Why have chickens?

[guntha45]

completely agree, I also do my own butchering, I also feel one should have remorse.. or at the very least not enjoy it and take it seriously. I recently had to butcher a couple of roosters and boy.. it doesn't get easier does it. It's unfortunately necessary at times though.

Sounds like you get it....

 

[docteurshepherd]

Sounds like you get it....

I do, trust me. I've had chickens over a decade. What do you do when you get multiple roosters and you can't find a home for them? Or the rooster is so aggressive that rehoming isn't an option, or not a good one at least.

I have to say it's always so weird to me how mindsets change so drastically with different folks. You could tell somebody from the city you had to cull a couple roosters and they'd look at you like you're the devil, then tell a farmer you had to cull a couple roosters and that you felt horrible about it and they'd roll their eyes at you and think of you as overly sensitive. Making big generalizations here but hopefully you understand my point.
All in all, I try not to judge, and expect the same in return.

 

[Suzz]

I lived in the city most of my life but about 8 years ago we moved to the country I see it from both points of view while I am very sure I couldn’t kill my chickens nor would my family eat them if I did but that’s what chicken are for and there is absolutely nothing wrong with killing and eating chickens done humanly of course on those Alaska shows they thank the animals for their sacrifice and for feeding their families

 

[guntha45]

I do, trust me. I've had chickens over a decade. What do you do when you get multiple roosters and you can't find a home for them? Or the rooster is so aggressive that rehoming isn't an option, or not a good one at least.

I have to say it's always so weird to me how mindsets change so drastically with different folks. You could tell somebody from the city you had to cull a couple roosters and they'd look at you like you're the devil, then tell a farmer you had to cull a couple roosters and that you felt horrible about it and they'd roll their eyes at you and think of you as overly sensitive. Making big generalizations here but hopefully you understand my point.
All in all, I try not to judge, and expect the same in return.

We are on the same page. I do understand better the reaction of farmers as they have had to deal with the death of animals far more than "hobby farmers" like me. They just become desensitized to it, they kind of have to. I think they just do what they do without emotion even though I don't think they like doing it, at least the ones I know. Modern society has become so "spoiled" that many have no idea about having to do things that are quite unpleasant. Even though we're "uncomfortable" with it, and don't "like" doing, it we are still able to do it.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours

 

[docteurshepherd]

We are on the same page. I do understand better the reaction of farmers as they have had to deal with the death of animals far more than "hobby farmers" like me. They just become desensitized to it, they kind of have to. I think they just do what they do without emotion even though I don't think they like doing it, at least the ones I know. Modern society has become so "spoiled" that many have no idea about having to do things that are quite unpleasant. Even though we're "uncomfortable" with it, and don't "like" doing, it we are still able to do it.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours

Yep completely agree with you on all that. Happy thanksgiving to you and yours as well!!

 

[Jerhanner]

My son is 16, so he doesn't need me as much any more, and there's no grandkids on the horizon for a LONG time. I have 4 chickens - 2 rescued from a friend's stewpot, and 2 Easter eggers, so I could have Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia! All that strange menopausal "I NEED TO NURTURE SOMETHING" energy = chicken paradise. And if the UPS guy catches me reading the paper to them, well, whatever.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I've found a lot of encouraging things on this thread. My chickens are pets and I have them for eggs but I did end up with some extra roos. I bought pullets from a lady and even though I insisted they were boys she kept promising they were girls and wouldn't take them back. My gut was right and they were boys. I don't want to cull them but it is a fact of life. I would rather they be rehomed and be able to live a rooster life, but the world is hard for roosters. I don't want to send them to be food for someone else, because I've put all this time and energy into raising them, if they are going to be food they might as well feed me.

 

[Rosebud25]

Thanks for this. I currently have 6 cockerel that I need to take care of but every day I say tomorrow and tomorrow never comes. I’ll do it Wednesday. Two at a time

Get it all over at the same time. If your going to feel bad you might as well deal with it all in one day at once, not several different days. You will be fine.

 

[Rosebud25]

I've found a lot of encouraging things on this thread. My chickens are pets and I have them for eggs but I did end up with some extra roos. I bought pullets from a lady and even though I insisted they were boys she kept promising they were girls and wouldn't take them back. My gut was right and they were boys. I don't want to cull them but it is a fact of life. I would rather they be rehomed and be able to live a rooster life, but the world is hard for roosters. I don't want to send them to be food for someone else, because I've put all this time and energy into raising them, if they are going to be food they might as well feed me.

That's right and if you give them away you have no idea what their lives are going to be. Somewhere down the line they are still going to be butchered

 

[EmmaRainboe]

That's right and if you give them away you have no idea what their lives are going to be. Somewhere down the line they are still going to be butchered

I'm still going to try and find them a good home. I really don't want to have to cull, but I'm not going to give them to someone else for food. I've put all this love, work, and money into them, I might as well feed myself if it has to come to that.