Why Do People Buy Live Chicks From Breeders and Farm Stores‭?

[Kessel23]

You don't know what it was. You don't know if it's legal to kill it, or the circumstaces under which you may protect your livestock here. You don't know anything about this place.
It seems to me you have nothing constructive to add to the conversation.

Yeah, and apparently you don't know what it was either. Also, you said it was illegal yourself I do not need to have any prior knowledge about "this place" to know what you did was illegal there because you already told me it was illegal! You said you can't kill predators because your birds are in a national park and then you go on to explain how you killed a predator, all in the same post too! And when I say it was illegal you get mad at me for pretty much clarifying what you told us yourself?

Also, you had a pretty strong opinion on how I was not a responsible chicken owner and I "cared to much about cost." Well I have an opinion about you, you are irresponsible because you let your birds free range in a national park, you are pretty much feeding the wildlife. Very irresponsible, if you get chickens how about you protect them from predators?

A national park seems like a horrible place to raise chickens in the first place, I know you talked about how horrible they were treated before and how you saved them but I think the best option would have been to stop raising them in an area full of predators that you can't legally kill.

The notion that keeping chickens outside in an area full of predators that you can't protect them from is acceptable or even a better option than keeping them in a run is in my view false and harmful to chicken welfare in the long run.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Yeah, and apparently you don't know what it was either. Also, you said it was illegal yourself I do not need to have any prior knowledge about "this place" to know what you did was illegal there because you already told me it was illegal! You said you can't kill predators because your birds are in a national park and then you go on to explain how you killed a predator, all in the same post too! And when I say it was illegal you get mad at me for pretty much clarifying what you told us yourself?

Also, you had a pretty strong opinion on how I was not a responsible chicken owner and I "cared to much about cost." Well I have an opinion about you, you are irresponsible because you let your birds free range in a national park, you are pretty much feeding the wildlife. Very irresponsible, if you get chickens how about you protect them from predators?

A national park seems like a horrible place to raise chickens in the first place, I know you talked about how horrible they were treated before and how you saved them but I think the best option would have been to stop raising them in an area full of predators that you can't legally kill.

The notion that keeping chickens outside in an area full of predators that you can't protect them from is acceptable or even a better option than keeping them in a run is in my view false and harmful to chicken welfare in the long run.

I believe the OP said that these were not his chickens and the owners would not let him change anything about how they were kept.

 

[Shadrach]

I spoke to the park wardens this morning in an attempt to clarify what is and what isn’t protected and what the animal was that I killed.
The same have been patrolling this area for a number of years now and have set humane traps for various animals that may prey on farm stock.
The largest problem animal is the wild boar. It doesn’t eat chickens but a family of wild boar can turn a vegetable garden into a bomb site.
There is a boar hunting season and here it’s a big deal. The local gun club run around the woods with a pack of dogs blowing horns and letting off firearms. The serious hunters come at night which is illegal and often use cross bows.
As I understand it now there are some animals that you may not hunt, or trap with any trap unless set by the park wardens.
Pine Marten
Geneta ( a type of wild cat)
Badger
Cabirol ( a small deer)
There are a number of falcons and other birds of prey that are on the protected list but strangely the goshawk isn’t protected; I had understood that it was.
You are entitled to protect your livestock against any predator but you must inform the park wardens if you believe a predator is taking livestock. There doesn’t seem to be a clear rule regarding catch a predator in the act.
I’m going to try and get a copy of the park rules translated into English.
Apparently what I killed was a pole cat.

I would also like to point out that I had in this post mentioned that wasn’t entirely clear on the park regulations regarding protecting livestock.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...nd-farm-stores‭.1277093/page-25#post-20562136

Back on topic, this is a newspaper report on hatcheries.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...liners-processed-assembly-line-like-dead.html

 

[roosterhavoc]

Pole cat = ferret

 

[Shadrach]

Pole cat = ferret

Same family I think. The pole cats here came from Morroco I'm told

 

[Molpet]

Back on topic, this is a newspaper report on hatcheries.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...liners-processed-assembly-line-like-dead.html

some is true, worse is the layer hatcheries... most of the boys are 'disposed of"
" The video goes on to highlight how the chicks are sent to industrial growth farms and pumped with growth hormones, growing to full size within just 40 days
....
The footage, which has now been viewed more than 30million times, is believed to have been shot in the USA, although practices are similar in Britain. "

but
It is illegal to use growth hormones in USA, and having raised CX they don't need it. CX have leg heart and other problems anyway. I have issues with how factory farms raise our meat. This is why I raise my own. At least they only have one bad day.

 

[Shadrach]

some is true, worse is the layer hatcheries... most of the boys are 'disposed of"
" The video goes on to highlight how the chicks are sent to industrial growth farms and pumped with growth hormones, growing to full size within just 40 days
....
The footage, which has now been viewed more than 30million times, is believed to have been shot in the USA, although practices are similar in Britain. "

but
It is illegal to use growth hormones in USA, and having raised CX they don't need it. CX have leg heart and other problems anyway. I have issues with how factory farms raise our meat. This is why I raise my own. At least they only have one bad day.

There are more videos on the net. None are very pleasant.
I think hatcheries are pretty much the same in Europe.

 

[CCUK]

I've been reading this from my first and only comment on this thread. I've read the agreements and disagreements, the deleted posts and contradictions. One thing that I think we all agree on is that commercially reared chickens for either food or eggs get a increasingly bum deal. In response to @Shadrach's video and all the other videos that show how they are treated there is a Ray of hope. In the UK we have a several ex battery rehoming charities, one is cited on my signiture. This is a clip of the fantastic work they do. If only more could be done.

 

[Mosey2003]

There are no growth hormones being used in chickens in the USA. The only hormones used are for beef cattle, and that's a whole other discussion.

 

[Shadrach]

I've been reading this from my first and only comment on this thread. I've read the agreements and disagreements, the deleted posts and contradictions. One thing that I think we all agree on is that commercially reared chickens for either food or eggs get a increasingly bum deal. In response to @Shadrach's video and all the other videos that show how they are treated there is a Ray of hope. In the UK we have a several ex battery rehoming charities, one is cited on my signiture. This is a clip of the fantastic work they do. If only more could be done.

I can’t think of anything I would like to do more.
It’s lovely to see a video like that. Thank you for posting it.
If you have time, and know of other re-homing projects in the UK, Bristol area I would like to hear from you please. PM is fine.

I’ve had a few rescue hens here; tossed into the woods because someone didn’t want them any more. They arrived here covered in lice, beaks clipped, feathers in a terrible state. One hen in particular had never flown before. I can still the first time she jumped from the rockery wall and unsteadily flew into the vegetable garden.
I think you are doing a great thing.