Chickens and all things fowl..........

[hsehntr98]

Same here Joe. If it wasn't for the 70 birds, 5 dogs and 10 cats I could take a small vacation too.

[kickstand]

I'd love to head out west for a trip. The only thing keeping me from doing it is all these pets.

Although on a much smaller scale, we're in the same boat. 3 dogs and a cat make vacations a near impossibility, at least together. Lately we've each been seeing family, she hers, and in July, me mine. They're on opposite sides of the country. Damn critters.

[Boston_Joe]

We do have someone nearby that we would trust to care for them all for a weekend but getting away for an extended trip is difficult.

The full inventory:
4 Horses
4 Dogs
2 Cats
30 Chickens
40 Ducks

I'd love to simplify and cut down on the numbers a bit, it just never seems to work out that way.

[W.Lynn]

The nonsense about not eating the food animals is kinda out there. Hope she's not one of those people who wishes everyone would stop hunting, and buy the meat that's "made at the store, where no animals are hurt."

I can understand giving them a good life, you get better meals from well cared for animals. They deserve whatever we can do to keep them safe and contented. I saw one bit of something with the quote (speaking of a heritage breed piggy,) "he'll only have one bad day in his life, and he won't know when that's coming."

When you're not eating them, you may as well turn them loose to fend for themselves, and buy your eggs. That's a LOT less overhead.

[olfart]

The nonsense about not eating the food animals is kinda out there. Hope she's not one of those people who wishes everyone would stop hunting, and buy the meat that's "made at the store, where no animals are hurt."

I can understand giving them a good life, you get better meals from well cared for animals. They deserve whatever we can do to keep them safe and contented. I saw one bit of something with the quote (speaking of a heritage breed piggy,) "he'll only have one bad day in his life, and he won't know when that's coming."

When you're not eating them, you may as well turn them loose to fend for themselves, and buy your eggs. That's a LOT less overhead.

My wife refuses to eat any of our goats or chickens, but not because she opposes farm-produced meat. It's because she "knows them". In other words it's OK if we eat someone else's goat or chicken that she doesn't know. Ours are like family to her. If it came down to the prospect of starving if we didn't eat our animals, I think that could be reversed.

[redman2006]

I butchered a couple of our goats a while back. Felt a little bad as one of them had gotten to be my buddy. He would follow me all over and acted like a pet. I did not encourage it, and we raised him for meat, but I still felt a little bad. He still tastes good though.

By the time I am done raising a pig, I am happy to shoot him in the head. Those are some of the most aggravating animals ever. The only good thing out of a pig is dinner. I can not see having the damned things in my house as a pet.

Chickens don't bother me a bit.

[olfart]

By the time I am done raising a pig, I am happy to shoot him in the head. Those are some of the most aggravating animals ever. The only good thing out of a pig is dinner. I can not see having the damned things in my house as a pet.

AGREED! Our pigs dug up the water line between the well and the house.

We raised 3 calves many years ago, named them Dixie Maid (local burger joint), Dairy Queen and Burger King. By the time they reached butchering size, my wife was thrilled to haul them to the locker plant. They were escape artists and had been general pains in the butt the whole time we had them.

[0utlaw]

I'm really fond of our goats....but I'd eat their babies.

Heck I'd eat them too but they're going on 5 now and the expression "Tough old goat" comes to mind.

[W.Lynn]

Nope, but I do love roast duck. Unfortunately Mrs Joe made me promise that we would let our birds die of natural causes. I've grudgingly lived up to my end of the deal and we've sold off our surplus birds. I don't ask any too many questions about their new homes.

My wife refuses to eat any of our goats or chickens, but not because she opposes farm-produced meat. It's because she "knows them". In other words it's OK if we eat someone else's goat or chicken that she doesn't know. Ours are like family to her. If it came down to the prospect of starving if we didn't eat our animals, I think that could be reversed.

That's still keeping pets, rather than producing meat. You're probably right about reversing it. They're both knowingly allowing themself a huge disconnect from reality though. With food prices going higher all the time, it could slap them in the face sooner than they know.

[Boston_Joe]

My situation is the same as olfart's. When push come to shove dinner will be served, even if it once had a name. I see you point W.Lynn but as the saying goes a happy wife make for a happy life. Right now doing things as we are makes her happy. Later having food on the plate vs not will make her happy. We've sold off all of the surplus male birds and sell the eggs we get from the hens so they come close to paying for themselves.

[olfart]

If things go seriously toward the crapper and my wife is faced with a steady diet of green beans, she'll shoot a goat herself. She's already fussing about all the green beans we have stored. "I can't look another green bean in the eye!" We're eating some of the older stock to make room for new.

[W.Lynn]

Give some of the green beans to the pets, if safe? (And plant a few other things both you, and the pets, will eat?)

[0utlaw]

Chickens will eat like buzzards if you let 'em. We feed ours all kinds of scraps, leftovers, old bread, bug eaten food from the garden, etc. Heck we'll even feed them boiled eggs if we get backed up with eggs.

[Boston_Joe]

Yup, boiled eggs shell and all is a staple for our birds. We feed them all of the eggs that may have a bit of age on them. Feather garbage disposals.

When we clean out the coop we sometimes come across mouse nests. For some reason I find it amusing to watch a few of the more observant hens grab up the scattering micelings.

[0utlaw]

I just killed a rat snake in the coop trying to eat an egg, I tossed him in the pen and the girls were circling and pecking him when I came back in.