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- #11
HenriettaPizzaNolan
Raising Layers and Meat Birds in the City
Some thoughts on their fourth day:
They really are growing! In this first picture, you can really see the difference in growth between the CX and Faverolle (dark wings). The CX grow so quick!
Everyone also seems really healthy. Really happy with the quality of the chicks from Meyer so far. Everyone is starting to feather out, as you can see from their wings.
I was doing some thought about the whole processing thing. My fiance said something along the lines of, "They are so cute. It's too bad I have to murder them in 8 weeks." My mom, who is VERY upset that I am even choosing to raise my own meat, said something like, "It's so sad that these cute chicks will have such a bad ending."
My fiance's word's were more tongue in cheek, but I know my mom is fairly bitter and disappointed at me that we will kill the birds. I keep telling her how they are going to have such a great life with me: fresh feed and water, fresh grass and bugs every day once they are in the tractor, sunlight, the outdoors, etc. (A lot of stuff the factory-raised chickens she eats from the grocery store do not get to experience) All up until that one bad moment. And that moment I assured her would be as quick, humane, and painless as possible. And not a single part of their body will be wasted. I will use or eat all of it because I have that much respect for these animals.
But that got me thinking even further. About a month and a half ago I had one of my "rescue" Golden Comet layers fall ill. I believe she had salpingitis, some major inflammation of her abdomen, and possibly other health issues too. Issues common in those high production layers, which I did not know as she was my first chicken and I got her as a full grown bird. She was in SO MUCH pain I could tell, just from the change in her normally cheery and goofy personality. She stopped eating and I was feeding her with a syringe. She eventually stopped drinking. After a few days, she was practically dead so my fiance humanely culled her.
This bird suffered for who knows how long, but was in critical condition for well over a week, suffering immensely. It got me thinking. That bird suffered MUCH more than my meat birds ever will. These birds will have that one bad moment at the end, but up until that point they will just be young, happy birds under the care of someone who is paying close attention to their every need.
Idk if I'm just writing this to make myself feel better or if anyone else will feel good hearing this. But really, raising meat birds is humane. I loved my Golden Comet so, so much, but she unfortunately suffered much more than these birds ever will. Today I can look at these baby meat birds and not think darkly about their inevitable end in 8 weeks, but about all the good that will be in their life.
They really are growing! In this first picture, you can really see the difference in growth between the CX and Faverolle (dark wings). The CX grow so quick!
Everyone also seems really healthy. Really happy with the quality of the chicks from Meyer so far. Everyone is starting to feather out, as you can see from their wings.
I was doing some thought about the whole processing thing. My fiance said something along the lines of, "They are so cute. It's too bad I have to murder them in 8 weeks." My mom, who is VERY upset that I am even choosing to raise my own meat, said something like, "It's so sad that these cute chicks will have such a bad ending."
My fiance's word's were more tongue in cheek, but I know my mom is fairly bitter and disappointed at me that we will kill the birds. I keep telling her how they are going to have such a great life with me: fresh feed and water, fresh grass and bugs every day once they are in the tractor, sunlight, the outdoors, etc. (A lot of stuff the factory-raised chickens she eats from the grocery store do not get to experience) All up until that one bad moment. And that moment I assured her would be as quick, humane, and painless as possible. And not a single part of their body will be wasted. I will use or eat all of it because I have that much respect for these animals.
But that got me thinking even further. About a month and a half ago I had one of my "rescue" Golden Comet layers fall ill. I believe she had salpingitis, some major inflammation of her abdomen, and possibly other health issues too. Issues common in those high production layers, which I did not know as she was my first chicken and I got her as a full grown bird. She was in SO MUCH pain I could tell, just from the change in her normally cheery and goofy personality. She stopped eating and I was feeding her with a syringe. She eventually stopped drinking. After a few days, she was practically dead so my fiance humanely culled her.
This bird suffered for who knows how long, but was in critical condition for well over a week, suffering immensely. It got me thinking. That bird suffered MUCH more than my meat birds ever will. These birds will have that one bad moment at the end, but up until that point they will just be young, happy birds under the care of someone who is paying close attention to their every need.
Idk if I'm just writing this to make myself feel better or if anyone else will feel good hearing this. But really, raising meat birds is humane. I loved my Golden Comet so, so much, but she unfortunately suffered much more than these birds ever will. Today I can look at these baby meat birds and not think darkly about their inevitable end in 8 weeks, but about all the good that will be in their life.
