Am I mean for not socializing with my meat ducklings?

[SoggyForks]

I regularly bring 14/18 of my current babies to sit around with me and cuddle on a towel, but choose not to bring my Jumbo Pekins. This is mostly for my own sake, as their breed doesn't live very long before prime killing time and I don't want to get attached. They're still hanging around with my gosling and going out when I take the whole army on supervised walks, but I never spend one-on-one time with them (as they will never be pets or show ducks). Does this mean I'm evil or something? I feel a bit bad lol.

 

[nuthatched]

No.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is mostly for my own sake

Exactly. This is about protecting yourself. I consider it a reasonable rational decision. Those are not your pets, the others are. You can give them a good life without cuddling them.

 

[FunClucks]

The others are pets, the Jumbo Pekins are livestock. Not getting attached to the birds you plan to eat is a healthy way to manage things. You owe them a good life and a quick/as-painless-as-possible death. Sounds like you are providing exactly that. I see no issues here, and no reason for guilt. Any life you provide will be worlds better than anything they could have gotten commercially. You are raising your meat responsibly and taking ownership of your food choices. I commend you for that.

I raise chickens for meat. I also have chickens as pets. The pet chickens get names, coddling, kitchen scraps when I have them, treats, medical care when needed (by me) and attention. The livestock chickens don't get names. They get occasional kitchen treats and treats and medical care (by me). They get to be in the outdoors, see sunlight, grass, trees, eat stray insects and yard waste, and live in a small mixed-sex flock (25 or less) with 2-3 times the room provided commercially. They have a quick relatively painless death come processing time, with no stressful transportation on a truck beforehand. Compared to the raising they'd have gotten commercially, they've lived in heaven. And they taste delicious.