(And there is no plausible middle ground in which cows & chickens would be bred in large numbers and well treated but not eaten—i.e. get to live the lives of pets.)
The key word in that sentence is probably ‘in large numbers’. However, this seems to ignore the fact that:
‘Pets’ don’t usually produce food. (The prior sentence might be false.)
Both uses can coexist (leaning more towards eating than not, while instances of not still exist).
How many chickens would there be if everyone had a chicken? (More seriously, extrapolating from the past, what’s the upper bound on chicken population, under the ‘lots of people have (a few) chickens’ model?)
Not sure what you mean by ‘both uses can coexist’ - i.e. a chicken treated as a pet then eaten? Unlikely.
You may have more of a point re people owning a hen as a kind of pet (i.e. well treated) in order to lay eggs, rather than be eaten; as some people of course already do. I can see that could become more widespread.
Cf very surprisingly, a few years ago Princess Anne, a noted horse-rider who competed in the Olympics, called for horses to be eaten so as to improve their welfare. (I.e. so those unsuitable, or no longer suitable, for riding still have a value.) She said this in a speech for the World Horse Welfare charity, of which she is president.
Regulations around backyard chickens have been kind of a hotly argued issue in my locality in my lifetime, so that trend is not necessarily always voluntary or irreversible.
(Regarding ‘wild’ animals and middle ground, people may also decide to do things like build birdhouses, provide feeders, and treat injury, which may enhance quality/length of life without making either lifestock or pet of those interacted with. Populations of feral chickens also exist some places, so farm-raised chickens aren’t the only group in consideration for farm-chicken-descended birds.)
The key word in that sentence is probably ‘in large numbers’. However, this seems to ignore the fact that:
‘Pets’ don’t usually produce food. (The prior sentence might be false.)
Both uses can coexist (leaning more towards eating than not, while instances of not still exist).
How many chickens would there be if everyone had a chicken? (More seriously, extrapolating from the past, what’s the upper bound on chicken population, under the ‘lots of people have (a few) chickens’ model?)
Not sure what you mean by ‘both uses can coexist’ - i.e. a chicken treated as a pet then eaten? Unlikely.
You may have more of a point re people owning a hen as a kind of pet (i.e. well treated) in order to lay eggs, rather than be eaten; as some people of course already do. I can see that could become more widespread.
Multiple chickens owned, most eaten, one (particularly useful one) treated more like a (working) pet.
I think this used to be more common that it is today.
Cf very surprisingly, a few years ago Princess Anne, a noted horse-rider who competed in the Olympics, called for horses to be eaten so as to improve their welfare. (I.e. so those unsuitable, or no longer suitable, for riding still have a value.) She said this in a speech for the World Horse Welfare charity, of which she is president.
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/princess-anne-sparks-horse-meat-debate-416327?fbclid=IwAR3xaBGLcAxC1cox3qmsXCru8HOOUr9NMaDvayfN8ZhUOin4sdyoyrDCF5A
Regulations around backyard chickens have been kind of a hotly argued issue in my locality in my lifetime, so that trend is not necessarily always voluntary or irreversible.
(Regarding ‘wild’ animals and middle ground, people may also decide to do things like build birdhouses, provide feeders, and treat injury, which may enhance quality/length of life without making either lifestock or pet of those interacted with. Populations of feral chickens also exist some places, so farm-raised chickens aren’t the only group in consideration for farm-chicken-descended birds.)