Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[beach chick]

this is something I've been wondering about for a bit... how does everyone see their chooks?

 

for me, they are productive pets. that is not at all to say that if they stopped laying I would do anything - they've earned their keep, both from the eggs that (some of them) lay, and just because they're decorative and adorable, and livestock that I've taken on the responsibility for, and therefore they will always deserve the best that I can give them.

 

but as pets, they are not a par with the dog or the cats. if they were ill I would do everything I could to make sure they were ok (vet if necessary, etc, but I guess there would come a financial point where I would draw the line) and obviously good husbandry goes without saying. But we lost 2 a month or so ago, and although I was upset I wasnt devastated in the same way as if we had lost the dog or one of the cats.

 

equally, I can see a time in the future when we might raise some meat birds - they would get the same treatment as the others, which I reckon is pretty cushy by chicken standards, I prob wouldnt give them names though, and would invest in a humane despatching tool if I couldnt find someone to do it for me (such a wuss really).

 

none of mine are particularly cuddly, and I'm not unhappy with that (with a husband, 2 kids, a dog and 3 cats to cuddle, time spent cuddling chooks is limited) but I wonder if it makes a difference?

 

I'd really like to hear what you all think...

[Angels4]

For me...my girls first and foremost will be pets and will be treated equally like our 3 cats (soon to be 4 as our Queen Pumpkin just had a litter of 8, and yes we will keep one...just one.... 0 The great thing with my girls...When I get them is they will provide us with the bonus of eggs.

[Guest]

ours are beloved pets. I have 1 girl, Maud, who loves to cuddle on my lap. She jumps on my knee whenever I am outside and settles down for a bit of snuggle time, but even though the others aren't cuddly, they provide us with hours of entertainment.

 

We originally got them to save money as we were trying to be a little bit self sufficient but the girls soon captured our hearts, well mine anyway! (hubby is less enamoured although he does love them).

 

Just because they don't live in the house and sit on my knee, doesn't mean I love them any less.

[Egluntyne]

Productive pets.

[Electricbarbarella]

pets that will hopefully earn their keep. I am hoping to sell enough eggs to pay for their feed and may be give us abit of extra spends, my children have allergies and eating problems so it was mainly for them to be more enthusiastic about food.

[-xJuliex-]

Pets! I love my girlies so much! The same as i do my other pets. Also i am vegetarian and i feel even if i was not i could never eat my pets. My Dad is a meat eater and he is now beginning to feel guilty eating any kind of chicken (maybe that is down to my winding him up about what he is eating...’My girls long lost cousin!’ and making him feel bad!)

 

Julie x

[Chickvic]

Pets! They are fantastic, I admit I didn't think they would be as interesting as they are but they all have their own personalities and traits. They're no different than my cats in that respect. I still love picking a warm egg out of the nesting box!

[MedusA]

They are most definitely pets to me and I love my girls much in the same way that I love my houserabbit. They all get daily cuddles and I talk to them all the time.

 

I have to admit, that when I planned to get them, it was more for the eggs, but now I love them for their characters and funny ways. I hadn't realised chickens had so much personality.

 

I'm a veggie too, so the idea of eating them was never in the equation.

[Ms Tilytinkle]

Delightful amusing but nonetheless 'productive' pets, although i enjoy them sooo much - love them as much as we love all our pets . . but we do keep the chickens because of their prolific supply of eggs.

Tee hee hubby made me laugh the other day as i overheard him talking to one of our cats the other day ( she follows him everywhere) " its all well & good being cute, sooo when are you going to lay us an egg then?, at least these lot are earning their keep"

Our 2 newbies are more tame than ours, think they might've been cuddled more or just a friendlier breed (or they associate humans at all times to food) but we're not really chicken cuddlers. We pick them up to health inspect, give them a little tickle & stroke when & if they crouch, sometimes a walking stroke/cuddle when retrieving them from places they shouldn't be!! But cuddles or rather no cuddles they're enjoyed, loved, respected & appreciated just the same.

 

Ms TlllydidtellaparticularchooktheotherdaythatifshedidntstopchasingPandorathatiwouldmarinadeandroasther!!

[chooklady]

Definately productive pets, I am hoping to sell eggs to friends and neighbours. If it wasn't for the eggs I wouldn't consider having chooks, I love animals dearly but you have to be realistic.

 

I too would like to see a point in the future where I might raise them for meat also. If I look at certain types of chicken in supermarkets and you know what I mean, I actually feel sick to think how they are kept. I only buy free range chicken from my local butcher and Waitrose chicken, free range is poss. I will not eat anything pre-packaged that contained chicken because I don't know how it's been raised I would rather go without. Surely it is better to know where the meat you are eating has come from and what sort of life it has lead, it's going to taste so much better, you know what it's been fed and how that chicken has lived , as far as I can see there shouldn't be anything to be ashamed of.

 

I would love to live 'The Good Life', anything you've raised, grown yourself or foraged and fished for has got to be so much better. Freshly caught Mackerel for instance, you can't beat it barbequed on the beach......yum.

[MedusA]

Definately productive pets, I am hoping to sell eggs to friends and neighbours. If it wasn't for the eggs I wouldn't consider having chooks, I love animals dearly but you have to be realistic.

 

Just wait until you get them and see if you still think the same way.

[chooklady]

I am sure we will get very fond of them, but there is no way they would be on a par with my dog for instance. I will look after and protect them to the best of my ability, but they are chickens. You are going to think I am hard and uncaring and that couldn't be further from the truth I just like to think I'm realistic and keep things in perspective.

[beach chick]

I agree with you chooklady! but I too was surprised by how fascinating they are, and watching their behaviour always intrigues me.

[chooklady]

I agree, animal behaviour is fascinating and I am eager to see the antics of chickens first hand.

[Tigerlily]

Oh they are my princesses, not even just pets!

 

I have been asked so many times:

What will you do when they stop laying?

 

My reply has always been: "well, I wouldn't dream of eating my cat, I certainly won't be eating my girls!"

 

I am so attached to them now, in fact, my cat Gnasher has just had a bit of a do with another cat (I think it was after the girls and he seen it off!). There was a terrible noise and it upset the girls I had to fly out to calm them down and make sure Gnasher was ok - and he was

 

They are so funny and make me laugh I love the fact they follow me around, even though I know I'm just the treat lady round here!

 

edited to say: The eggs are an added bonus of course! They are the loveliest eggs ever and I have started baking now and they make fantastic cakes

 

BW x

[HENthusiastic]

Much loved pets. I love the fact that they can lay eggs, but if they all stopped laying eggs tomorow and lived for another ten years, they would still be happily trundling around the back garden. Before I had chickens I thought they would be nice to have in the garden. Now I KNOW chickens, I feel totally differently. They are my pets and are very important to me. I know them individually, and they feel equally important as other animals I have had in the past.

[Blackrocksrock]

Beloved pets of course - thats why I wash their bums

[Ardene5]

Hello

We see the chickens as PETS because they are loveable, chatty,characters each one different. They are just like our 2 boxer dogs.

Millie who is 9 yrs old and Missy who is just over 1 yr old. They run and play together, tell you when they are wanting food. Will drink from a sports bottle when out on a walk and love the chickens and ducks do not chase them but look after them and ensure there are no cats around.

What more could you want from a family of pets.

All the pets seem to understand our special need children and look after them and it works both ways as they learn to look after their pets.

All we have to do is look after everyone and move things around the garden to make it easy for the chickens and ducks.

Next job is move a 8 x 10 foot shed and build an avary for our feathered friends for the winter months and so make the garden better hopefully!

 

Best regards

 

Ian & Valerie

William & Harry

Missy & Millie dogs girls

Bluebell & Tinkerbell " The Bluebell Girls"

The new girls, , small , ,

4 ex battery hens

2 x 1 x in hut

, & coop

[Busybird]

Productive pets.

 

Although I get very angry when I hear of anyone mistreating an animal they have taken on responsibility for I also get exasperated when I hear of 'pampered' pets - those who are basically treated as another child. To me a cat is useful to keep a stable clear of mice, a dog as a guard or herding creature. I realise that I am out of synch with a lot of people holding these views.

 

My children desperately wanted pets and I would not get a cat, dog, guinea pig, rabbit or whatever else their friends had as we had no use for one. I knew that I would be the one to care for it and I was not willing to give the time, effort and expense required.

 

Then I considered chickens. They are so easy to look after, are definite characters, live outside, are good with the children and go some way towards earning their keep with the eggs. The 'treats' our chickens get are s"Ooops, word censored!"s from the kitchen that we would otherwise compost. I ensure that they always have plenty of clean water, pellets along with the recommended supplements, a clean Eglu and they free range each day. I hope they lead a good life for a chicken.

 

We enjoy having chickens but we have them because they lay eggs and give the children some idea of responsibility for caring for another living thing.

[Tigerlily]

Well I know I said they were my Princesses (and they are)

 

But I do draw the line at putting tiaras on them and dressing them in pink tutus

 

Mine do get treats - but I watch what they get and how much they get too. I must be doing something right because we get 3 eggs a day from them and we have had quite a few double-yolkers as well (although I know the double-yolkers won't continue for much longer).

 

As long as people look after their chooks, it doesn't matter to me how they see them - livestock, egglayers or pets I just regard mine as I have always regarded all my pets. Personally, I think that it is important for children to understand how to look after animals - not just the responsibility but emotionally as well, but that's just my opinion!

 

BW x

[dancing cloud]

Beloved pets, spoiled and indulged. One of the main reasons for me offering ex-batts a home was to give them a chance of the life they should have had all along and mine certainly have that.

 

Eggs are fun and useful, and "whose egg is this?" is always a good game, but my little scoffalots have a loving home for life even if they never give me an egg again. (The cats also have a loving home for life and if one of them produces an egg I'll be very worried! ).

[Ms Tilytinkle]

Hello DancingCloud,

I understand, me too but my hubby wouldn't .. he'd be delighted

 

Ms Tillyschookslovebordersespeciallyplantedones

Edited July 31, 2008 by Guest

[Yolky]

Pets with benefits

[ajm200]

Ours are definately pets.

 

I would say productive pets but one has only just started laying after 4 months and another is taking a break.

 

They were bought for me but have since been adopted by my OH who often walks about the garden with one tucked under his arm. They also get regular visits from my sons toddlergroup playmates who bring them treats. They are throughly spoiled. If something happened to them we'd all be heartbroken.

 

When they do stop laying, we'll get another 5 to take over egg production and let our existing girls have a throughly pampered retirement

[Valkyrie]

Pets that hopefully will leave us with regular presents in return for TLC.

Naughty Julie

(maybe that is down to my winding him up about what he is eating...’My girls long lost cousin!’ and making him feel bad!)

I like your style!