2.) I’ve always wondered, but didn’t want to get flamed for asking: What if you have pet chickens? I don’t eat them, they live a great chicken life, but I end up with a ton of eggs that I give to people I know. Obviously those eggs are eaten. Does this count as some kind of horrible animal cruelty?
Eh, it depends on how you look at it. Chickens are just domesticated Red Junglefowl, and we’ve bred them over the last few thousand years to be bigger, (probably tastier), and lay a lot more eggs.
IMO, egg layers and other common breeds are probably perfectly happy and comfortable birds without any ‘real’ cruelty. The way we’ve bred them certainly has made them more susceptible to certain health problems and shortened their max lifespan some (compared to their wild ancestors), but my experience with my birds has been that as long as they’re healthy, they seem to be perfectly happy with life.
I think of it the same as how we’ve bred Border Collies into existence. They’re very different from their pre-domestication ancestors, but they’re also not so severely altered that they have inherent health issues or other severe issues.
Broilers (meat chickens), however are definitely on the crueler side. Those poor things are only meant to convert feed to meat, and the whole living part is probably considered undesirable. Most only need to live somewhere between a month and a year before slaughter, and I imagine if you let them go any longer they’ll drop dead from health issues.
I’ve been reading about meat chickens, and you’re pretty much right. They grow for about 8 weeks, and then they’re bound for the nugget factory. If you try to keep them after that they aren’t healthy or happy at all.
Border collies are cool. Dad has one. We are into archery, and our range is next to the yard where the pup lives. That dog is intent on those arrows. She can’t catch one, they’re too fast, but she tries every time. She stares at the arrow on the bow, and when we shoot she will take a couple of steps toward the arrow as it flies, and then gives up at stares down the next arrow. She’s also fun with radio controlled cars.
Eh, it depends on how you look at it. Chickens are just domesticated Red Junglefowl, and we’ve bred them over the last few thousand years to be bigger, (probably tastier), and lay a lot more eggs.
IMO, egg layers and other common breeds are probably perfectly happy and comfortable birds without any ‘real’ cruelty. The way we’ve bred them certainly has made them more susceptible to certain health problems and shortened their max lifespan some (compared to their wild ancestors), but my experience with my birds has been that as long as they’re healthy, they seem to be perfectly happy with life.
I think of it the same as how we’ve bred Border Collies into existence. They’re very different from their pre-domestication ancestors, but they’re also not so severely altered that they have inherent health issues or other severe issues.
Broilers (meat chickens), however are definitely on the crueler side. Those poor things are only meant to convert feed to meat, and the whole living part is probably considered undesirable. Most only need to live somewhere between a month and a year before slaughter, and I imagine if you let them go any longer they’ll drop dead from health issues.
I’ve been reading about meat chickens, and you’re pretty much right. They grow for about 8 weeks, and then they’re bound for the nugget factory. If you try to keep them after that they aren’t healthy or happy at all.
Border collies are cool. Dad has one. We are into archery, and our range is next to the yard where the pup lives. That dog is intent on those arrows. She can’t catch one, they’re too fast, but she tries every time. She stares at the arrow on the bow, and when we shoot she will take a couple of steps toward the arrow as it flies, and then gives up at stares down the next arrow. She’s also fun with radio controlled cars.