Why don't we eat rooster's/capons...

[Yellow Fang]

I'm glad this thread came up. I've occasionally wondered what a capon was, although not enough to look it up in a dictionary. I thought it might be some type of Mediterranean vegetable.

 

[wafflycat]

Does no one in your household have experience in choking the chicken?

No. Having read up on it, it's something I'd be prepared to do. I just wouldn't relish the thought but it is one of those things that may be needed if it's not possible to get the hen to a vet quickly enough.

 

[wafflycat]

Waffleycat, I can understand the sentiment to an extent, but as a country lad who grew up in an environment where everyone kept hens the art of dispatching something humanely was a vital lesson for life. Without criticising, I do think it odd that people keep poultry as pets. We used to keep them for the eggs of course, and they spent their lives in a happy free range environment, but once they ended their laying life they were turned into boilers. I know of people who pay for feed for ancient hens and then bury them with full honours, but it don't seem right!

Thing is, if you get an ex-batt, you sign up on the basis that you look after them as pets and not view them as an egg-laying commodity. The eggs are a tasty bonus, as eggs are not guaranteed - but almost invariably happen, as although the hens are 'spent' from a commercial farming POV, there's plenty of laying-life left in them. And you take them strictly on the basis that you look after them for the rest of their natural-born. That's what I signed up to, so that's what I'll keep to. No going into the pot once they've stopped production. If I want to have chickens for the pot, I'll get some of a breed specifically bred for meat purposes and be fine about giving them a decent life and dispatching at the appropriate point in time. I don't have qualms about that (I've caught, killed, prepared & cooked my own food before: fish).

Each to their own of course, and you seem to have a wonderful attitude towards the Laydeez.

Ta. I'd make a cr'p farmer, as I'm not hard-nosed enough in terms of the economics when it comes to the animals. OTOH, my neighbour is a retired farmer - one that genuinely loved his animals - and he loves hens (used to have a small free-range flock in his orchard in days gone by) and he's complimented me on how I'm looking after The Laydeez, so I reckon I'm doing something right.

As for wringing their necks, hens are a bit of a difficult one for me, as their characters make them personalised little beings, but it's possible to do it quickly and as kindly as possible. Of course if you don't get attached to them in the first place it's much easier. Game birds don't seem to stir the same sentiment, neither do rabbits.

To my mind, if I have an animal in my care it's my responsibility to take care of it, in terms of what it requires for its well-being in relation to its species. So they get cleaned daily, fresh food & water daily, inspected for parasites & nasties, and regularly wormed. My Laydeez are certainly pets and 'family members' but non-human and I don't see them as some sort of surrogate child. They aren't 'my babies' if you see what I mean. So I am prepared to have to spend more on their health requirements than a commercial farmer could do to remain profitable, but also understand that there will come a time when they'll either have to be euthanised by a vet or I may well have to do an emergency dispatch myself.

Game birds... ah yes, Ferdie the Pheasant who comes into the garden... who I hold 'conversations' with... me, a sad case?

 

[Cubist]

Game birds... ah yes, Ferdie the Pheasant who comes into the garden... who I hold 'conversations' with... me, a sad case?

Well done Waffles, ex-batts....if any creature needs a break they do!

Ferdie?? Ha ha! A friend of mine once told me that a Guniea Fowl had taken to visiting her in her back garden. I smiled as she described how tame he was, and how he loved to come and peck at the corn she'd thrown down for him.

Within three weeks she was haggard, sleepless, and begging me to come and I quote "f*cking shoot the noisy little b*stard"

 

[wafflycat]

Within three weeks she was haggard, sleepless, and begging me to come and I quote "f*cking shoot the noisy little b*stard"