why do people think they should get a purebreed chicken for free?!

[petal]

i can see richmond hens point, we do not give cockerels away for free unless to a breeder, friend. I would never, ever give one away to someone who intended to fatten it and eat it - what if it suffered? We do not make profit, break even and have a great hobby into the bargain! The kids love hatching the little chicks.(so do I!!!)
My point was why do people ask you to lower your price for a chicken you are selling or query why it isn't free. This could apply to dogs too - I cannot believe the adverts on preloved saying wanted pedigree dog'whatever' with papers, must be free. If they cannot afford to pay for the dog- what makes them think they can afford to keep it?!!!!!

[snakeshack]

I have bred and sold lizards and snakes for years,I only sell to personal callers and insist that the prospective owners know how to house and care for their animals.If they don't they are told what to buy and how to research care and if they return they get a care sheet , and my mobile number.
They are also informed I will take the animal back If they lose interest or unable to keep it for any reason.But I will not buy it back or reimburse the cost of the cage.Despite this I have refused to sell on 20-30 occasions and have had people return animals offering to sell me the cage I never wanted for 90% of its new price.
If I start to hatch chickens next year I will apply the same principles although surplus cockerels will be fattened and eaten after a short but happy life,we can do no more.
As a seller YOU choose who you sell or give away your stock to If you don't like the buyer you are not obliged to sell.

[motherhen]

We sell birds and for many years have advised people on the correct way of keeping them, not every one wants to hear it though! and I know we have lost sales because I refuse to sell to someone who either isn't prepared to spend the money on the correct house or care, it doesn't have to cost a futune.
The welfare of the bird is paramount as far as I am concerned, they are not a commodity to be toyed with on a whim.
I am always available with knowledgeable advice and as Motherhen take people under my wing or though you will get tough love if I think it necessary.

[Polly Fouracre]

Does that work with people who advertise specifically "not for the pot"? And do you generally get useful sized LF cocks or end up with 20 pekins?

If people don't want their cockerels to go in the pot that of course is up to them and they make alternative arrangements.
I will take any cockerel, small and large,where else will they go? They all fatten up nicely and the banties make a tasty casserole.
All my birds are carefully and kindly looked after and their "end" is of the upmost impotance to me.
My Indies I gladly give away if someone wants one but cockerels do not make good pets! (except Trevor and Mr. Jones of course

[lindyloo]

to be honest, in regard to whether it went in to the pot at the end of it's life- i can't see what differance it would make to the living welfare of the bird, what happens to it after it is dispatched;ie. if it was for the pot, it wouldn't bother me, as long as it had a very good standard of life before hand. that said, i won't sell or give away any animal, ( bar the one time, when i went against that principle, which i have already mentioned) and that is because of the life it might have, not the disposal of the corpse. on the odd occasion, when i have asked a farmer friend to dispatch for me, i have disposed of the body, but if he wanted to eat it, it wouldn't particularily bother me, because i know it had a happy life proir to it's demise.

[motherhen]

This is always a difficult subject, but part of taking on the keeping of any pet is the responsibility of taking the correct action when dealing with illness, or at the time when the end has come, for some that is earlier than others.
If you breed then you will always get too many cockerels, this has to be part of the decision if you decide to go ahead. I have read on a forum somewhere that people even let them go in the wild and they are mating with Pheasants. How many die though from hunger.
The pot would be a better end than either being beaten up by your older siblings or wandering about cold and hungry.

[RichmondHens]

MH - I picked up three abandoned cocks in last winter's heavy snow, dumped in the woods near my house. They were starving to death and two were very weak when I found them. There had been originally about six abandoned but the others had disappeared. They all survived and now live the life of Riley with wives to keep them company. I normally eat all our excess cocks but these three have been granted a special pardon!

[motherhen]

Well done RH, just goes to prove my case though, but how lucky for them that you came along.
I had a friend that ended up with a dog that way!! poor little thing a rough coated JR curled up in a layby, as she drove to the local town he was laying there, assuming that he was lost and just waiting for his owner she was only going to be a while, so thought she would collect him if he was still there when she went back, when she came home he wasn't there so she thought he had been found, but when her daughter came home late that night she said Oh Mum there was this sweet little dog in the layby.......... they couldn't leave it at that, so even though it was really late and armed with some food they went back to the layby and sure enough he was there, although she posted pics around that he was found and told the police no - one ever claimed him and he happily lived the rest of his days, mostly in a basket under her desk!! lucky thing!!

[polo]

It just shows there are some good people around who will do the right thing where animals are concerned - well done all you animal lovers out there.

I would love to start hatching and rearing chicks but am not sure I could dispatch so keeping that one on hold until I'm sure. I'm planning to do an exchange of hard labour for knowledge with a local free range egg producer - including learning how to dispatch properly before I consider it.

It would be irresponsible to do anything else really.

Polo

[petal]

Conclusion, there are some real cruel people out there and some really nice ones to balance the equation.! must not allow my daughter to read snakeshacks thread - 'mum i want a lizard....".......
Also you can get purebreed cockerels for free (i have been known to offer forever homes for breeding purposes) but my point was that people shouldn't expect a laying pure breed hen for flippin free!!!!!!

[jessmorris]

If people don't want their cockerels to go in the pot that of course is up to them and they make alternative arrangements.
I will take any cockerel, small and large,where else will they go? They all fatten up nicely and the banties make a tasty casserole.
All my birds are carefully and kindly looked after and their "end" is of the upmost impotance to me.
My Indies I gladly give away if someone wants one but cockerels do not make good pets! (except Trevor and Mr. Jones of course

Hi Polly,
just wondered where you are? I'm in the northwest and may well have some plump Pekin roos that might make a nice casserole for you! I can't do the deed myself unfortunately....
best wishes,
JM

[Polly Fouracre]

I'm in South Devon so, unfortunately, a bit too far to travel! You can do the deed, you know. You just need to know that you can do it properly.

[jessmorris]

Spot on Polly - I wouldn't want to end up with a half dead Pekin. Some friends regularly dispatch their roos so I could ask them to show me as it is part of poultry husbandry I guess. Did someone show you how to do it, or did you follow instructions on net/in a book??
JM