Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Ethical living

Discover eco friendly brands and sustainable fashion on our Ethical Living forum.

Original poster

Hugh Fernly Whatsis name and Jamie didn't mention this though, did they???

32 replies

marmadukescarlet · 25/02/2008 11:59

Having a conversation with a friend who runs a holiday 'petting' farm in WC about buying some chicks whilst I'm with her after Easter told me, and I am seriously about it...

Even Free range chickens are KILLED when they get to ONE YEAR old as they become less productive!!! This is insisted on by the supermarket that they produce for and the farmer has to pay for the slaughter too.

At least there is an organisation which liberates some battery hens at the end of their sad lives, but I'd never heard of this unecessary slaughter.

I get my eggs from a funny bloke who lives (almost) with his FR hens and am getting my own soon, will never buy supermarket FR eggs again.

OP posts:
Beenleigh · 25/02/2008 12:01

I sort of knew this, they have a very short laying life. It's rubbish isn't it?! I'd love some hens. Are you getting an egloo or a big run thing?

witchandchips · 25/02/2008 12:06

it was this kind of thing that made me stop being a veggie. Killing of animals before their natural end is a by product of using them for their eggs, milk etc, wool etc. Think you either have to accept it or become vegan

Original poster
marmadukescarlet · 25/02/2008 12:10

BL, I don't like eglus - erm too plastic - I live in the countryside, so it would look funny anyway.

My hen house

OP posts:
poppynic · 25/02/2008 12:13

That is sooooo gorgeous.

Beenleigh · 25/02/2008 12:28

Tht's lovely. I agree re eglus, also, the hens don't seem to get a lot of space with them. I think I will aspire to one the same as yours, but with a bug run too.

Beenleigh · 25/02/2008 12:28

*big run too

IamTheSpeedingHam · 25/02/2008 12:33

i feel consumer battered - which way to turn?

short of not consuming what are us average punters supposed to do - those of us that don't want to raise chickens?

i can only shop as ethically as my budget and information allows.

SoupDragon · 25/02/2008 12:42

Rather like free range pigs are killed for free range bacon. And chickens for free range chicken.

SoupDragon · 25/02/2008 12:43

Given the choice between eggs from a chicken who has lived free or one who's lived cooped up in a tiny cage, I know which I'd choose. What percentage of battery hens do you think are "liberated" at the end of their laying life?

Dropdeadfred · 25/02/2008 12:44

when they are slaughtered are they then eaten or just discarded?

cadelaide · 25/02/2008 12:45

oh marmaduke, I envy your henhouse.
Those eglus don't seem big enough to me. I gather the RSPCA aren't keen.

Beenleigh · 25/02/2008 12:52

ddf, afaik they're eaten, all part of the process. I guess their relatively short lying life is only really a problem if you're vege, since most eating chickens you buy anyway are not very old

rebelmum1 · 25/02/2008 12:54

just get them locally from someone who has hens, I get ours from an organic farm who only sell locally direct to consumers - no supermarket involved - get chickens from there too. My dd collects the eggs

PenelopePitstops · 25/02/2008 12:55

but you eat them anyway, at least something good comes of it

rebelmum1 · 25/02/2008 12:55

I get all my meat from there, lamb, beef, pork etc I only buy fish from smarket

Miggsie · 25/02/2008 12:57

...or buy from farmers markets, get an organic delivery service and only use supermarkets for toilet paper and bleach...but yes, all chickens end up in the pot or in pet food. And unwanted chicks are sent to zoos to feed to the snakes.
If you think about it too much you'll end up vegan.

redwino · 25/02/2008 13:02

I have just got some chickens that are a year old. They came from a local organic farmer who 're-homes' his hens at a year old when they become less productive. He has little trouble finding new homes for his hens and generally all through word of mouth.
So if you are thinking of getting hens it is worth looking into this instead of getting young ones. Ours started laying about a week after arriving and lay plenty for our needs although I can see that they wouldn't be earning their keep if I was wanting to make money out of them.
Love your hen house Marmaduke!
I didn't think egg laying hens were normally killed for food? Unless for pet food perhaps?

needmorecoffee · 25/02/2008 13:03

they often go in baby food and school dinners. Yummy. Diseased exhausted hens.

Threadworm · 25/02/2008 13:04

That soounds a lovely thing to do redwino. I'd love to have chickens. But I guess it would be quite time consuming? My canary laid a few eggs recently, though.

redwino · 25/02/2008 13:07

Chickens ar not to time consuming actually but I am a bit worried about finding chicken sitter when I go on holiday.
It is loveley to have the fresh eggs right in you back garden but they poo everywhere and dig up all the plants.

redwino · 25/02/2008 13:08

Did you canary eggs hatch Threadworm? Or did you scramble them?

Threadworm · 25/02/2008 13:11

I made a tiny cardboard package and touted them round the village.

No: the canary is housed with a male, but he is a different kind of finch and not interested in her.

I do worry when she produces eggs -- hard work for her to no avail. But she seems healthy enough.

Very small omlette anyone?

sparkybabe · 25/02/2008 13:12

How much space does a chicken need to be happy? I looked at eglus and though 'my rabbit has more run than that' - and that was supposed to be for 2! My nextdoor neightbour has 4 chicken (was 6) and has a run about 15ft by about 8, with a small appletree inside and the hen house. I don't have the garden for that (neither does she really) so how much would 4 chickens need?

Carmenere · 25/02/2008 13:19

The reality of eating meat and animal products is that animals are killed. You have to realise this. did you know that usually 50 per cent of goat kids (the males) are killed as part of goats milk production.

From the Vegan society website -
Slaughter
"50% of kids born are male. If they cannot be sold for meat then they are killed at birth using a ?humane? killer, carbon dioxide, chloroform or an overdose of barbiturates. In the UK, goat meat is derived mainly from the male offspring of dairy goats as they are useless for milk production. In a typical week, 62 goats are killed though ritual slaughter (without pre-stunning) and are fully conscious when their throats are cut. Female dairy goats are usually slaughtered at 6-8 years. Their natural life expectancy is over 15 years. "

It is just a fact of life and I have no problem with it as long as animals have a decent life and are killed humanely - unfortunately this is rarely the case

fedupwasherwoman · 25/02/2008 13:19

I do think this sort of thing should be covered as part of the school curriculum.

People get into positions of power with some of them responsible for creating legislation and without getting at the OP personally, there's so much they just don't realise about farming.

Is it any wonder morale amongst farmers is at all all-time low under this government with its interference in the countryside.