# This "pet chicken" trend is getting a little crazy



## Guest (Sep 30, 2013)

Until recent years, when you mentioned you had chickens. people looked at you like you were trailer trash or something. I'm happy to see that chickens are becoming more accepted as a normal animal to have. 

BUT....

I belong to a number of chicken oriented Facebook groups, read chicken blogs, etc, and I find a disturbing pattern emerging.

To begin with, one must be verrryyyy careful about mentioning anything about butchering chickens. People don't even eat their surplus cockerals: they rehome them! People will drive long distances to get an ordinary hatchery rooster (not even a show bird) when one needs to be rehomed.

And when a chicken gets sick- many people will spend hundreds of dollars on veterinary bills to get it well again (and it may die any way).

I guess there are two types of chicken owners: 

practical people with a homesteading-type temperament, 

and screwy people leaning towards a PETA-type mentality (or at least have a severe case of Bambi syndrome).


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## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

Like button not working....so LIKE^^^post above...ALOT


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

My Like button isn't working either, but I soooo agree with aart!!
People are just odd sometimes....

I can't even imagine taking a chicken to the vet, unless it is some sort of very expensive show type animal, seriously?:smack

Woohoo! My button worked!!


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I can imagine taking it to a vet-if the vet was a friend and was going to send it to freezer camp for you. eep:


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## parrotman (Jan 27, 2008)

That's why they make chocolate and vanilla...something for everyone.


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

LOL...

I think I fall in the middle. I have all kinds and have re homed Cockerels, but not drove great distances to do it. I have given some to a guy I work with who will raise them and eat them. I haven't gotten a mean one yet either. So if that happens I have no problem eating it. I figure to each his own. I could eat the chicks that my hen hatched out easier than those that I hand raised. 

Oh yes I have named most of them and they are like pets. If times ever came that I needed to eat one I would with out a doubt. One of my turkeys was limping and I told the DH if it got worse we would eat her, but she recovered. Oh and I have taken one small bantam roo and a duck to the vet, but didn't get charged for either one. The duck got its leg stapled together because it was cut really bad. The bantam had a bad reaction to the stuff I put on him for mites and he died. 

I have been on some of the sites you are talking about and I know what you are talking about. I guess there are extremest on each end of the spectrum. I don't plan on putting diapers on mine any time soon and letting them run around the house. Every time I read about that I just imagine what their house smells like. ...but then again I did have a Nigerian Dwarf goat bottle baby that lived in my laundry room for a few weeks. Believe it or not I had it trained to use those pads small dogs are potty trained to.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

I don't see a problem with treating a chicken like a pet if it makes you happy. I pet out all of my culls..I'm glad there are people out there who want to enjoy having them...No weirder than pet mice, rats, snakes, gerbils, ferrets, parrots, finches etc..

I mostly pet price my culls over what they are worth to eat anyway.


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

We are somewhere in the middle too. No names (except Big Roo and his sister) they all look the same pretty much, but we treat them and like them and have yet to eat one -- they are like pets with benefits (eggs and bug eating etc)...
Cant see taking one to a vet or Diapers?! 
But my old hens are welcome to live out their nonlaying years with us.... not sure about cockerels yet-- the surviving chicks were all pullets (yay)....


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## cntrywmnkw (Jun 5, 2013)

Well...., I hate to admit it, but I HAVE taken one of my pullets to the vet & she WAS a house chicken for a few weeks. The reason for all that is she & a few other of her "sisters" were attacked by a pack of dogs, she was alive, but couldn't walk, so I brought her inside so the others wouldn't pick on her. I took her to the vet to see whether I should cull her (didn't want her suffering) or she'd recover, well recover she did, she's now #2 in the flock & the first in line for treats.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

When I moved from UT back to VA I had to sell my chickens. They were young layers, 2 years old, in their laying prime. But they were livestock, not pets. I had someone email me to inquire about my flock, and she asked how well my birds had been socialized with small children :huh: I replied back that I had children that did go into the barnyard with the chickens, so the chickens were used to kids....and she replied back "That's not what I mean....have you even bothered to socialize them with children at all?" :stars:

I was confused and never could figure out what she was asking. Was I supposed to put my hens on a leash and take them out to the local parks and playgrounds to socialize them with kids? I missed that memo somehow


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

There's nothing wrong with treating chickens like pets and valuing them as animals. I mean, it's a animal, but so is a dog or a goat.

Some people would no doubt scoff at someone on here crying over a goat dying, as it's "just livestock". They're wrong. Any critter can bond with it's keeper.

There's nothing wrong with treating livestock as livestock either. To each their own. I treated most of my chickens like livestock. I especially treated chickens I was raising to eat as livestock. But I also had some chickens that were pets and I did indeed have a tiny bantam "house chicken" for a while. It really was no different than having a parrot mess-wise.

As long as they're treating their animals humanely and they aren't trying to force me to dress up my animals in party dresses and give them birthday parties... I really don't care.


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## karenp (Jun 7, 2013)

I have both, two bantys that are pets. The rest are livestock.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

I agree that some people get downright silly about it. But, people get downright silly over their cats, dogs, captive birds, etc, so I guess if they see their chickens as pets it's only natural they would go overboard in that regard, too. 

A lot of people "humanize" their animals way to much to suit me, so I'm used to just shrugging it off. Don't want to hurt their wittle feelings, but I am not about to join in the silliness, either. 

Does this about sum it up? People who care less about their animals than I do about mine, are callous or inhumane. People who care more, are crazy.


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

Its not that I mind people doing that with THEIR chickens...
But do NOT scoff at me for treating them as livestock. 

I am constantly called out by (in a more playful way than anything) a friend of the families for "cutting chickens heads off" or being introduced as "the girl who cuts chickens heads off"
It makes people look at me as if I was just beheaded. I dont really care, just dont come knocking on my door when we have an apocalypse :grin:


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## farmerpat (Jan 1, 2008)

I have both kinds, especially my 2 favorite turkens that I hatched out myself, and a couple of special hens that are very friendly. The rest are chickens - as long as they lay eggs or are good stud roosters to reimburse me for the exorbitant cost of chicken food, they will be spared. But, if they are nasty and want to fight all the time, or have stopped laying or breeding, then they will find themselves looking at the world from the inside of a mason jar. That's just how life is around here. It's no different with the beef cows -- I have 2 favorites who throw gorgeous calves, but if they stop breeding, or repeatedly prolapse, then they will have to go to the sale barn. Yes, it's sad and I do cry when they leave, but our finances are just too tight to have something so large eating themselves fat all winter just to be a pet. This is life on a working farm.


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## farmerpat (Jan 1, 2008)

SarahFair said:


> Its not that I mind people doing that with THEIR chickens...
> But do NOT scoff at me for treating them as livestock.
> 
> I am constantly called out by (in a more playful way than anything) a friend of the families for "cutting chickens heads off" or being introduced as "the girl who cuts chickens heads off"
> It makes people look at me as if I was just beheaded. I dont really care, just dont come knocking on my door when we have an apocalypse :grin:


 
How strange. Does she think chickens hatch out of eggs and magically are reincarnated as headless/footless creatures with blue foam trays attached to their appendages in a cooler at the grocery store? Maybe I'm just thin-skinned at the constant, never-ending PC-crap out there, but this person doesn't sound like much of a real friend to introduce you to strangers like that.


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## Chief Cook (Apr 24, 2011)

farmerpat, I tried to "like" that, but my like won't work. Anyway, that was good!


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

farmerpat said:


> How strange. Does she think chickens hatch out of eggs and magically are reincarnated as headless/footless creatures with blue foam trays attached to their appendages in a cooler at the grocery store? Maybe I'm just thin-skinned at the constant, never-ending PC-crap out there, but this person doesn't sound like much of a real friend to introduce you to strangers like that.


Shes nice enough, just a Chatty Cathy who doesnt think before the mouth speaks.
But like I said, friend of the family... Probably not someone I would associate with under normal conditions. :spinsmiley:


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## Real Hawkeye (Jul 5, 2005)

MO_cows said:


> Does this about sum it up? People who care less about their animals than I do about mine, are callous or inhumane. People who care more, are crazy.


:bouncy:Exactly.


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## Guest (Sep 30, 2013)

Wolfy-hound said:


> There's nothing wrong with treating chickens like pets and valuing them as animals. I mean, it's a animal, but so is a dog or a goat.
> 
> Some people would no doubt scoff at someone on here crying over a goat dying, as it's "just livestock". They're wrong. Any critter can bond with it's keeper.
> 
> ...


That's about what my attitude is.

I've always had named pet chickens I wouldn't eat if I were starving. I've also had chickens inside the house from time to time.

But even if people won't butcher their chickens, please don't flip out because someone else does.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

I got banned from the Fresh Eggs Daily FB page for daring to suggest that using chemical parasite control occasionally doesn't mean you are an evil poultry keeper. I wasn't rude about it, I guess she doesn't like to be disagreed with. 

She sent me a nasty PM too


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## Real Hawkeye (Jul 5, 2005)

Tiempo said:


> I got banned from the Fresh Eggs Daily FB page for daring to suggest that using chemical parasite control occasionally doesn't mean you are an evil poultry keeper. I wasn't rude about it, I guess she doesn't like to be disagreed with.
> 
> She sent me a nasty PM too


I would also be disinclined to eat eggs from hens that have received a chemical treatment. That's not to excuse the way you were treated, though.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

I love my birds so much I sometimes give them a herbal bath on the stove top or a good dry sauna in the oven...


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2013)

||Downhome|| said:


> I love my birds so much I sometimes give them a herbal bath on the stove top or a good dry sauna in the oven...


Me too!

Right now one's on vacation in the fridge!


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## chamoisee (May 15, 2005)

Does that mean they'll pay pet prices for my extra roosters? Are the pet prices higher than the value of the meat? Hmmm.....


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2013)

chamoisee said:


> Does that mean they'll pay pet prices for my extra roosters? Are the pet prices higher than the value of the meat? Hmmm.....


In one group this evening there was a post by someone who is offering their extra Easter Egger cockerals for $10 each. :smack

I'm curious to know if they will actually sell them. About the only thing worth less than a EE rooster is a leghorn rooster.


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

Oh law..... EE vs Leghorn. I had both and rehomed the Leghorn because he beat tbe crap out of my favorite Roo a EE. 

By all means DO NOT under any circumstance go on a Ameraucana thread as a new chicken owner and and post a pic of your first chicken and call it a Ameraucana. Most of those people are crazy.

I have had chickens in the house on occasion. In a cage or fish tank, but I draw a line at diapers. I have a 7 mth old Polish Pullet who has a hurt leg in a rabbit cage. I think she was stepped on by a goat or turkey. I can't find anything wrong with her but one leg goes all crazy when she walks. There's no swelling


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## parrotman (Jan 27, 2008)

I kiss my chickens smack dab on the lips and finding chicken lips is no easy task!


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

My Farrier asked if he could have one of my Roosters, because some predator got his.
So I gave him two.
If they are nice, I try to re home extra roosters... if they are mean, more than happy to eat them.
I do tame them as much as possible, so they are easy for me to deal with.
For care, I keep them as healthy as I can, since I eat the eggs. 
Doctor them if they need it but I won't take them to the Vet. Not that there is a Vet that will treat chickens, or sheep/goats..etc..etc.. in this area anyway.

They are Livestock, they keep the bugs down around the house and pastures, give us eggs to eat... and some times we eat the extra Roos.

I do however, think people are crazy, when they put diapers on the full grown Hens and have them in the house. Chicken poo stinks! I won't have one in my house.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

chamoisee said:


> Does that mean they'll pay pet prices for my extra roosters? Are the pet prices higher than the value of the meat? Hmmm.....


Depends on the breed.

I saw someone on CL a couple of months ago trying to sell an EE rooster for $35..I about laughed my socks off.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Real Hawkeye said:


> I would also be disinclined to eat eggs from hens that have received a chemical treatment. That's not to excuse the way you were treated, though.


I should have been clear that the discussion was about mites on show birds.


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## Real Hawkeye (Jul 5, 2005)

Tiempo said:


> I should have been clear that the discussion was about mites on show birds.


Oh, different story.


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

The question I have about so many people in cities now able to keep chickens, especially since its the HIP thing to do... what are they going to do when they stop laying? Keep them as pets? If they wanted them for eggs to begin with, what will they do for eggs when they have old hens and can't get anymore because of the limits in place by their city?

While I have NO problem with people keeping chickens in the city, I think its a fad. /shrug 

I don't cull my hens when they stop laying, I keep them around until they pass on their own. They still provide useful, wonderful manure for my gardens, keep down the bugs and seem to help the young ones learn the "ropes". 

I don't name my hens, I refer to them all as "the ladies". I try hard not to look too fondly on my meat birds, but since they grow fast there isn't much time to get attached. I always feel a little badly when they go to freezer camp, until we cook 'em up. 

I would never take them to a vet! When I have sick or injured birds, I'll do what I can for them with my limited abilities and knowledge (which is augmented by folks like you!)... but if they're beyond help I have a sharp axe handy to end the suffering as quick as possible.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

ladycat said:


> Until recent years, when you mentioned you had chickens. people looked at you like you were trailer trash or something. I'm happy to see that chickens are becoming more accepted as a normal animal to have.
> 
> BUT....
> 
> ...


I've been known to take some of those re home chickens & give them a nice cozy place in the oven.


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## LFRJ (Dec 1, 2006)

For me, the irritating thing is the disconnect between pet and meat. As if there were a difference - let me explain. 

Pretty much anything with muscle mass can serve as either pet or as dinner. That could be chicken beef or pork, but could include bunnies, or dog or cat - and in some cultures - it does.

So some people treat Fido with great deference, and butcher their poultry, or treat their pet chickens with splendor and have venison for dinner, or have great reverence for cows, but relish pork - I don't care about this either - it's when some species are kept in castles while others are kept under inhumane conditions - that's the rub for me.

...and I do find that many pet chicken owners put their precious ones to bed, and then have Tyson chicken from for dinner - blind or in denial about the truth of the matter. 

I do realize that not everyone can raise their own or buy their meat or eggs from sources other THAN the grocer..... but it grinds me when they refuse to even know or acknowledge that these two realities, sadly, coexist.


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## sandsuncritters (Nov 18, 2011)

Pops2 said:


> I've been known to take some of those re home chickens & give them a nice cozy place in the oven.


Or on the grill, in the smoker, or in the crockpot, too!

But given the shape some of them are in when we get them, we quarantine, worm, and de louse first. Some are in dire need of a little meat on the bone before hitting the pot. And sometimes, I feel they deserve a little time just being a chicken before sending them to Valhalla.

All three of my vets treat chickens. They all graduated from UF (Go Gators) and apparently chickens are part of the vet curriculum. Bunnies too! Yea!

In His Love
Mich


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## saritamae (Jun 2, 2012)

When we butchered our first hen, I took a picture of it in a freezer bag. It was totally cleaned and looked just like a chicken you would get from the grocery store. I posted it on Facebook with the caption "OMG it's Mabel!!!!" I thought it was hilarious but some of the responses I got were downright nasty! I thought people would respect that whole "know where your food comes from" thing, but I am related to a couple of "Pet Chicken" people and I swear I'm wearing a disguise to our next family reunion.  Not really, but wow. I was surprised at the response I got.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Meh...to each his/her own. I re-homed three aggressive roosters (one to each person) and kept two (wish I'd have kept only one, though). Out of the 21 birds I have now, five are named...Momma (an unusually small Black Australorp who is THE BOSS), Delilah (a Dominique), Girlie (a BO that was bullied so badly when she was a chick that I had to remove her from the flock or lose her), and Ramon and Big Daddy (both BO roosters). The rest are just "the girls". While I don't consider any of them as "pets", I've had this flock for over going on three years, so they will, most likely, die from old age.

Yes, my eggs are expensive.


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## Mulegirl (Oct 6, 2010)

farmerpat said:


> How strange. Does she think chickens hatch out of eggs and magically are reincarnated as headless/footless creatures with blue foam trays attached to their appendages in a cooler at the grocery store?


Don't you know, folks?? Meat chickens have a chrysalis stage where the fuzzy cute little chicks disappear into cocoons, and then over about a month and a half the cocoon swells up. When it reaches the right weight, you cut it open and VOILA! A featherless, gutless ready-to-roast grocery store chicken just pops right out! ;-)

Seriously, though, I've been called evil and bloodthirsty on a _Mother Jones_ thread where most of the posters were pretty confused as to why there were battery chicken rescues out there. Unfortunately a few crazy vegans decided to crash the thread and tell the poultry keepers that the were evil, bad people for treating their chickens horribly, and only terrible people could ever kill a chicken that they had raised. It was pretty funny, in the end--I think moral vegans live in a different reality . . .


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## K Epp (Jan 7, 2013)

So for those of you who keep your chickens in the house on occasion how do you keep the smell down? I have one who has a broken toe that I have in a rabbit cage in my garage. It is healing since it cant run all over the place, but the stink is terrible. Is there anything that can be done to help?


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Mulegirl said:


> Unfortunately a few crazy vegans decided to crash the thread and tell the poultry keepers that the were evil, bad people for treating their chickens horribly, and only terrible people could ever kill a chicken that they had raised. It was pretty funny, in the end--I think moral vegans live in a different reality . . .


My favorite crazy vegan comment that I've seen over and over is that "our" next step "is killing human babies"!
My son-in-law is a sane vegan who will eat off my meat-contaminated plates:hysterical: so I know there are vegans out there who are not totally bizarre.

Our 50 meat chicks just arrived today and they are very cute. I think they'll look great in their shrink wrap coatings in 8 weeks!


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## Pokletu (Aug 7, 2013)

Sorry... What's EE?


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

Easter egger

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Homesteading Today mobile app


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## JoshandDiane (Sep 2, 2013)

cntrywmnkw said:


> Well...., I hate to admit it, but I HAVE taken one of my pullets to the vet & she WAS a house chicken for a few weeks. The reason for all that is she & a few other of her "sisters" were attacked by a pack of dogs, she was alive, but couldn't walk, so I brought her inside so the others wouldn't pick on her. I took her to the vet to see whether I should cull her (didn't want her suffering) or she'd recover, well recover she did, she's now #2 in the flock & the first in line for treats.


Good for you, that is what you should do! It's just mean not to.


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## nc_mtn (Nov 24, 2007)

SueMc said:


> My favorite crazy vegan comment that I've seen over and over is that "our" next step "is killing human babies"!
> My son-in-law is a sane vegan who will eat off my meat-contaminated plates:hysterical: so I know there are vegans out there who are not totally bizarre.



A few years ago we were selling egg pretty heavy (for our standards ~20 birds laying) and we kept them in a few different pens so they were safe and we could find the eggs. I had a couple of ladies buying from me that wouldn't eat them if they were fertilized so no big deal, I just didn't let that pen out any, and just brought fresh food to them. I got into a really good argument with a vegan. She told me I was killing babies when I ate eggs. When I pointed out that it was impossible for a baby to be born from those eggs, she was lost for words. She then got into how they couldn't lay eggs without a rooster.... in the end, she stormed out mad. Best day ever!


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## Stanimals2 (Oct 26, 2013)

I spent a large part of my childhood on a small farm and what we raised we raised to eat and now I work for one of the top 5 veterinary hospitals in the nation as an assistant director. Everyday I walk through and will see something that makes me shake my head whether its on the small animal side or the large or equine side. It amazes me the money someone will spend on an animal. Theres no denying they are a passionate lot but I have to wonder where we lost our common sense somedays.


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## Mulegirl (Oct 6, 2010)

nc_mtn said:


> I got into a really good argument with a vegan. She told me I was killing babies when I ate eggs. When I pointed out that it was impossible for a baby to be born from those eggs, she was lost for words. She then got into how they couldn't lay eggs without a rooster.... in the end, she stormed out mad. Best day ever!


Ignorant vegans are _hilarious_. I just related this one to my husband, and he pointed out that many female animals, humans included, _ovulate whether or not there is a male present_. So this lady was not only ignorant of chickens, but more generally ignorant of biology, it seems!


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## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

JoshandDiane said:


> Good for you, that is what you should do! It's just mean not to.


No, it isn't. The chicken could have easily been culled instead of taken in. Not to mention, there isn't a whole lot of treatment a vet can provide for an injured chicken that a knowledgable owner can't.
Meds on wounds, antibiotics (internally or externally) and isolation are about it.
:shrug:


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

Some of the pet chicken peple get a little too carried away. I mean, diapers on house ducks? I've got ducks, I know how stinky and messy they are. I can't imagine having a duck loose in the house.

On the other hand, lots of people keep birds for pets: pet parrots, pet finches, pet parakeets. You can look at it like a bird is a bird and the hen is about the same size as the pet parrot and she is about as smart as that pet finch. So no real reason to not have a pet chicken if you want a pet bird.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I don't keep chickens, except for a few weeks every year when I raise Cornish Cross. But some of those roosters are so gorgeous that I would keep a moderate size flock of roosters just to wander around the yard as lawn ornaments.

Except that they are noisy and you can't keep a dozen of the beauties because they fight. I'm not going through the bother of keeping chickens just so I can have one rooster.

If I win the lottery and can afford flight cages, I wouldn't mind some ornamental pheasants. Those aren't good for anything except to admire. I've seen roosters as beautiful as those pheasants.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

I named my hens. I needed something to call them lol. But I will eat them when they are no longer productive. Not even sorry about it lol. Was going to name them grilled and fried but figured that was too morbid for most people to handle. Even if they had a good sense of humor.


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

The local farm store has a $30 plastic bottle of freeze dried mealie worms for chicken treats. That just amazed me. I already complain about the cost of feed and there's no way they would get that kind of "treat." 
The best treat they get is when the cat is tired of playing with his mouse, he takes it to the rooster and drops the mouse in front of him. He calls the ladies, and they play tag then eat it. Hilarious!!
Kit


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## SkeeterBlue (Jan 19, 2013)

I always get in trouble on those pages because every time I see the question, "What should I do with all the cockerels?" my response is "EAT THEM." LOL


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## crazyfarm (Oct 29, 2013)

It can be worse. I know someone who has chickens and doesn't even rehome their extra cocks. So the whole flock is in a really sorry state. Overbred females. Too much cock fighting. When I watched them while they were on vacation I was almost tempted to claim a predator attack and off some of the roosters myself.

I've been yelled at for taking the hatchet to mean cocks. I figure life is too short for mean chickens. People tell me I can rehabilitate them so they won't attack people. I don't want to do that honestly. I have 2 young kids I can't put at risk for a cock that I don't need. So we've processed quite a fair amount of roosters.


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## crazyfarm (Oct 29, 2013)

I always tell people I know exactly the order I'd eat my dogs if I had to. The least useful would go first! lol


LFRJ said:


> For me, the irritating thing is the disconnect between pet and meat. As if there were a difference - let me explain.
> 
> Pretty much anything with muscle mass can serve as either pet or as dinner. That could be chicken beef or pork, but could include bunnies, or dog or cat - and in some cultures - it does.
> 
> ...


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## nc_mtn (Nov 24, 2007)

Mulegirl said:


> Ignorant vegans are _hilarious_. I just related this one to my husband, and he pointed out that many female animals, humans included, _ovulate whether or not there is a male present_. So this lady was not only ignorant of chickens, but more generally ignorant of biology, it seems!


Part of why she was huffing and puffing in the end was because I asked her "do you have to have a boyfriend to drop your egg every month?"


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

crazyfarm said:


> It can be worse. I know someone who has chickens and doesn't even rehome their extra cocks. So the whole flock is in a really sorry state. Overbred females.


We had too many cockerels this spring when our son bought a bunch of straight run chicks. I couldn't get them butchered fast enough. They were so hard on the hens that I could have rung their necks and thrown them to the hogs except I didn't want the hogs eating the hens who clean up after them.


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## crazyfarm (Oct 29, 2013)

SueMc said:


> We had too many cockerels this spring when our son bought a bunch of straight run chicks. I couldn't get them butchered fast enough. They were so hard on the hens that I could have rung their necks and thrown them to the hogs except I didn't want the hogs eating the hens who clean up after them.


I've just discovered I have 6 drakes and 4 hens from my last batch of ducklings. 5 drakes are getting the axe Sunday. If I don't they'll just kill the hens most likely and cause all sorts of mayham. There is a point where being all tree huggerish is more damaging to the flock than being a mean killer.


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## Mulegirl (Oct 6, 2010)

crazyfarm said:


> I've just discovered I have 6 drakes and 4 hens from my last batch of ducklings. 5 drakes are getting the axe Sunday. If I don't they'll just kill the hens most likely and cause all sorts of mayham. There is a point where being all tree huggerish is more damaging to the flock than being a mean killer.


 . . . there's also the fact that poultry are _tasty_.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

The end result is this:
http://m.washingtonpost.com/busines...2a0cce-4ee1-11e3-97f6-ed8e3053083b_story.html

I just wonder what people do with those high priced "boutique" coops that hold 5 or 6 chickens.


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

KIT.S said:


> The local farm store has a $30 plastic bottle of freeze dried mealie worms for chicken treats. That just amazed me. I already complain about the cost of feed and there's no way they would get that kind of "treat."
> The best treat they get is when the cat is tired of playing with his mouse, he takes it to the rooster and drops the mouse in front of him. He calls the ladies, and they play tag then eat it. Hilarious!!
> Kit


I want my chickens to eat mice! There is usu one or two bodies in the straw from the cats...
and they are Jersey giants- plenty big enough to eat a mouse or two!


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## Stanimals2 (Oct 26, 2013)

I read an article about a rescue place here in Ohio that says the just saved 240 spent hens from a egg company so in other words they took chickens that were no longer laying and would have been slaughtered for meat chickens and now they are soliciting donations to help keep them until they find good home to place them in. :smack I don't get it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

they need to save all those young roosters that hit the shredder and place them with veggans!


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

crazyfarm said:


> It can be worse. I know someone who has chickens and doesn't even rehome their extra cocks. So the whole flock is in a really sorry state. Overbred females. Too much cock fighting. When I watched them while they were on vacation I was almost tempted to claim a predator attack and off some of the roosters myself.
> 
> I've been yelled at for taking the hatchet to mean cocks. I figure life is too short for mean chickens. People tell me I can rehabilitate them so they won't attack people. I don't want to do that honestly. I have 2 young kids I can't put at risk for a cock that I don't need. So we've processed quite a fair amount of roosters.


The mean roos taste best.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Stanimals2 said:


> I read an article about a rescue place here in Ohio that says the just saved 240 spent hens from a egg company so in other words they took chickens that were no longer laying and would have been slaughtered for meat chickens and now they are soliciting donations to help keep them until they find good home to place them in. :smack I don't get it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'll give them a good home .... In my belly  this goes beyond ridiculous. When there are children being neglected and abused and hungry! Probably not far from that " rescue" . They should butcher the chickens and give them to ppl who need them.


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## Fat Man (Mar 9, 2011)

crazyfarm said:


> I've been yelled at for taking the hatchet to mean cocks. I figure life is too short for mean chickens. People tell me I can rehabilitate them so they won't attack people. I don't want to do that honestly. I have 2 young kids I can't put at risk for a cock that I don't need. So we've processed quite a fair amount of roosters.


The only rooster I've ever had beat the snot out of my then 6 yr old son. After I got him calmed down I asked him what I should do with the rooster. "Beer butt chicken" was his answer.


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

I'm kind of liking the pet chicken craze, especially at present.

It seems that a lot of people around here get chickens in the spring or summer, then realize that they do not want to feed/care for them over the winter. Because, hey, chicken feed is expensive, lol!

We have not had any chickens for a couple of years- we got a new puppy 3+ years ago ad she went through a phase where she was killing chickens. When she has killed the last one we decided not to replace them.

Now, however, she is all grown up, calmed down, trained, etc and no longer kills our domestic animals. So, I decided that I wanted some new chickens, but don't want/need 25 of them. I have been looking on craigslist and have been absolutely amazed at the number of chickens which have been offered really cheap or free.

About 6 weeks ago I picked up 23 from a woman whose mille fluers (sp) were still hatching out eggs- in October, in Northern Minnesota! I know it's true because while I was there I saw two tiny chicks, each only a few hours old, hatched by two different hens. The lady had waaaayyyy too many to feed over the winter and was happy to get rid of them. Some are purebred mille fluer d'uccle bantams, some are purebred silkies, and some are mutts. I am going to keep one mille fluer rooster and all the mille fluer hens. The silkies and the mutts will be dog food once they are grown.

Then I got interested in marans after seeing some advertised on craigslist. 
I'd love to try some of them, but they are pricey! I think the seller wanted $15 each for hers. I've been watching craigslist, hoping to find some cheap ones, maybe even older ones which I could raise chicks from. Today I spotted an ad for 13 free chickens and emailed to inquire about them. They are wheaten marans, which I have never seen before, along with some mutts. The guy got his hens and roosters mixed up and now can't tell his purebreds from his mutts, so he is giving them all away and plans to start over with just the purebred marans next spring. So, I will pick them up tomorrow afternoon. Once they are grown and I can tell them apart (they are around 3 months old now), I will keep a rooster and any purebred hens and the rest will become dog food.

There are some other breeds which I would like to try, so I may just keep my eyes peeled for more giveaways.


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## bcadybug (Jul 2, 2009)

HA! This was posted on our local craigslist late yesterday... 

*Chicken pets for sale - $30 (silver spring) 

Pls contact me if you are looking for live egg laying chicken for pets. I have 4 chicken for sale and each is 30 dollars.*

http://smd.craigslist.org/grd/4212737308.html

Yeah.... I'll pay that for a pet chicken.... fur-sure... 

Val


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

bcadybug said:


> *Chicken pets for sale - $30 (silver spring)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Elizabeth said:


> bcadybug said:
> 
> 
> > *Chicken pets for sale - $30 (silver spring)
> ...


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Silkies for dog food? 

I get $15 for my culls as pets..that would be expensive dog food!


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

I did see on CL recently someone asking $35 for an EE rooster..good luck with that.


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