"There are those raised for food, and those raised as work animals," Reeve shrugged. "And when an older one can't be used anymore, well, you shouldn't waste the meat, should you?"

At least it's a practical decision, at least in Reeve's books. Especially for farmers, who know well that feeding a chocobo long term can be serious work because they are strong for their size, easily able to carry people and gear, and when they grow old, just burying them would be an active waste.

"Of course stud services before that. Some people raise them for competitive racing. Granted standard yellow, red and pink chocobos aren't as useful for that. Not as strong. Then you have your mountain chocobos, with their green plummage, who are strong over rough mountain areas. River chocobos who are great in shallow water, whereas other species of the birds can be too scared to cross the water, those ones can swim. Breed those together and you get black chocobos, which can do both. And then there are gold chocobos. Those can even swim in the oceans, they are the largest and strongest breed, and nearly impossible to breed. Not that I haven't known them before."