[jinty1911]

Where's Hilfooter?  What does he call his err... egg layers??  My hubby calls them the girls because that's what they are to us. 

[GrannieAnnie]

I think the reference to calling them 'girls' or 'ladies' is just pointing at a wider issue.  I think the 'culture' of this forum is to treat our chickens as pets, or even part of the family, and become sentimentally attached to them.  Obviously that doesn't suit everyone.

For some people chickens are simply a unit of production - eggs or meat.  IMO there is nothing wrong with that, on condition they treat their animals humanely. 

So each to their own.  I will keep giving my 'girls' names, chatting with them while I clean their coop or feed them, and chat on here about their antics.  If that puts anyone off, I'm really not bothered!

Well Lindeggs, our chickens are either for meat or eggs, and I sell chicks and point of lay hens sometimes, and we grow turkeys for Christmas, but they are still all my babies, or my girls and boys until they go to their new homes.

But when one dies, unless its a favourite, it doesn't upset me as much as it does some peple on here, because mine are not pets (well I have the odd exception!  ) but they are still girls and boys! 

[hillfooter]

Where's Hilfooter?  What does he call his err... egg layers??  My hubby calls them the girls because that's what they are to us. 

I'm here Jinty and my opinion is that women are simply more anthropomorphic than men.

I have studiously avoided referring to my chickens as "ladies or girls" for fear that you may discover than I'm in fact a girlie.  However as Lineggs has  now unmasked me in the "eggs sorting" post

 http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=72609.msg827175#msg827175

 as her mother.  I have to admit I refer to my birds as "Ladies" in private

HF

[Vecten]

mine are called chickens, i dont care that people called theirs 'girls' but it does annoy me when people write stuff like RIP chicken when one dies, i dont like to see my hens die but i dont understand how you can be in tears all day because of a chicken dying.

Maybe it's a perception of over sentimentality that puts him off. He is a retired farmer so animal husbandry is in his blood. I have to admit I often skip the 'My poor Gladys died after a long illness' posts (with all the messages of condolences).

[joyfull]

it depends on if your birds are pets or livestock. Mine are pets (all 40+) but if I hatch cockerels (as at least 50% of each hatching are) they stop being pets and become future dinners - they are still called my boys and those that I keep get named and revert from dinners to pet status.
As the majority of people on here treat their chickens as pets and will try their hardest to keep them healthy and will treat often regardless of cost they feel a great loss when this fails and as such I will comment on these posts just as I would if they had lost another much loved pet.

[GrannieAnnie]

Like Joy, I will often answer a thread about someone being upset about losing their pet chicken.  Because I feel sorry for the person.  I agree Tom the chicken is dead, but the person still feels that loss.

I did post when little Enery the silkie died because I was very sorry that it happened so soon after he got his 2 new mates.  And I probably will when Rocky the Rooster goes, because everyone knows about Rocky and his rescue to us.   

[Casey76]

Well I admit that my chickens don't have names... though I still call them girls and boys.

I probably see my chickens as half way between livestock and pets.  I'm not emotionally attached to them like I am my cats, for example.

I do nurse the sick or injured ones; though I wouldn't resort to surgery.

Any boys that I hatch which are not suitable for breeding become walking dinners.

[Kathie]

Our chickens are called the "ladies" to distinguish them from the "girls" who are dogs and the "boys" who are the cats, terms all usually used to establish who has committed what crime!

[Carla]

It depends if your chickens are pets or livestock. Mine are most definately pets...I shout 'ladies' and they come running. Its the same as calling you dog or cat bay a 'pet' name...excuse the pun   Women are softer creatures, more in touch with emotions and have friendlier hearts, so it makes perfect sense for them to be cooing and ahhhring over their chickens and blokes to see the chickens as chickens. My OH refers to all 3 as chicken....plain and simple...as are men

[joyfull]

my sablepoots won my oh round as they sit on him and chatter away. Now he can't eat any cockerels that I cull - more meat for me and the dogs then 

[jinty1911]

Where's Hilfooter?  What does he call his err... egg layers??  My hubby calls them the girls because that's what they are to us. 

I'm here Jinty and my opinion is that women are simply more anthropomorphic than men.

I have studiously avoided referring to my chickens as "ladies or girls" for fear that you may discover than I'm in fact a girlie.  However as Lineggs has  now unmasked me in the "eggs sorting" post

 http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=72609.msg827175#msg827175

 as her mother.  I have to admit I refer to my birds as "Ladies" in private

HF

WAHAAAA    I seem to remember a post a few weeks ago referrring to red nail varnish and lipstick   

By the way Anthropomorphic = the attribution of human characteristics to non-humans (had to look it up). Just like me calling my car Fergus the Frog.  Err, wait a minute, frogs are non-human too.   

[ManicMum]

I think most people on here invest a lot into their chickens: they worry about housing, feeding, bedding, health and so on - as they would for a dog, cat, rabbit, snake or whatever. 

The names (if the flock is quite small) are more to differentiate between birds - it's easier to refer to Henrietta than to say that one over there....no not that one......that one!

Whatever you put energy into caring for, you care about when it is ill or dies: there are dog bereavement counsellors, but the principle applies to any pet - it leaves a space where it used to be so we miss them.

We see ours as pets with a bonus!  And the better we get to know them as individuals, the more of a hole they will leave.

[jinty1911]

mine are called chickens, i dont care that people called theirs 'girls' but it does annoy me when people write stuff like RIP chicken when one dies, i dont like to see my hens die but i dont understand how you can be in tears all day because of a chicken dying.

Tears all day? I spent 2 night in tears over my little chook that was unwell and I thought I would have to dispatch.  Hubby is a great big hairy builder (she's is named after his mum) and he felt the same.  Maybe some people just care more about some things more than others? 

[Vecten]

I really don't name any of my animals, even my cat is called cat. I do have a few chickens which look almost identical and to distinguish them I gave them leg rings so they get called red or blue.

I don't think I care for them any the less though. I guess it depends how you define caring.

[joyfull]

if you call them red or blue then you are calling them a name