can i have a vote

[Freebie]

Chicken is my favorite meat. I love chicken. I have not eaten any of my egg laying chickens, or Jack. I did raise some meat chickens last year and they were yummy. I would love to get some this year too. but hubby said not this time. I do not do the culling or butchering though. I sent them out alive and brought them home to the freezer. I would definately do it again.

 

[coocooforcocoapuffs]

I'm a vegetarian. I have been vegan, but I love butter and cheese too darn much. The rest of my household eats meat, but our birds are pets with eggs, pest control and fertilizer as fringe benefits. Well, at least that's the plan - my first chicks are one week old!

That said, while I would never eat my animals and don't completely understand it, I accept it as just a different mindset on the matter. And I like when people who eat meat are really clear about where it's coming from, what it is. Can't be clearer than butchering one of your own, eh?

 

[cookinmom]

I am most definitely not a vegetarian. Love a good steak too much for that!

I have my chickens for egg production and compost material production. I'm getting very attached to the girls, and since I bought them with a long-term plan in mind, they won't get eaten. The extra boys that came in the box are another story though. I'm ready for them to go to their next home. I don't think I could eat one, after they've hopped up in my lap and let me scratch their necks, and I know I could not kill one myself. I'm scared of the thing of snuffing out something's life, other than bugs. But I am giving my roos away knowing that they will be eaten, and it doesn't make me sad.

 

[Lunachick]

Yep, I like a good steak and I love chicken. I don't think I could eat one of my own birds, tho. Unless I was in a situation where we were in some kind of a seige, where we couldn't get any food, I MIGHT think of eating one, I couldn't put my cat or dog in a stew pot, If I was desperate, but I think a chicken might go in....the thought of pulling it's feathers, chopping it's head off....forget it, I'll starve.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Well, not a vegetarian here either! I was when I was in high school, but didn't do a good job balancing my diet. I got really anemic, my skin was super white, and I was exhausted all the time. Not something I want to repeat! It is funny how when I was young, I just didn't realize how important a Balanced Diet was. And I admit..... the first hamburger I had when I came back to the 'other side' was delicious!!

I would like to try again, but really need to do my homework first. I would still eat eggs and drink milk though!

Meg

 

[DuckLady]

I am an omnivore.
I love meat, but I have my veggie times when I will go weeks (especially in summer) when I crave fruits and vegetables and not eat any meat.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Not Vegan / Vegetarian.
Haven't eaten any of our hens or raised meat birds, but all our extra roosters go in the freezer. I much prefer our 'homegrown' chicken to 'storebought'.

Lisa

 

[maggiePI]

Used to be vegetarian for about 15 years - plan to do so again when the kids are out of the house. Couldn't eat my chickens, but think I should be able to if I am eating chickens as I agree with previous post that it is a better way to eat meat if you can do it - makes sense in so many ways - sigh - I just don't really like eating meat for my own reasons, but started eating it again when I had children with milk and soy allergies in the family and one who also hates eggs. Makes it hard to work around unless you can be a devoted cook which I am not.

 

[AccidentalFarm]

Not Veg/Vegan.

I didn't intend on eating any of my birds when I started out, but if re-homing roo's is not successful, they will have to be re-homed to my freezer. I can't say it would be my first choice, but I DO buy chicken at the store, so it just makes sense to butcher my extras and eat good, healthy, hormone and chemical free meat. And honestly, since we get much of our meat from hunting and fishing, it's a natural progression to raising our own meat birds.

When you see the difference in the grocery bill, it really helps to change your mindset. Between our vegetable garden, the hunting and fishing, and soon the culled birds, we spend probably 75% less on our food bill than we used to. Next year I expect to up that savings percentage as we will have producing orange, lemon, lime, fig, grapes, strawberries, peach and kiwi's. Add to that the knowledge that we are really cutting back on the chemical and hormones our children are consuming, it's just a win-win situation. Animals that go into our freezer are killed as quickly and in as humane a way as possible.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Definitely NOT a vegetarian.
I can egg the eggs, but there's no way I could eat one of my birds. They're my pets and will be here until they're pushing up daisies.