What would you do?

[MuranoFarms]

First I need to preface this by stating this is NOT a religious discussion! I am only mentioning religion as the the how/why of a purchase request.

My stepfather was talking to a Rabbi at the flea market the other day. He mentioned guinea hens and step-dad piped up with "my daughter breeds those" which prompted a call to me. The Rabbi would like to order full grown guineas. Sometimes hens, sometimes cocks depending on the ceremony. I have never heard of this before so I had to ask 'why'. This ceremony does not harm the bird in fact the bird is released to find a new family. This is where my dilemma begins: the place is in the city. (By city I mean 15 minutes outside of Pittsburgh) He would like 6-8 birds every 2 months. That's a lot of guineas to be letting go in the city. I know once they leave my hands I get no say in what happens to them. However, making a decision to sell them knowing they will be released near a major city seems to go against what I would like for my birds.

So...what would you do? Take the $$, sell the birds and forget about it? Or take the birds future into consideration and not sell them?



Please...lets not discuss the religious part, I would like the thread to stay open. I do believe that information was a vital part of the dilemma though.
Thanks!

 

[justtoni44]

Talk to the rabbi about the hazards.................perhaps there is another way he can deal with it.
Possibly the birds welfare is not something that has previosly taken into consideration.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I understand you feelings.
I am not trying to bring up religion, but I wish I would understand the ceramony. It might be something very important to the Rabbi.
I feel that I would also want to know where they would end up. Dead would be better than wandering, to me.
I once had a related problem, but it wasn't so much religious as cultural. Some asian customers had been buying ducks and duck eggs and then they had a special request for ducks eggs that had been incubated X 1 week. They offered to pay extra for this product. Well I couldn't do it.
I am not saying that you should refuse the request. I am only telling you that I couldn't just sell something and not worry about what would happen to it afterwards.
Can you express your concerns to the Rabbi, without refusing him? Perhaps he can set your mind at ease. I just don't know.

 

[MuranoFarms]

The way he explained the ceremony, releasing the bird releases their sins. Then it goes on to find a new family. So I believe the release is an integral part of it. I have googled it to death and can find nothing about it at all!

Since he's asking for so many of them, I just keep thinking of how mad they are going to be in that neighborhood when a dozen guineas take up residence in the closest clump of trees! This is a pretty expensive part of the city. Houses are not far apart. Lawns are manicured and gardens are landscaped. With no free range area they will destroy some greenery! They are not going to appreciate that noise! Also, aren't there laws about releasing domestic animals? I mean.....even though people do it (

) it's not legal to dump Easter ducks in the park! How would releasing guineas be different? Especially since they are being purchased for release! Could I get into trouble for it?


I was talking to mom about it and jokingly said that they could come here and 'rent' the guineas to release on my property! lol

As for the 1/2 incubated duck eggs....that's a delicacy (I use that word quite loosely here) and some hatcheries charge a good price for it. Apparently after the embryo dies their is a preparation process that makes them edible

I couldn't do it either.

 

[robin416]

The fact you're asking for opinions here shows that you're not comfortable with the idea and that the birds' welfare is more important to you than the money.

I personally would not do it. Knowing Guineas as I do what he has described to you would hurt them. Guineas are a serious flock bird, being turned out in the middle of unknown territory by itself will be torture to one. Just watching one of mine holler for its bud or mate until they find them again is enough for me to say no.

 

[Finn's Mom]

I also would not do it. Surely there are laws about purposely releasing animals (of any sort) that would prohibit that activity. Maybe you could call up animal control and find out?

 

[MuranoFarms]

Mom called and asked me if I was going to sell him birds, and I told her no. She said she thinks he already does this ceremony, but she's not positive. I still can't find a thing about it online. However, since I believe it's illegal to release domestic animals into the wild I don't want to supply them.

Thanks everyone for your input!

 

[lorieMN]

I would talk to him more first before I said "no"..explain your concerns and the laws..and see if he will let you go to the thing and catch them again..may as well keep selling him the same birds over and over if he is ok with it..if he is not and says they need to find another family,then no I wouldnt sell to him..