Don't say...it's time to go.
What do you do when your pet has out-lived it's welcome ?
If you check out the blog link to "What is With...?" - you'll read that 'J' is deliberating over what to do about her crazy 13 year old labrador...this has prompted me to want to mention our chickens. (Only photo I could find was an old one of my mother with her chickens in Tully)
You see, about 3 months ago the 3 remaining chickens (Topaz, Jason & Princess of Genovia) laid their last egg...which isn't surprising as they are now nearly 4 years old. We bought them as chicks and hand raised them yet they turned on us and became savage so that not one of us are brave enough to go in the pen unarmed. What is their purpose ? They are not warm and fussy pets, they don't lay...they are simply a caged specimen living out their days in their 3m by 3m enclosure consuming vast amounts of Darling Downs mixed grain...and that's OK, right ?
One can't play God can one ? Have we made a commitment to see them thru the term of their natural life ?
July 13, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Neck 'em. They're rubbish as pets, and they've stopped providing eggs. So it's time to "send them to their reward". Your maternal grandmother would not have hesitated. For pluck's sake!
July 13, 2008 at 6:40 PM
I take your point, however - we have the kids to consider...they'd be mortified. Shouldn't we provide them with a comfortable roost until their reward cometh...as you might a faithful servant ?
July 14, 2008 at 6:30 PM
I think you should consult Philip Nitschke for his thoughts. Is there any way of tsmpering with the chicken scraps so they have an eco-friendly and pain-free death over the course of say 6 months? That way you can introduce the children to the "circle of life." Aw bless.