[van connick]

heres my five penny worth......

as far as i can tell, most people ' name ' pets......on the other hand most people who have animals for other reasons, ie food, dont name them because they dont want to think of poor old gertrude on the table for sunday lunch.....

yep, true to say, a chicken is a chicken.....but if it is a pet and gives pleasure to people then why not name it......

on the other end of the scale......as you know i keep goats......over 60 of them, they are essentially for meat, but....here we go......lol...every one of them has a name..... ....why....because it is simply easier to refer to them by name....ie....daisy is looking off colour......marsha is in kid....etc.....how else would any of us know who we are refering to......now we have over 60 adults, who in the main stay with us and produce young for meat......so we dont name the young if we can help it, just refer to them as daisy's boy, or taz's girl etc......less personal.

being someone who farms, gives me a different view of animals to most, ie, i would seriously think twice about spending out money on vets bills if the animal concerned was not worth it......it would get treatment if needed, and it would not suffer, but if a kid was worth say £100 in meat, then to pay out £200 in vets bill for it, would not make sound business sense......but for those who do not have to worry about such things, then vets bills are taken into account when the animal(pet) is taken on and given a kind loving home.

one case scenario i am thinking of, is the woman who is spending copious amounts of money on one chicken......i expect you know the one i am talking about....the chicken had cancer in it's leg, so had the leg taken off....then it was discovered it had it in the other leg......the woman who's chicken it is, has paid out well over £1,000 for this bird.....some may think it is ridiculous spending that amount on a ' chicken '........but each to their own.......
personally i would have killed it humanely to stop it's suffering......plus i would not have lined the vets pockets.......but to this woman the chicken is her pet, no different to any other domestic animal like a cat or dog......

[Porffor]

Its an interesting thread this i must admit.

for all we have pets.. I am chief 'carer' and decision maker. My horses and dogs are insured against medical bills, loss of life etc.
BUT anything that isn't insured is up to me to decide on course of treatment. Sadly one of our guinea pigs got a cold this winter.. he was fine with some TLC and going indoors (into a shed), but in turn gave the cold to our older guinea pig... yes you guessed it said guinea pig lost weight, had runny eyes etc and when I saw a vet with him said that he was very poorly. We'd tried everything we could to stop the cold. Vet was talking oxygen therapy every 15 minutes, anti-biotics, etc etc.. all at teh vets for 48-72 hours and this would give us an 'idea' if he was going to make it.. those words told me he was digging for gold I think. Yes I am a girl who cries so perhaps he thought my few tears were his justification for treatment like that, but honestly i've never heard of the likes. I asked him in his opinion at 4 years old.. (they generally live to a max of 5) if this g/p would make it..
The answer he gave eye to eye was No. That was enough for me, I paid for him to be PTS.

I keep fish, and humanly put them out of misery if they are ill. I have learnt to cope with that, will seem silly to some, but it's the first time i'd ever Killed something (with the exception of a suicidal squirrel who dove under my car wheels). Not even a spider do i kill in normal life.

But when researching keeping chickens and trying to find out the do's and don'ts I read that a GOOD chicken keeper learns how to humanly kill a chicken, this means if Mr Fox hurts them - and it is necessary.. then you can show respect and end their life. I know of two methods, one with a broom handle and one with my own hands.. I do think I'd be grabbing a broom, but I hope that i'd be able to know that if I used my hands it was a final show of love and compassion.

I have also told my husband the method, so he knows what I am facing and can help, or indeed 'do the deed' if I can't.

I am not one to pay a small fortune on an animal, I don' thave it to be frank. This is truly why my horses and dogs are insured. but the limit on their policy, is the limit on their life.

[ck2day]

Charlwood/Porffor

We are newbies to henkeeping but its never too late to start' unfortunately as you look more into the egg industry you find that your(Mine Mine Mine) favorite treats (custard tarts,cake etc) contain battery eggs.

So now i am on a forced diet until OH learns how to make egg custard tarts. So far I have lost half a stone, saved at least one battery hen and plenty of cash as I have stopped buying ect. (ect = Egg Custard Tarts).

A recipe link for you!

I LOVE egg custard tarts but am holding off on cakes / tarts till my hens start laying.

I have made a large custard tart years ago and remember it being gorgeous and easy to do.

Egg Recipe's

have been looking at that site and it's wonderful! Full of lovely recipes... hope my girls lay soon! lol

You CAN make healthy egg custard, pm me if you want the recipe,

Apologies for hijacking the post.  BTW my ex-batts are all called Ronnie (short for Veronica) but the Amberlinks all have names.  They are all classed as "pets" but don't come in the house and don't get many cuddles.  I love them all but wouldn't spend a fortune on vets bills for them.  We look after them to the best of our ability and always do the " right thing" by then when required.  I personally won't have a dog as I work all day and wont leave it in the house for 9 hours at a time, I can see each side of the argument but in the end its all down to personal choice whether you call your animal a name or not and who are we as individuals or a group to "call" someone for what they name an animal.  Live and let live I say

[Charlwood1005]

Thanks ck2day and porffor that recipie looks just fine (Can't be getting too healthy   )

Currently getting 3 eggs a day so I will have to save up for a couple of days but I looks like it will be worth it  

[Foxy]

I have to say that I completely understand Kizzas' point of view.

My  gran was from a farming background (from county cork)  had chickens and goats (the goats were a real pain kept eating everthing of the washing line! ) Chickens were a real boon in those very difficult days of true hardship post second world war and chickens were just that chickens for meat and eggs.

Saying that she would have loved the fact that I now have chickens and I really wish she was around to give advice and share her experiences. I struggle with the subject of "culling" and I am sure she could have guided me through with confidence. It boils down to our society and how we are brought up animal husbandary should be part of our curiculum so all children are taught to respect where their food comes from and therefore make choices based on real information not just this awful marketing we are bombarded with -I mean milk for C........ sake! Do kids know what a pint of milk on the table really means??

So in summary things have moved on and the line between "pet" and "farm animal" have become blurred, however I have a huge respect for those doing it a long longer than my measly few years!!

[Bodger]

In support of what I think Kizza is getting at, you can have a real friend and companion in a dog but not with a chicken.

[treacleminer]

My chickens are definately a hobby and therefore pets.  Dispatched if too unwell to treat simply but kept to continue pottering around if well and happy but not laying - I enjoy their "chatting" and their presence in the garden.  I sort of name the chickens - my daughter claims she can tell Warren's apart, the new light sussex's are so far stumpy (short tail) and whitey - I hate to think what will happen when stumpy's tail grows!
Cats are also pets, I unfortunately recently had to have one put down as he had a large mass in his stomach and was very unwell.  I could have had him operated on but was given a very low chance of survival and also the knowledge that he would have had taken weeks or even months to recover if at all.  
Pets are important to our family life, we all enjoy them and make sure that they are well looked after on a day to day basis however I strongly feel that when contemplating any radical treatment you have to ask yourself if you are doing for your pet or to make yourself feel better !Well you asked for opinions!

[chicken soup]

All my animals are pets that includes the dogs, chinchillas, quail and chickens.  Not all the chickens have names simply as I intend to sell some of them, therefore the only chicks that get names are the ones I intend to keep.  Now your all going to think I am mad but I have one chicken that was a sole chick.  She is called Rocket as she hatched over a year and a half ago and is very demanding even now.  She will shout for me if she hears me in the kitchen, or if I hang washing out on the line.  Now whether this is coincidence or not I can't say but if I call her name she is quiet again, in my oppinion just like a barking dog if you called its name.  Saying that one of my dogs will answer to almost any name its the tone of your voice.

I admit I love all my chickens and to be honest when I first got chickens nearly three years ago and lost two of them to someones pet ferret after I had only had them a month I was devastated.  I was shocked by how much I felt for them in such a short time.  Maybe I am just soft but so what as I say it would be a very boring world if we all thought and were the same wouldn't it?

PS I draw the line at dressing up pets though.

[compostqueen]

I think it's natural to talk to pets and even chickens, I do it all the time. It would be unnatural not to, I think     My chooks give me eggs for my B & B but for that they get well cared for.  I think most of us having caring, kind natures which is why we keep animals.  

I loved my dog very much and now I have hens I am very fond of them as they are very endearing and engaging animals. I don't think they're stupid at all, they catch on quick!  Much more intelligent that my dog who was stupid, but I loved him just the same  

[Porffor]

Dogs are not pets on farms etc, nor are cats generally.. working dogs are entirely different to pet dogs.. i do think that's the same of all animals.
I know horse owners that molly coddle their horses.. my own non-horsey sister gave me a lecture on putting rugs on my ponies, I politely informed her I know more about ponies that she does, that they are natives and well fed.. and don't need rugs. She got the point i think! lol

As said before, it's a great debate this, and thankfully there is enough room in the world for us all! lets face it we wouldn't have a sunday roast if it weren't for someone being able to stay detached from chickens! lol

[compostqueen]

I think that it's not harmful for people to be sentimental about their pets. They love and care for them which gives them, and the animal, much pleasure.  Far better than to be hurt and neglected.  Nurturing is what most humans do naturally, thank goodness.

[poultrygeist]

Totally disagree with you there Aunt Sally

A chook cannot be compared to something like a dog - That is totally ridiculous  :roll:

A dog is a loving pet who you can take with you most places you go, who will show you clear love and devotion, You can cuddle up to on the sofa, A dog can work to save peoples lives etc etc....They are much more than a chicken and people should agree with me on this one

If i get banned from this forum for expressing my own opinion then so be it! But i will stand my ground and have my own say even if people on here disagree

Everyone else is allowed to have their say....this is mine

I think the point is being missed. Kizza isn't merely saying that he doesn't wish to name his. He's can't see why anyone would even want to.

And a chicken forms as much an attachment to their 'keeper' as a dog, cat or rabbit.
If you feed it, provide shelter and protection, it will form attachments to you above others.
The real point, of course, is that we form attachments to them. The true nature of teh response is immaterial. We are able to form relationships with cars, houses and lawnmowers. Chickens are far more responsive than any of those !
Consequently, assuming you don't have a peronality disorder, there will be some for of relationship or bond formed, which may involve names and cuddles or just a desire to keep them healthy.
Either way you care for them.

Rob

[Porffor]

I wonder if a chicken was kept in doors with humans, from a chick if it would be happy cuddled up on the sofa.. I'm sure it likely would. Dogs do as we allow them to, I have had big dogs who weren't allowed on the softa, due to their size, and they were loving in other ways. I have now little dogs and for the first time in my life I have 2 dogs that share the sofa. One prefers cushions than a human to cuddle into, the other will lie next to you and ask for belly rubs. Fact is, we allow them to do things.. if he was on a farm (where he was born) he'd be in a kennel and taken ratting.. i'm sure he'd still be happy.

Same with horses.. they were used to plough / pull  and work. Now they are mostly pets, fat equines is a huge problem because they are over fed and at rest far too much. doesn't mean they are not intelligent and more capable than a dog..

which in turn doesn't mean we don't keep dogs and name them, love them and treat them with respect etc.

Freedom of choice and expression.. take that away and all is lost.

[compostqueen]

My mate keeps animals at her small holding and she's not a softie by any means but she does call her animals "girls"  It saves time when rounding them up

[Aunt Sally]

If i get banned from this forum for expressing my own opinion then so be it! But i will stand my ground and have my own say even if people on here disagree

Everyone else is allowed to have their say....this is mine

NO one will ever get banned from these forums for expressing their own honestly held opinion, so I've no idea why you would think to the contrary Kizza.   I have ensured that you may have your say in a friendly and non personal discussion of this topic !

I think is a sad world we live in if we are not allowed to express our own opinion anymore :!:

Who ever said that CMFAM ?  All opinions are welcomed here with the exception of illegal, pornographic, or personal attacks.  Opinions may not be agreed with by others but that's life.

If either of you are having a problem with this please send me a PM !