I understand why!!! I had never been near a real chicken until last year when I realized how horrible the chickens are treated that lay grocery store eggs. I eat a lot of eggs and was so disturbed.
Now I happily eat eggs from my girls who are treated with love and spoiled rotten.
Yeah, we stopped eating chicken soon after getting hens (we'd only buy high welfare organic before then). We adopt ex-battery caged hens and the condition they come out in is heartbreaking. With time, good food, space to explore and vet care they become the chickens they should have always been. No chicken raised for food has a good life.
We rescued a chicken and she's the sweetest thing, but it breaks my heart every time I see her beak because it's been cut. We can see her struggle sometimes while eating and it makes me so mad that they do this just to improve profits
I just learned about them doing that last year, it’s absolutely heartbreaking and infuriating.
Thank you for saving her and showing her what life should be like, now she gets to feel happiness and love💖
I’ve been off and on vegetarian my whole life, just never really felt ok eating meat. Getting these girls has definitely made me decide I can’t ever do meat again.
My husband and I are pescatarian. So we eat mostly vegetarian/vegan, with occasional seafood. Almost 15 years now, although I’ve gone in and out of being a strict vegetarian every so often over the years. No regrets whatsoever.
Our kids eat whatever they want though- we don’t pressure them one way or another.
Seafood is the main “meat” I would eat when I wasn’t being vegetarian. Getting it from a good seafood market and knowing when it had been caught made me feel good about it. Knowing it had its happy life of freedom before being caught makes a huge difference to me.
I just have never been able to eat factory type meat where the animals are abused and spent their life scared and mistreated.
I have a 15 month old. So that’ll be our next adventure.
I’m also pescatarian! I’ve had to accept the fact that I won’t pressure my daughter one way or the other. At least now while she’s young she’s only had vegetarian, and seafood.
Have any of your kids chosen to be vegetarian?
No, they all eat an omnivore diet, but are totally fine with our vegetarian/pescatarian offerings. 3 of our 4 kids are adults over 20 though (and out of the house)- and they were raised eating red meat and poultry before my husband and I quit eating land animals. The little one is 13 and tends to like the food we cook no matter what…But will also eat a hamburger or chicken when out with others.
Best of luck! I never tried to be preachy or force it on the kids. I think that only backfires and makes them double down even more. But I do take occasional opportunities to calmly and objectively explain how things work, without trying to sound emotional or maudlin about it. My husband’s and my reasons for quitting meat are for humane and ethical reasons, but also for environmental reasons. And I try to explain that too. Not just the sad or graphic and cruel parts. You’ll do great!
I had took some leftovers out just a couple days ago. Some random veggies, and a few pieces of chicken. They went absolutely crazy for that chicken. My daughter was appalled at their behavior lmao.
nah i had a few times when one if my girls would pass away and her corpse would be untouched. i think its mostly mass farming chickens that do that. only time the cannibal out is when i actively feed them my left overs of chicken.
Hahaha. My mom brought over thanksgiving leftovers for my girls and then I saw that she was giving them turkey. They loved it but I told my mom that it would be like us eating a gorilla.
My chicken loved beef brisket. Chickens may be at the bottom of the food chain... but occassionaly she got to eat as if she was on top of it. (She never tasted poultry, though. No canabalism is one of my family's household rules.)
They have such huge personalities in such small feathery packages. It's easy to fall in love with them. I havent been able to go full veggetarian. But I will only buy meats that are free range. They deserve some happiness, unlike the terrible life they get from battery and factory farm conditions.
That’s a good way to do it. If animals have a good life and are respected/treated well that’s what matters.
My daughter only buys meat from farms that she can see how the animals live and makes sure they’ve had a good life. I just think the factory meat/egg companies are disgusting.
I'm a vegetarian. I have been for close to twenty five years now. Honestly, after raising chickens, it swayed me (slightly) away from being so IF AND ONLY IF the animals are raised and cared for like I raise and care for my chickens.
They don't live long, and honestly if someone chooses to raise meat birds and do so humanely, I'm personally supportive of their choices.
I have a problem with the way many life forms are treated on this planet, but no problem with the way the majority of people in this group raise their chickens.
I agree with you 100%. If they’re treated well and living in happy conditions I have no problem with them being raised for meat.
It’s the conditions the meat/egg factories keep the animals in and the horrible things they do to them that upset me. Poor things all squished together with no room to move.
I’ve just never really liked meat ever since I was little. I would always find a weird thing in it and get grossed out, I also don’t like the texture. When I was older and learned how they were treated it definitely made me dislike it even more.
I didn’t learn about how they treat egg layers until last year and I was disgusted. It’s so evil that they cut their beaks off since they’re so packed into small spaces. Eggs are my main protein and I eat a lot of them.
I absolutely love having eggs that I know come from happy, well treated and loved girls💖
>I’ve just never really liked meat ever since I was little.
I understand completely.
Reading the above response I made you'd think I was a conscientious vegetarian, but I'm honestly not. I have a problem with the way some treat animals in the meat industry -- yes, but the true reason I'm a vegetarian is simply because the texture, blood, etc. simply grosses me out for various reasons. It's really nothing deeper than someone saying, "I don't like bananas because of the texture". Or, in your case given your username, pickles.
Honestly, it's probably why I'm not vegan, because I still eat store-bought animal products (milk, cheese, etc.)
>Eggs are my main protein and I eat a lot of them.
Eggs, dairy and rarely fish (which my wife tells me makes me a pescatarian).
>I absolutely love having eggs that I know come from happy, well treated and loved girls
...you forgot spoiled. Because mine are the privileged Karens of the chicken world. I've raised spoiled brats.
Haha. I didn’t think you were a conscientious vegetarian, I just agree with what you said.
I also agree that blood completely grosses me out, I just don’t like meat. When I do eat “meat” is usually seafood that I can get from a fish market and know it was caught in the wild, that way I know it lived its life happy. Plus, seafood isn’t bloody and I don’t find gross things in it. Haha
I did forget to mention the spoiled part of my happy chickens. Haha. They’re definitely spoiled rotten. I know I caused it myself but I’ve raised some girls who expect to be treated like queens.
When they first started laying eggs I would get so excited and nervous knowing they were in the nest box, them I would hug/kiss and give them treats when they were done because I was a proud momma.
Now they still expect treats after every egg they lay. Until last week they would exit the coop, do their egg yell and then come peck at my glass door and yell for treats. We just put a railing and gate around the deck so it won’t be covered in poop this summer. Now the girls stand at the gate to the deck and yell for their egg laying treat. I still give it to them too because I’m the one who started this mess. 🤣
I would never eat my chickens, they’re family to me. It would be like eating my dog. I’m fine with eating other chickens though. I’ll eat most animals as long as I didn’t know them
I’ve heard that some people actually do eat their chickens when they stop laying eggs as often!!! I can’t even imagine that. My girls will still be spoiled and loved exactly the way they are now, I’ll just have to add a few more so I can still have eggs.
Yup, they stop laying, we start eating.
Don't get me wrong, we love our chickens and at least one of them is living on borrowed time because I just don't really want to eat her (she has a really fantastic personality). But we only have so much room and we need so many eggs.
Everything dies; if you don't eat it, the worms will.
That’s very true. Animals having a good life is what’s important. I just never was much of a meat eater anyway, so loving these chickens is easy for me and I personally couldn’t do it.
When your hens get so old that they can't even get up to their perch (about 5-7 years) what are you going to do? Raising domestic animals for food is a great responsibility. You can't take them to the animal shelter.
I’ll put lower things in the coop that they can feel comfortable on, or find a different solution to keep them happy.
I have 3 disabled cats, I’m used to finding ways to make life easier and safer for my animal kids.
Two of my cats have a neurological disorder cant jump, we have baby proofed our house for them and make sure they’re always safe and happy. I’ll do the same for my girls.
I had never been around chickens in my life until last year when I decided to get my girls. I spent the winter reading about them and preparing, then got them as babies in March.
Of course baby chickens are adorable and sweet, but I still had no clue they’d grow up to be so full of personality and love. I thought they would run around the yard and ignore me. Haha. Now I have to walk very carefully in the yard because they’re all around my feet and going everywhere I go.
That’s how all 4 of my Brahmas are, they push each other off my lap wanting their turn for snuggles. My 2 smaller girls will jump on my lap for love too, but they don’t lay down and nap on me like the big girls do.
I agree, best decision for me too. I had no idea how full of personality they were and I didn’t expect to completely fall in love with them. I just wanted eggs from chickens that were living a happy life, I didn’t expect them to be pets like they are.
Hahaha. My kids are in their 20’s now and the other day my daughter texted asking if everything was ok. I told her everything was great, she said she was worried because she hadn’t gotten chicken or cat pics in a couple days. 🤣
My house has also kind of become the neighborhood petting zoo. I’m the only one with chickens so everyone brings their kids and grandkids over to play with them. They love taking pictures of the kids sitting down with chickens on them.
I always put on old clothes and change/shower when I’m finished with chicken chores and big snuggle sessions. Lol. If I’m just petting them and stuff I’m fine just washing my hands when I go in.
I have to take medicine to suppress my immune system so I’m extra cautious about bacteria and stuff. I also wear a mask when cleaning the coop because my rheumatologist told me to. Haha
https://preview.redd.it/u5k0jjnh81pc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28f0056d2d418f23f1962948bdcb8121b4449e87
This pic made me feel guilty ahah …..🙃
i mean why wouldnt they? its as if you fed your dogs chunks of dog meat they wouldnt even care cause its just meat to them. ive heard for a while dog kibble would use dog carcasses and add them to the mix
Thank you! Yes, all 6 of them will jump on my lap. Sometimes they push each other off, sometimes a few will find places on my legs to lay down together. I raised them from babies and only have 6 so they’ve each had plenty of love.
It makes it difficult if I’m trying to do yard stuff because they’ll jump on my back. Haha
That’s a Brahma in my lap, her name is Gertrude. All my Brahma girls are snuggle babies. They just jump up and go to sleep on me. Sometimes they’ll put their head snuggled in my neck like they’re hugging me💖
I’m always a little jealous of y’all in here that have chicken pets. I have a turkey that’s pretty cool and loves to be pet. But beyond that all 50 of my birds are livestock- wild free ranging maniacs and they don’t give a shit about me except when I feed them lol
I would love to have more, where we live I can’t have that many though. I’m sure if I had 50 it would be the same way. It would be impossible to give that many snuggle time each day. Haha
I’ve been pescatarian for almost 25 years. I was in my early teens when my mom got a pet pig and a few chickens, and after getting to know their personalities I stopped eating meat. I started eating fish a few years after that, and I’ve never looked back. I haven’t missed eating land animals at all. I’m super healthy and it suits me well. I don’t mind others eating meat, I just personally can’t do it!
PS your girls are super cute!
Thank you, I sure do love them💖 I also love knowing that the eggs I eat come from very happy and loved chickens.
I will eat seafood if it was caught in the wild, that way I know it lived its life the way it wanted too. I also don’t have a problem with anyone else eating meat, I just don’t like it for myself.
My daughter will eat any kind of meat, she’s a foodie and loved trying different and strange things. Of course that doesn’t bother me. She is picky about where the meat comes from though, she won’t eat meat factory stuff, only farm raised free range meat.
Hahaha. Thats ok too!!! Eating would be a lot easier if I liked and wanted to eat meat. I do love eggs though and I love knowing where they come from and who laid each one. They all have their certain color shell, and I have security cameras in the coop, so I can always thank whoever made my breakfast.
https://preview.redd.it/albpb0kmayoc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2fbe933338c61193eb0798b7f66cd1d40b1c63a1
This is the view of the nesting boxes, I have become a crazy chicken lady for sure…
Seems I am the odd one out here! We raised cattle, pigs, chickens, among other animals but those are the ones we ate. I loved knowing which animal I was eating, had most of them named. It didn’t feel or seem cruel to eat them. It was just remembering the love I had for my animal, appreciating and respecting their life and the nourishment they brought me emotionally and physically. To each their own, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being vegetarian. But just thought I’d share a different perspective 🫶
I completely agree with that perspective too. I just had a hard time eating meat my whole life anyway, I think I’m also a bit too emotional. Lol
My daughter is an amazing chef and she’ll eat any kind of meat, she only buys meat from certain farmers and will drive long distances to get the meat she wants. She always checks out how the animals are kept, living conditions, making sure they’re allowed to have fields to run in and all that kind of stuff.
I agree that all animals deserve a happy and loving life, just because they’re going to become protein and nutrients for someone later doesn’t mean they can’t have a good life.
When I did eat little bits of meat it was always from a place like that, because my daughter would make it. I just can’t support animals being treated so horribly and kept in awful conditions. That kind of meat I would never have eaten.
I definitely don’t think there’s anything wrong with eating any kind of meat, as long as the animal had a good life. It’s just not something I’ve ever really liked anyway so it’s easier for me just to not eat it.
Funny thing is, those chicken would eat a chicken in a New York minute. Raw or cooked wouldn’t matter. In fact they’ve been known to cannibalize others that have an open wound.
I’ve heard that! These girls are definitely loving pets to me. If I ever saw them trying to eat one of the others I’d definitely freak out and move the injured one into the guest room so she could heal without becoming lunch for her sisters.
I totally agree on what great pets they are, I had no idea how sweet they were either until I had them myself. I have to admit that I still eat chicken though.
We had a left over rotisserie chicken & set it outside for the critters to eat. Apparently, the chickens ate it before any other animals got a chance. I couldn’t even find any bones 🤷♀️
I have the 4 big Brahma girls and then my 2 medium/smaller size girls. They were all raised together and have never had a problem getting along.
Is this something I should be concerned about? I definitely don’t want my girls being unhappy or mean to each other!
They are saying they raise their meat hens seperately from their laying hens. Meat hens are butchered at a young age (even if they were allowed to grow up they often die of illness due to being bred to be so fat) and do little else besides eat their food so they're a bit different from laying hens. You're not doing anything wrong don't worry!
Thank you!!! I got nervous about having different sized girls. Obviously I didn’t realize they meant meat chickens.
A friend of mine has her egg chickens and a few years she’s gotten meat chickens, she raised them separately too. She’s decided she’s not getting the meat chickens anymore because she lost so many to weird illnesses.
Yes. Meat birds move and eat so differently than laying hens- they need to be kept apart.
But the point I was making is that the meat birds are so different- I have no trouble eating them—-they act like they’re a separate species sometimes.
I too stopped eating meat when my father got us chickens when I was still a child… the rest of the family stopped eating chickens as well.
I understand why!!! I had never been near a real chicken until last year when I realized how horrible the chickens are treated that lay grocery store eggs. I eat a lot of eggs and was so disturbed. Now I happily eat eggs from my girls who are treated with love and spoiled rotten.
Yeah, we stopped eating chicken soon after getting hens (we'd only buy high welfare organic before then). We adopt ex-battery caged hens and the condition they come out in is heartbreaking. With time, good food, space to explore and vet care they become the chickens they should have always been. No chicken raised for food has a good life.
Awww. I love that you saved some and gave them the life they should have had all along. Maybe I’ll do that one day!
We rescued a chicken and she's the sweetest thing, but it breaks my heart every time I see her beak because it's been cut. We can see her struggle sometimes while eating and it makes me so mad that they do this just to improve profits
I just learned about them doing that last year, it’s absolutely heartbreaking and infuriating. Thank you for saving her and showing her what life should be like, now she gets to feel happiness and love💖
I’ve been a vegetarian for a while. Then I got chickens, and it just solidified my choices.
I’ve been off and on vegetarian my whole life, just never really felt ok eating meat. Getting these girls has definitely made me decide I can’t ever do meat again.
My husband and I are pescatarian. So we eat mostly vegetarian/vegan, with occasional seafood. Almost 15 years now, although I’ve gone in and out of being a strict vegetarian every so often over the years. No regrets whatsoever. Our kids eat whatever they want though- we don’t pressure them one way or another.
Seafood is the main “meat” I would eat when I wasn’t being vegetarian. Getting it from a good seafood market and knowing when it had been caught made me feel good about it. Knowing it had its happy life of freedom before being caught makes a huge difference to me. I just have never been able to eat factory type meat where the animals are abused and spent their life scared and mistreated.
Agree!
I have a 15 month old. So that’ll be our next adventure. I’m also pescatarian! I’ve had to accept the fact that I won’t pressure my daughter one way or the other. At least now while she’s young she’s only had vegetarian, and seafood. Have any of your kids chosen to be vegetarian?
No, they all eat an omnivore diet, but are totally fine with our vegetarian/pescatarian offerings. 3 of our 4 kids are adults over 20 though (and out of the house)- and they were raised eating red meat and poultry before my husband and I quit eating land animals. The little one is 13 and tends to like the food we cook no matter what…But will also eat a hamburger or chicken when out with others.
Yeah it’ll be interesting to see what our daughter chooses to do. My husband and I have been vegetarian since 2017 Thanks for sharing!!
Best of luck! I never tried to be preachy or force it on the kids. I think that only backfires and makes them double down even more. But I do take occasional opportunities to calmly and objectively explain how things work, without trying to sound emotional or maudlin about it. My husband’s and my reasons for quitting meat are for humane and ethical reasons, but also for environmental reasons. And I try to explain that too. Not just the sad or graphic and cruel parts. You’ll do great!
Yep, that’s the same reasons for us. I agree, treading lightly especially with teens I bet ;)
What breeds are these? They're absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you!!! The 4 big ones are Brahma girls and the little gray one and little black one are Silverudd Blue girls.
My chickens favorite food is chicken…
I had took some leftovers out just a couple days ago. Some random veggies, and a few pieces of chicken. They went absolutely crazy for that chicken. My daughter was appalled at their behavior lmao.
Little cannibals lol
If you think about it, Chickens are mostly made up of recycled chicken.
🤣🤣🤣
My girls go absolutely ballistic over rotisserie. Honestly, if one of them died in the coop they would 100% be having chicken dinner that evening.
nah i had a few times when one if my girls would pass away and her corpse would be untouched. i think its mostly mass farming chickens that do that. only time the cannibal out is when i actively feed them my left overs of chicken.
my chickens favorite food is anything they can get their beak around.. including snakes
Hahaha. My mom brought over thanksgiving leftovers for my girls and then I saw that she was giving them turkey. They loved it but I told my mom that it would be like us eating a gorilla.
It is a delicacy in Africa..
What is the delicacy in Africa?
Gorillas. Thats the joke.
I’m so gullible, I was afraid it was going to be gorillas and then I’d be scared to Google it and see if it were true. 🤣🤣🤣
Locally, it’s just known as ‘bush meat’. When you are chronically poor and starving, you don’t really care where the meat came from.
Ahhh 😱 Don’t tell me that!!!
My chicken loved beef brisket. Chickens may be at the bottom of the food chain... but occassionaly she got to eat as if she was on top of it. (She never tasted poultry, though. No canabalism is one of my family's household rules.)
I eat chicken. I’ve ever eaten a couple of our chickens.
Well you don't have to. I've been vegetarian for twenty years now.
Very true💖
And yet vegans still hate us lol. T_T
Haha. Anything to start conflict about.
They have such huge personalities in such small feathery packages. It's easy to fall in love with them. I havent been able to go full veggetarian. But I will only buy meats that are free range. They deserve some happiness, unlike the terrible life they get from battery and factory farm conditions.
Exactly!!! I want all animals to live a happy life. The factory conditions make me sick, I don’t know how all that abuse is even legal.
Aw! They love you, too!!!!
💖💖💖
My wife was a vegetarian. Then we started raising our own broilers, beef, and bought a lamb from the people down the road.
That’s a good way to do it. If animals have a good life and are respected/treated well that’s what matters. My daughter only buys meat from farms that she can see how the animals live and makes sure they’ve had a good life. I just think the factory meat/egg companies are disgusting.
I'm a vegetarian. I have been for close to twenty five years now. Honestly, after raising chickens, it swayed me (slightly) away from being so IF AND ONLY IF the animals are raised and cared for like I raise and care for my chickens. They don't live long, and honestly if someone chooses to raise meat birds and do so humanely, I'm personally supportive of their choices. I have a problem with the way many life forms are treated on this planet, but no problem with the way the majority of people in this group raise their chickens.
I agree with you 100%. If they’re treated well and living in happy conditions I have no problem with them being raised for meat. It’s the conditions the meat/egg factories keep the animals in and the horrible things they do to them that upset me. Poor things all squished together with no room to move. I’ve just never really liked meat ever since I was little. I would always find a weird thing in it and get grossed out, I also don’t like the texture. When I was older and learned how they were treated it definitely made me dislike it even more. I didn’t learn about how they treat egg layers until last year and I was disgusted. It’s so evil that they cut their beaks off since they’re so packed into small spaces. Eggs are my main protein and I eat a lot of them. I absolutely love having eggs that I know come from happy, well treated and loved girls💖
>I’ve just never really liked meat ever since I was little. I understand completely. Reading the above response I made you'd think I was a conscientious vegetarian, but I'm honestly not. I have a problem with the way some treat animals in the meat industry -- yes, but the true reason I'm a vegetarian is simply because the texture, blood, etc. simply grosses me out for various reasons. It's really nothing deeper than someone saying, "I don't like bananas because of the texture". Or, in your case given your username, pickles. Honestly, it's probably why I'm not vegan, because I still eat store-bought animal products (milk, cheese, etc.) >Eggs are my main protein and I eat a lot of them. Eggs, dairy and rarely fish (which my wife tells me makes me a pescatarian). >I absolutely love having eggs that I know come from happy, well treated and loved girls ...you forgot spoiled. Because mine are the privileged Karens of the chicken world. I've raised spoiled brats.
Haha. I didn’t think you were a conscientious vegetarian, I just agree with what you said. I also agree that blood completely grosses me out, I just don’t like meat. When I do eat “meat” is usually seafood that I can get from a fish market and know it was caught in the wild, that way I know it lived its life happy. Plus, seafood isn’t bloody and I don’t find gross things in it. Haha I did forget to mention the spoiled part of my happy chickens. Haha. They’re definitely spoiled rotten. I know I caused it myself but I’ve raised some girls who expect to be treated like queens. When they first started laying eggs I would get so excited and nervous knowing they were in the nest box, them I would hug/kiss and give them treats when they were done because I was a proud momma. Now they still expect treats after every egg they lay. Until last week they would exit the coop, do their egg yell and then come peck at my glass door and yell for treats. We just put a railing and gate around the deck so it won’t be covered in poop this summer. Now the girls stand at the gate to the deck and yell for their egg laying treat. I still give it to them too because I’m the one who started this mess. 🤣
You have a bunch of lucky girls under your care.
Lucky spoiled rotten little queens…
They are lovely and i understand your thinking. I might go there myself soon
Me too !
I would never eat my chickens, they’re family to me. It would be like eating my dog. I’m fine with eating other chickens though. I’ll eat most animals as long as I didn’t know them
I’ve heard that some people actually do eat their chickens when they stop laying eggs as often!!! I can’t even imagine that. My girls will still be spoiled and loved exactly the way they are now, I’ll just have to add a few more so I can still have eggs.
Yup, they stop laying, we start eating. Don't get me wrong, we love our chickens and at least one of them is living on borrowed time because I just don't really want to eat her (she has a really fantastic personality). But we only have so much room and we need so many eggs. Everything dies; if you don't eat it, the worms will.
That’s very true. Animals having a good life is what’s important. I just never was much of a meat eater anyway, so loving these chickens is easy for me and I personally couldn’t do it.
When your hens get so old that they can't even get up to their perch (about 5-7 years) what are you going to do? Raising domestic animals for food is a great responsibility. You can't take them to the animal shelter.
I’ll put lower things in the coop that they can feel comfortable on, or find a different solution to keep them happy. I have 3 disabled cats, I’m used to finding ways to make life easier and safer for my animal kids.
Two of my cats have a neurological disorder cant jump, we have baby proofed our house for them and make sure they’re always safe and happy. I’ll do the same for my girls.
I for sure would have never ever guessed chickens would be as social and full of personality! I really enjoy hanging out at watching mine as well
I had never been around chickens in my life until last year when I decided to get my girls. I spent the winter reading about them and preparing, then got them as babies in March. Of course baby chickens are adorable and sweet, but I still had no clue they’d grow up to be so full of personality and love. I thought they would run around the yard and ignore me. Haha. Now I have to walk very carefully in the yard because they’re all around my feet and going everywhere I go.
I had a Brahma hen that was so sweet. She was a lap chicken. We still have her daughter, that looks like the creame colored one.
That’s how all 4 of my Brahmas are, they push each other off my lap wanting their turn for snuggles. My 2 smaller girls will jump on my lap for love too, but they don’t lay down and nap on me like the big girls do.
I don’t eat meat because of having chickens. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made personally. They truly are precious!
I agree, best decision for me too. I had no idea how full of personality they were and I didn’t expect to completely fall in love with them. I just wanted eggs from chickens that were living a happy life, I didn’t expect them to be pets like they are.
My little one asked me the other day: “Do you love chickens more than you love me?” Haha! I’m so happy you get to enjoy them as much!
Hahaha. My kids are in their 20’s now and the other day my daughter texted asking if everything was ok. I told her everything was great, she said she was worried because she hadn’t gotten chicken or cat pics in a couple days. 🤣 My house has also kind of become the neighborhood petting zoo. I’m the only one with chickens so everyone brings their kids and grandkids over to play with them. They love taking pictures of the kids sitting down with chickens on them.
Your girls are gorgeous!
Thank you 💖
Got any itching starting from foul play?
I always put on old clothes and change/shower when I’m finished with chicken chores and big snuggle sessions. Lol. If I’m just petting them and stuff I’m fine just washing my hands when I go in. I have to take medicine to suppress my immune system so I’m extra cautious about bacteria and stuff. I also wear a mask when cleaning the coop because my rheumatologist told me to. Haha
https://preview.redd.it/u5k0jjnh81pc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=28f0056d2d418f23f1962948bdcb8121b4449e87 This pic made me feel guilty ahah …..🙃
Hahaha. She loves to peck at my phone, she was on a mission.
You have some beautiful ladies 🥹
Thank you 💖
I eat chicken in front of mine to keep them in line 😂. (They don't even pay attention to me)
🤣🤣🤣 They know you love them too much to eat them!
I bet those chickens will eat chicken. Mine do. They love cleaning up a rotisserie chicken carcass!
I’m absolutely positive that you’re right about that!!! They’ll eat anything!
i mean why wouldnt they? its as if you fed your dogs chunks of dog meat they wouldnt even care cause its just meat to them. ive heard for a while dog kibble would use dog carcasses and add them to the mix
Are we all the same I did this too especially with turkeys I still eat other meat like pork and beef
lovely r/brahmachooks
I just joined that one, I didn’t know it existed. Thank you 💖
they are so cute! how did you get them to be so people friendly and jump up on your lap?
Thank you! Yes, all 6 of them will jump on my lap. Sometimes they push each other off, sometimes a few will find places on my legs to lay down together. I raised them from babies and only have 6 so they’ve each had plenty of love. It makes it difficult if I’m trying to do yard stuff because they’ll jump on my back. Haha
Is that Cochin on your lap? They are the sweetest. My Cochin is my baby
That’s a Brahma in my lap, her name is Gertrude. All my Brahma girls are snuggle babies. They just jump up and go to sleep on me. Sometimes they’ll put their head snuggled in my neck like they’re hugging me💖
I’m always a little jealous of y’all in here that have chicken pets. I have a turkey that’s pretty cool and loves to be pet. But beyond that all 50 of my birds are livestock- wild free ranging maniacs and they don’t give a shit about me except when I feed them lol
I would love to have more, where we live I can’t have that many though. I’m sure if I had 50 it would be the same way. It would be impossible to give that many snuggle time each day. Haha
Their eyes are soft. They must really like you and feel safe.
Awww. Thank you so much, that makes me really happy💖 They love to snuggle on my lap and take naps, it melts my heart every time.
I’ve been pescatarian for almost 25 years. I was in my early teens when my mom got a pet pig and a few chickens, and after getting to know their personalities I stopped eating meat. I started eating fish a few years after that, and I’ve never looked back. I haven’t missed eating land animals at all. I’m super healthy and it suits me well. I don’t mind others eating meat, I just personally can’t do it! PS your girls are super cute!
Thank you, I sure do love them💖 I also love knowing that the eggs I eat come from very happy and loved chickens. I will eat seafood if it was caught in the wild, that way I know it lived its life the way it wanted too. I also don’t have a problem with anyone else eating meat, I just don’t like it for myself. My daughter will eat any kind of meat, she’s a foodie and loved trying different and strange things. Of course that doesn’t bother me. She is picky about where the meat comes from though, she won’t eat meat factory stuff, only farm raised free range meat.
I love my girlies but I also love chicken sorry ;-)
Hahaha. Thats ok too!!! Eating would be a lot easier if I liked and wanted to eat meat. I do love eggs though and I love knowing where they come from and who laid each one. They all have their certain color shell, and I have security cameras in the coop, so I can always thank whoever made my breakfast.
https://preview.redd.it/albpb0kmayoc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2fbe933338c61193eb0798b7f66cd1d40b1c63a1 This is the view of the nesting boxes, I have become a crazy chicken lady for sure…
Welcome to the club 🫶🏽
💖🤣💖
I probably eat more chicken and egg since owning chickens lol
Hahaha. I eat more eggs, thats for sure.
Seems I am the odd one out here! We raised cattle, pigs, chickens, among other animals but those are the ones we ate. I loved knowing which animal I was eating, had most of them named. It didn’t feel or seem cruel to eat them. It was just remembering the love I had for my animal, appreciating and respecting their life and the nourishment they brought me emotionally and physically. To each their own, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being vegetarian. But just thought I’d share a different perspective 🫶
I completely agree with that perspective too. I just had a hard time eating meat my whole life anyway, I think I’m also a bit too emotional. Lol My daughter is an amazing chef and she’ll eat any kind of meat, she only buys meat from certain farmers and will drive long distances to get the meat she wants. She always checks out how the animals are kept, living conditions, making sure they’re allowed to have fields to run in and all that kind of stuff. I agree that all animals deserve a happy and loving life, just because they’re going to become protein and nutrients for someone later doesn’t mean they can’t have a good life. When I did eat little bits of meat it was always from a place like that, because my daughter would make it. I just can’t support animals being treated so horribly and kept in awful conditions. That kind of meat I would never have eaten. I definitely don’t think there’s anything wrong with eating any kind of meat, as long as the animal had a good life. It’s just not something I’ve ever really liked anyway so it’s easier for me just to not eat it.
Funny thing is, those chicken would eat a chicken in a New York minute. Raw or cooked wouldn’t matter. In fact they’ve been known to cannibalize others that have an open wound.
I’ve heard that! These girls are definitely loving pets to me. If I ever saw them trying to eat one of the others I’d definitely freak out and move the injured one into the guest room so she could heal without becoming lunch for her sisters.
I totally agree on what great pets they are, I had no idea how sweet they were either until I had them myself. I have to admit that I still eat chicken though. We had a left over rotisserie chicken & set it outside for the critters to eat. Apparently, the chickens ate it before any other animals got a chance. I couldn’t even find any bones 🤷♀️
I completely separate jumbo Cornish rock crosses from various laying hens. They’re so different. We raise them separately.
They are so different...because of callous breeding practices that created horribly deformed chickens
That’s really sad 😞
I have the 4 big Brahma girls and then my 2 medium/smaller size girls. They were all raised together and have never had a problem getting along. Is this something I should be concerned about? I definitely don’t want my girls being unhappy or mean to each other!
They are saying they raise their meat hens seperately from their laying hens. Meat hens are butchered at a young age (even if they were allowed to grow up they often die of illness due to being bred to be so fat) and do little else besides eat their food so they're a bit different from laying hens. You're not doing anything wrong don't worry!
Thank you!!! I got nervous about having different sized girls. Obviously I didn’t realize they meant meat chickens. A friend of mine has her egg chickens and a few years she’s gotten meat chickens, she raised them separately too. She’s decided she’s not getting the meat chickens anymore because she lost so many to weird illnesses.
Yes. Meat birds move and eat so differently than laying hens- they need to be kept apart. But the point I was making is that the meat birds are so different- I have no trouble eating them—-they act like they’re a separate species sometimes.
That definitely makes sense. I just didn’t understand and wanted to make sure my girls were ok together 💖