I agree 100% with your great thoughts.I got my Hens as pets in the first place. The eggs I get -which are very specific -are a delightful bonus. Having watched them grow, develop a personality and for them to respond to me I could no more fly to the moon than 'process' them. I assume that means dispatching them. What is an outbreak of MG? I'm vegetarian by the way, but that's purely my choice, but chickens are such sweet little characters - it's a shame to treat them as a commodity. I would gladly take on older birdies as pets. Wouldn't schools take them in your area or petting zoos? I hope you find a solution