Gotta get your protein somewhere. My backyard girls provide a significant portion of mine, along with the vitamins and minerals the author mentions, with very few negative environmental downsides. They fertilize my gardens, vegetable and flower, and there seems to be scant evidence that they will "kill me" when I cook them in a sensible fashion. Not sure what you mean by "culling of day-old chicks". My girls are over 6 years old and still chickless, or would that be chick free;)