When you have livestock do you name them?

 This is one of the questions that I get a lot.  I know a lot of people like to make their animals as personable as possible.  And all animals have their own personalities.  But is it necessary to name all of the livestock on the farm or homestead? So here are a few questions that you should ask yourself.

1. Do you plan on using your livestock as a source of food?  If the answer is yes, then I highly suggest that you do not name your livestock.  For instance, we had a chicken that my oldest named and my wife and I told all of the kids not to name them.  Well we processed all of the chickens one day and that evening my oldest asked where her chicken was.  When she found out she cried and didn't eat chicken for a month.  It has been noted that when people name their livestock that psychologically they would not be able to eat their livestock.

2. Do you plan on using your livestock for purposes like eggs, milk, or land clearing? If your answer is yes, then it would be safe to name your livestock.  I have named my laying hens because I know I will keep them for about four years and then I can decide whether or not to let someone else take them, make them a stew bird, or let them live out their days on the homestead.  We used to name our goats because we don't eat goats but enjoy watching them.  

3. Do you plan on selling your livestock?  This is tricky because by doing so you could get an attachment that would cause some grief once the livestock is gone.  But for some it would not bother them at all.  So this would determine in how your attachment to your livestock is.

Hopefully, this helps when it comes to knowing whether you should name your livestock or not.  Stay tuned for more blogs coming soon.