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Chicken keepers

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Original poster

Culled my cockeral last night.

46 replies

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 20/10/2009 12:02

Neighbours had complained as he staretd crowing last week. He was the only chick that survived, typical he was a boy.

I took him round to a friend's and held him while my friend's DH did it. OMG, it was not nice. I felt quite ill, it was a lot worse than I thought it would be. Now the next cockeral we have I'm going to try with my friend's DH there as support. Just not sure I'd be able to do it.

OP posts:

CommonNortherner · 21/10/2009 18:00

Although I probably mean "sense of humour"

Missy8c · 21/10/2009 18:03

Just a word on the teeth thing - we also have bodies capable of reproduction sometimes as young as nine or ten. Does this mean sex at that age is right? Of course it doesn't...that would be immoral and we have progressed as a species to recognise this. Similarly we are no longer forced to eat animals like the hunter/gatherer of caveman days as our developed brains have the capability to know right from wrong and to source viable alternatives. The teeth argument is a cop-out in my opinion. I do not regard myself as a neanderthal but if others wish to do so then I won't argue with that!

Disenchanted3 · 21/10/2009 18:03

Why did you have to kill it if you weren't going to eat him? Am I missing something?

Original poster

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 21/10/2009 18:08

I hatch "pedigree" chickens and sell them. Nobody wants cockerals. I personally can't keep any cockerals as the neighbours complain, which is what prompted this latest death.

If you can keep a cockeral then you can only have one in your flock as 2 cockerals will fight.

If you hatch 6 chicks out then chances are 3 of them are going to be cockerals, so the majority of cockerals are killed.

OP posts:

Disenchanted3 · 21/10/2009 18:10

Gosh thats horrid. Poor chaps.

Original poster

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 21/10/2009 18:14

A lot of commercial breeders will breed auto sexing breeds where there is an obvious difference in chick colour/markings when they hatch. Then they can cull them as day old chicks. At least mine get to live a happy life until they start crowing.

OP posts:

colditz · 21/10/2009 18:17

Killing an animal isn't murder, Missy8, killing an animal is home economics.

www.thefreedictionary.com/murder

Killing a chicken is, therefore, catagorically NOT murder.

And we have the right to decide that it is not murder because we live in a democracy, and so far our laws haven upheld the view that killing chickens is not murder.

I am not a neanderthal and neither were ANY of my ancestors. The neanderthals were an entirely different, albeit parallel, species to Homo sapiens.

I am quite prepared to kill for meat and indeed have done so on many occasions. So I am not a hypocrite.

pinkmagic1 · 21/10/2009 18:19

I don't think you can compare eating meat with a child reproducing at 9 or 10. You are an adult and perfectly entitled to choose a vegetarian diet but you can't deny humans are naturally omnivores.
I choose to eat meat but this dosn't make me a cave person. I have feelings and care deeply for animals but I don't think its wrong to eat them if they have been given a good life and a quick humane death.

Disenchanted3 · 21/10/2009 18:19

He was not killed for meat though.

He was killed for making too much noise.

Christ knows my puppies make a hell of a lot of noise in the garden but Im not going to go out and strangle them if a neighbour complains.

Disenchanted3 · 21/10/2009 18:24

Ignore that, chickens not the same as puppies, was just sad for the lads.

Don't even like chickens.

slimeoncrazydemon · 21/10/2009 18:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

colditz · 21/10/2009 18:29

I'd curry the remains

Chickenshavenolips · 21/10/2009 18:35

What would you suggest happens to excess cockerels, though? Approx. 50% of hatched chicks will be male, yet one cockerel requires about 8 hens (otherwise the ladies suffer). Therefore, there are many, many unwanted cockerels bred every season. Personally, I would always rather that these birds were culled quickly and humanely if they can't be homed, rather than 'released in to the wild', where they could suffer a great deal before they die. I suppose that in their natural environment, cockerels would fight for supremecy within a flock and lesser males would be killed as a result.

Original poster

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 21/10/2009 18:36

I do live in a village but am aware that we have houses very close (infact we're a semi).

The neighbour said it was waking her up at 5:00am. I must admit I had to bite my tongue about the fact that her dog can be quite yappy which is annoying. I think if I'd started a "AM i BEing unreasonable thread" saying that I wanted to keep my cockeral (which I did) but the neighbours weren't happy then I reckon most people would have said that I was being unreasonable.

OP posts:

Chickenshavenolips · 21/10/2009 18:39

I long for a cockerel, Stripey, and am secretly hoping that we move to a house and location where I can keep one It is the problem with cockerels, they are extremely noisy and cannot be kept in the same flock. It becomes impossible to keep them in the vast majority of settings. There is a fabulous Cochin boy who struts around Chatsworth who I would love to smuggle home with me.....

Missy8c · 21/10/2009 18:43

Colditz - thanks for the dictionary reference. I understand the law but I use the word 'murder' as I believe it more appropriate for the act in question regardless of the accepted definition. I am sure there was a get-out clause which exempted genocide from the 'murder' definition too and allowed the perpetrators to absolve themselves from guilt. A dramatic comparison, maybe but valid in my opinion. Furthermore, just because the legal system of this democratic country allows animal abuse in so many forms, this does not make it right. As a democracy we are entitled to challenge the law and in doing so aim to move forward. The law is often an ass...probably a mistreated and abused ass in this case and some of us choose to stand up for what we believe in the hope of making a difference.

colditz · 21/10/2009 19:08

Of course you're entitled to challenge the law. Just don't be surprised when 80% of the population ignores you, and therefore the law doesn't change.

using overblown comparisons about murder and genocide is more likely to get you laughed at than listened to, I'd advise you to stick to the facts if you want to be taken seriously.

Missy8c · 21/10/2009 19:56

I can handle being laughed at. It's just ironic when it's morons doing the laughing. Your above post brought this to mind actually....

?First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.? Mahatma Gandhi, also a vegetarian incidentally.

colditz · 21/10/2009 22:03

That's fine, if any future generations of mine want to be vegan, they're welcome to. I have no need to enforce my beliefs onto other people.

meltedmarsbars · 21/10/2009 22:30

StripeyKnickers, just look at what you unleashed!

Missy8c, by labelling meat-eaters "morons" you are making yourself look silly, as Colditz says. I have a 1st class degree, I am not a "moron", yet I eat meat.

However I am certainly not going to "fight" with vegetarians, if that is what you suggest with your Gandhi reference!

Missy8c · 22/10/2009 00:11

I didn't label meat eaters morons. I was implying that those who laugh at people who stand up for their beliefs are morons so perhaps you could use your 1st class degree to read what is written rather than apply your own interpretation. Is that really what you think I am suggesting with my Gandhi quote or are you just trying to provoke me? If you really think that is what I am suggesting then I would consider you get your tuition fees re-imbursed!
Anyway, I think I'm pretty much finished on this thread. I'll let you all get back to discussing the best way to kill an unwanted animal and comparing your omnivorous teeth.

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