are chickens pets?

[cowcreekgeek]

Regardless of whether you live on a farm or in a city or are "predisposed" to one opinion over another - it still isn't your right (or anyone's) to say whether or not chickens are pets in regard to chickens that do not belong to you. To do so would be presumptuous and rude, at best. If someone believes their chickens are their pets then they are their pets - it's as simple as that.

To clarify, I was speakin' of my own personal perspective on what was to be considered a pet and what was to be consider a farm product by our own family, and within the confines of our own fifty acre farm ... don't even recall it bein' spoken of, but that may be just the result of bein' taught very early.

As was the case w/ my nature to protect the other's right to have/express their own opinions (including your own ~'-)

 

[mickey328]

Mine aren't. I'm rather fond of them, but they're egg producers first and foremost. Most don't like to be handled, though I do pet them some when they're in the nesting box. I make sure they're well taken care of with good food, water and shelter, and keep an eye on their overall health as I would for any animal in my care: I believe if we're going to have them they become our responsibility since they rely on us. But I don't feel the same way toward them as I feel toward my dogs.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I didn't grow up on a farm, but I grew up in farm culture, so I know what you mean. I never understood the idea of pet chickens until recently, and even though I gave our chickens names, it was more for the purpose of organization than anything. It's easier to keep track of a Millie, Maude, and Gladys than a chicken #1, chicken #2, and chicken #3. It wasn't until we got our new batch of chicks this year that I discovered the appeal of pet chickens, and now I have a few members of our current flock that I would be happy to feed and shelter for the rest of their days even if they never produced a single egg. The rest of them, though... They are still livestock. Highly enjoyable livestock, but still livestock.

That's where my lil' brother stands in regard to names (he's the one that led me here w/ my first flocks in this new century ~'-)

He goes so far as to say that so-n-so's on the grill tonight ... but, he came along after Mom 'n Dad thought they'd finished raisin' farm animals. And, kids. But, you get exactly where I'm comin' from, in that I hope to keep the majority of my birds on the other side of that divide ... highly enjoyable, indeed.

 

[tball3748]

I really didn't know what to expect when we bought 11 baby chicks - 2 white leghorns, 2 black sexlinks, 2 rhode island reds and 4 production pullets (got another for free bcz thought one red was getting picked). The assorted colors are beautiful to look at and each one has its own personality. The blacks & whites do their own thing, but the browns "submit" to our picking them up. When I let them run around the yard in the afternoon, they come right to me when I come out on the porch. Sometimes I pull up a lawnchair and just watch them. Originally from the suburbs, transplanted to the country, I didn't know what relaxation you can have just watching them do their thing. These are my pets and I appreciate the eggs we get - BONUS!

 

[MissusC]

Definitely pets at this point, since there is no sign of eggs.

Plus all 8 have names and I talk to them all.the.****.time.

So much for "keeping my distance".

 

[SweetSilver]

Yes, ours are pets. If they weren't, we'd have every one in the freezer because I am still buying eggs! Partly because I began my flock in town, and the first large batch of birds once we moved were for 4-H and mostly bantams and breeds that aren't well know for laying (how'd we get those?????) We did, however, eat our extra cockerels after it became apparent they wouldn't stay as sweet as they were when they were chicks (duh..... but I speak for my girls who had no such foresight.)

Still, pets. Cheap pets, too! No way do these girls go through as much money for feeding as my cats. They give me eggs (sigh.... well, not so much this batch, but next year!) and eat my weeds and scraps and make poo for my garden. They don't eat my girls' toys and claw the couch. Since they are outside, they don't demand to be in and out and in and out and kill mice *just* for sport and leave mouse guts sprawled around my house (would they ever leave any mousie leftovers? I think not! Oooh... I think I do need a few free-rangers just for rodent-gut-cleanup. Excellent! I'll run that by dh-- mouse guts or chicken poo? Hmmm.......)

I won't say that all my chickens will forever be just pets. But I don't feel the need to have them be profitable. If they are sweet, and good leaders, they'll stay.

 

[Sumatra503]

Speaks for itself, lol.

 

[Chicken Techie]

I have wanted to try having chickens for a few years now, my wife wasn't really interested but since i always somehow get what i want eventually she gave in when she saw "there cute little yellow bodies" at the store. i didn't know i was actually getting them til that day, that was early april 2012. now november 2012 they "eggies" as i call them are on their second coop since the first coop was quickly outgrown when we couldn't stop our chicken addiction. yes i said our because she fell in love with all 12 of them. we now have 26 total eggies but 3 are roosters and 2 are ducks. those i would consider pets because we spend time with them and my son loves them and they are just fun and enjoyable.
at the end of october we finished our run of meat chickens or "meaties" or "meat heads" as i call them. we purposely didn't really spend time with them because i didn't want my wife to get attached. she did well and kept in mind why we had them and when processing day came she did every part and i couldn't be more proud of her. those i would not consider pets.
i have had to cull 2 from the eggies flock because after trying a few things we couldn't stop them from drawing blood on the others, so i culled them and we ate them but it was for the best of the flock. my eggies are pets but i won't hesitate to cull as necessary unlike an owner of a few cats or dogs. so yes pets, but in a different way i guess

 

[Y N dottes]

Speaks for itself, lol.

Cute pic...lol

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Speaks for itself, lol.

Yours can speak?!


~'-)