1/2 pig when I was there too - He asked me to follow him into the barn and pick out the one I wanted. I couldn't pick one out, most of the hogs were big, ugly noisy, disgusting pink animals, but one pen had 3 calmer, younger pigs. Two were black and white with long eyelashes. Those were the ones I had to choose from. I told him it did not matter which one. The farm we buy the quarter beef from sends out holiday cards when we are already enjoying our steaks with the cows on them. At least now they are doing a cow group shot. I'm just a wimp. I went to Germany the summer I turned 16. My aunt and uncle took me to a fancy restauraunt on a lake with stockponds containing all the fish. I love fish, but I can't look at my animal food when it is still alive. You walk stroll through beautiful gardens with the chef and net boy and look at all the fish swimming in the ponds as the chef describes what delicacy he will make with each type of fish. You tell the chef which one you want on your dinner plate. Then he instructs net boy to scoop the fish out of the pond. I couldn't do it. I ordered the only non-fish item on the menu; a hamburger! (at least we were very near Hamburg). Instead of the waiter, the chef came out with my meal and made a huge scene in the fancy dining room. "This is for the American!" and he slammed down a plate in front of me, the burger was covered with about 20 little kiddie toys of the type you might find in a happy meal! I don't know who was more embarrassed - me or my relatives! Some people scoffed, some laughed, a couple clapped. The chef stormed out of the dining room, and after all that, I had a hard time enjoying my meal!
OMG can we say "sensitive"!! really why does it matter what you order as long as it's on the menu!!??? Jeez, well hang in there, you do the best you can, and you give them a great place to live, that's what important, what you do after that.... is your business right?? I can't say at this point I could cull my laying hens, I should.... but, I would rather give them to someone who may use them, then put them in the freezer, that's where I am right now, when I have chickens hanging off my earlobes, then.... culling probably won't be the problem.
