[Caralou]

I have raised for meat, but only the unwanted male offspring with all girls not kept by me going to new homes as pets. I could never eat any of my girls (chickens or ducks) or my two drakes - but it is likely I will eat the boys from the duckling hatch although I will be finding someone to kill and dress for me this year. I'm sure there must be someone/where such as a local farm that has a kill/dress charge. My two drakes are big boys so I hope that their boys will grow nicely for the table.

I too am a sucker for the rescue animal. I have 5 rescue house cats and two rescue semi-ferals as well as 2 rescue rabbits. Two of my chooks are ex-barns as well.

[Livinhope]

We're a load of old softees really.

[k4t1e195]

i cudnt eat my girls. I dnt think i cud eat them if they were specific meat birds. I get 2 attached to all my animals.

[GrannieAnnie]

What breed was your 17 and a half year old chicken livinhope?  That is a wonderful age for a chicken!

I don't think anyone is 'soppy' because they have pet chickens.  Loads of people on here love their chooks and they are part of their family the same as their dogs and cats.

I do have my favourite chickens, and quite a few were 'rescued' or re-homed to us, like Rocky the Rooster and Klaus the Gold Silkie, and Rosa and Bella the white silkies, but we rear chicks both to sell at point of lay and as table birds, so I don't get sentimental over them.  However saying that, they all get as good a life as I can give them, before the POL's go off to their new homes and the table birds go off to their ovens and freezers.  My Brian is a licensed poultry slaughterman and the birds are killed humanely like Lizzie said.  Not like they do in the commercial processing plants. I usually do the catching, and I always talk to them to try to reduce their stress!

I don't feel guilty about them or the turkeys, as that what they are bred for, and I enjoy the ones I eat as I know exactly what sort of life they have led before becoming my dinner! 

[Livinhope]

And that's the way it should be. 

I believe that those animals we choose to domesticate and eventually eat are put on this earth for our benefit, but in return we have a duty to give them the best possible life and then dispatch them in a humane and decent manner. but I still can't eat my friends.  It's a good job everyone isn't soppy like me.

I don't know what breed the aged chicken was, she was black and grey and a slim breed, as opposed to the big chubby chickens.  We have had others who lived to 14 and 15.  It could be a stress free life, good food etc.  A lot of species of birds do live quite long lives.

This is quite interesting when I think about it.  I'm a labrador nut and their life span is supposed to be about 10 years.  One was 14 1/2 and my last beautiful girl was 16.  Present one is only 2.  Is it because I have a laid back, manyana (?) attitude to life.

[Flowerpower136]

I eat meat including chicken, but def not our chickens.  They are pets, no that's not right, they are family

When Alice died the other week she was buried with care and dignity next to the dogs graves, and we're mourning her still.

The thought of a roast dinner didn't even enter my head

[nicky d]

no definately couldnt eat my girlies although my hubby is always saying to , i just couldnt, i would also have to agree with carolbriar since having chooks im abit funny with eating chicken now,  god knows why, i think i get it from my mum, shes abit funny like that  nickyx

[Livinhope]

Let's put it this way.  Would you eat your dog or cat?

[dizzylizzie]

Nope...but i dont eat meat anyway....however....i really really love my chickens/cockerel/turkey/ducks, and they are very deffo pets.(the poop on my living room floor and huge vets bill prove this) I would raise meat birds for my family to eat though because i would know how they have been raised, how they have been killed and what they have been fed on, so no i wouldnt eat my dog , cat or any of my other beloved pets, but i do think its passing the buck smewhat if you  say you eat meat, but not ones you've known personally....i would be glad to know for sure where the food my family eats comes from, especially with the so called welfare standards that seem to be acceptable in the food chain today.