To think that chickens are being unfairly favoured by being given their own topic when all other pets have to slum it in a single category?

[Threadworm]

Why can't they sit in a very small cage thread in the pets topic, instead of going free range with a whole topic to themselves?

Can we have a guinea pig topic please.

why arent hey under pets?

Because you don't eat your kittens ( I hope)

There's going to be km - have been asking MN for one for a little while, and they have FINALLY agreed!!!!

nonononononoononononoono

Well gentleotter, you might think that it is not cruel to take a feeding calf from it's mother and I imagine that SEERAD, DEFRA, Animal Health and the police don't think it is either.

mental cruelty is just as bad as physical cruelty.

Hey, our cats multi-task. They bring us frogs and birds and earthworms and mice. They spend vast amounts of time carefully placing muddy paw prints in ungetatable places, demand food at all times, put fur everywhere - all in order to keep us occupied and useful.

And are you serious when you say you don't eat the kittens? What on earth do you flavour your frog/bird/worm/mouse stew with?

Why on earth would you take a feeding calf away from it's mother ?
Can you elaborate on the mental cruelty bit please?

GO it is how milk is made, as it were.

A young cow is put to calf, then the calf is taken away. The cow then continues to produce milk as it is milked twice a day (a little like expressing to keep supplies up?)- this is what we have on our breakfast every day.

My recently discovered bit of farming knowledge is that free range chikens are killed once they get to a year old - as apparently they moult at this age which reduces capacity temporarily. There is very little publicity about this (vs Batt hens) which is why I am having ex FR not rescue Batts.

We are not dairy farmers.
I was unaware of this cull marmaduke and it seems such a waste. Many of our hens are rescued from battery farms but have lived a long and healthy life. It took a lot of care and attention to get them looking well again but my oldest rescue hen is now about eight and still going strong.
All hens moult at the end of the year as it is part of their natural cycle and it gives their systems a break from laying...it is a good time then to change their feed to get them into optimum condition over winter and healthy for spring time.
I honestly wish that the practice of battery farms would be made illegal, indeed, any intensive animal rearing. It is not conducive to a healthy creature IMO.

Hmmm Marmaduke,

You do have a point about milk production - I'm guessing that you are vegan?

I am a dairy farmer's daughter and have been veggie for over 20 years....I don't particulalry like some modern farming methods but I do like my dairy products so live with it. At my Dad's farm the calves are bucket fed with colostrum from their mums and then cow's milk. They are in a pen with calf neighbours. It's not ideal but TBH it only reminds me of some modern parenting methods (that Claire woman springs to mind - minimal contant with mum, formula feed etc....). Most of these calves will then go to suckler herds and get a surragate mum too.

No I'm not a vegan, although I do not eat mammal meat (I do eat fish). My family are all meat eaters and I am quite happy to prepare and cook locally produced, free range, organic meat and meat products.

Have lived all my life in the country and on various farms (although mostly equestrian) including dairy, where the biggest treat was the fresh (warm) milk left in an empty lemonade bottle by my gate every morning.

hmm, excuse me... please can someone show me the way to the chicken keepers forum?

i see this is an old thread that popped up when i typed chickens so hope your still out there!

x

op Dahhling it's because they are the new "black" in certain fashionable circles.

I chop my boy chickens' heads off. That may upset pet lovers in the pet section but other chicken keepers understand.

imamissandamummy, chicken keepers flock together here

My chickens aren't pets, they work for a living. The dog doesn't. Maybe they should go under jobs.