Who could stand to butcher their chickens

[Leafrivermac]

Having been raised on a farm I view my chickens as a source of meat and eggs. If they don't supply one or the other I see them as a waste of space. They do provide me a good amount of enjoyment seeing them scratch around the place and some do have thier own unique personalities. I feel that it's important to take good care of them thru ample feed and clean water. And I do often buy them treats and give them scraps to enhance their short stay in my care.
I believe that rotating my flock every couple of yrs or so will make it more productive and aide in keeping diseases down. Mostly I'm doing good to rotate by choice as the competition from my neighbors dogs and cats and a healthy coon and hawk population is also an issue when I choose to range my flock once in a while.

 

[rockin4branch]

In the sense that there were some who couldn't fathom owning chickens and not butchering them, I see/feel/think the exact opposite. I couldn't imagine owning any livestock and that animal not serving any purpose but companionship. The pet-only theory just baffles my mind. Even our dogs serve a purpose beyond companionship on our farm. BUT I digress...as it was stated, to each their own.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I do a lot of breeding. If I kept every chick that was hatched here, there wouldn't be any room for me. Surplus pullets and hens are usually sold easily. Cockerels and roosters, not so much. Most of the people interested in buying roosters want to eat them, it's just reality. So, rather than send them off to face an unknown fate or lie to myself and believe that they have a nice green pasture and their own hens, my family makes use of them. I know that here they have the best care I can possibly give them, they're happy, they're not scared. And when the day comes that they are to be butchered, they go out exactly the same way. As humanely as I can possibly manage.

Even if I weren't breeding, we'd probably still raise chickens specifically to butcher every year. Why? My family and I like chicken. And I feel better eating food I've raised myself under happy, healthy conditions vs. what comes wrapped in plastic from the grocery store.

 

[acro1010]

It is what it is. Like you said some like pets others see an animal for what it is, an animal. Some do amuse u or we find enjoyment out of them but in the end they are still animals.

 

[acro1010]

I am not sure yet I can but I don't view them as anything more than animal. I regard humans much higher than any animal even lower
"pond scum" ones. We need to have a proper view of animals versus humans. Humans can and do change, they also can exercise their free will. I would rather have love from a human versus a human dependent animal any day.

 

[Sjisty]

We tried raising Cornish for eating. I'm a softy (wimp) but I think I could process the bird once it's dead. Hubby (who used to hunt when younger) is also a softy, so can't kill them. We had a friend process our meaties and yes, they did taste good, but all in all we prefer to go to the grocery store for our chickens.

Our current flock is about 40 chickens. We have some 8-year-old hens who do still occasionally lay for us. Our oldest chickens, one banty and two Jersey Giants, still lay regularly. The older Brahma's are not laying as regularly.

We do hatch and raise chicks, selling or giving them away when they are grown. Some do manage to worm their way into our affection and are added to our permanent flock. They are pets who do supply us with eggs, so aren't totally useless. Their main purpose is to give us endless joy and peace when outside with them. The best stress relief is my one hen, Alma, who will sit in my lap for as long as I am willing to stroke her, and the antics of the younger ones keep us laughing.

To further give an example as to how far gone we are - we have three chickens who "knock" on the front door and come inside to lay their eggs! We have a dog crate in the kitchen for them. They lay their eggs and then go back to the front door and "sing" to be let out. Our oldest Brahma hen, Frack, is even housebroken and she comes as goes as she pleases, thus her nickname "The Queen."

Nope, I'm not going to eat my chickens!

 

[acro1010]

WOW! That i an unusual and awesome situation you have. I see being a softie and having those kind of chickens how you can't do it.

 

[Shellz]

I was one of those 'could never kill any animal folks.' No offense to those who don't or can't. It's a choice. My family comes from a long line of farmers & although I never lived on a farm growing up, I always wanted to have my own. Everything changed when I got my hobby farm up & running. Yes, we have our favorites, but we're also practical. I'm raising my favorite breed & couldn't be happier. They provide ample meat & eggs for our small family of 3. Last year we harvested our first cockerels at 17 1/2 weeks. They each provided a 5 lb carcass that fed us 2 meals & stock for soup. Tasty & tender roasts that are hard to beat. One bad day that was over swiftly/humanely. They don't come cheap, but we're willing to pay the extra cost of knowing where our meat comes from & having chickens that act like chickens. Again, a choice - no offense to cornish x raisers here. Nope, it wasn't easy to process our first birds, but it did get easier.

Think of it this way...somebody has to kill the animals that provide for your meat needs. I would rather a humane processor do it or ourselves.

 

[Blammmo]

"Without death there is no life" we are all part of the cycle, even vegans or vegetarians take lives whether they want to admit it or not. Every living thing on this planet relies on the life cycle. Humans have just become de-sensitized to their natural role in the ecosystem. Do I like to see my chickens fall to my own hand? Of course not, but they do so with me knowing they lived a much more natural, comfortable life as compared to the life the chicken you buy from the store had to live.

 

[Clay Mudd]

I have to admit... I find butchering excess/mean roosters easy, but I always find an excuse to keep old hens around. Mind you, I consider their bug-eating, compost-turning activities to be the main point anyway, but still, sooner or later, I'm gonna have to boil me some hens.