Meat birds and children

[myguysmama]

I have 5 kids- 12yo, 9yo, 6yo, 4yo, and 17 month old. We've had laying hens for years, but started thinking about raising meat chickens about a year ago. At first the kids, especially our oldest, were very, very resistant. We have spent A LOT of time over this past year talking about why we want to raise our own meat.

Our first batch of meat chickens got here on Monday. So far, so good. I do expect processing day (or days since we don't plan to do them all on the same day) to be a little bit rough on us all.

I do think it is a good thing for kids (and adults too LOL) to really know and understand where meat comes from. If we eat meat, we are responsible for how the animals are raised and butchered, whether we are the ones who raise and butcher them or whether we pay somebody else to do the dirty work for us.

 

[donrae]

Your boys are young yet, but at a great teachable age. You'll just need to keep teaching them for the next few weeks until they understand. You can't cave to a five and three year old and keep a bunch of meat chickens. You're the parent, you make the decisions. They'll deal with it and be better of knowing where food comes from.


One of my mom's favorite stories......I was five and we had a meat steer us kids called Torro. Torro went to the butcher and a few days later, we had steak. Five year old Rachel asked "are we eating Torro?". My mom took a deep breath and replied we were indeed eating Torro, prepared for a scene. My reply was "He sure was a good cow, wasn't he?" as I dug into my steak dinner.


Kids are resilient.

 

[Silkiehen]

Just let them know after eight weeks they are no use, they grow so fast that legs cannot hold their weight. Let them know that there is no reason to let it suffer.

 

[Baymule]

I have butchered chickens with my 6 year old grand daughter. We drove through a town where a large chicken processing plant is located and saw a truck loaded with crates packed with chickens. She said poor chickens. I told her that they were store bought chicken meat, and that ours were never treated that way. I explained that our chickens were loved, well treated and fed. They only had a bad few seconds, compared to what store bought chickens had to go through. it helped her to understand the difference.

 

[bobbi-j]

When my niece was little, she'd play with the chicken guts on butchering day...

 

[ThreeLittleCritters]

I have butchered chickens with my 6 year old grand daughter. We drove through a town where a large chicken processing plant is located and saw a truck loaded with crates packed with chickens. She said poor chickens. I told her that they were store bought chicken meat, and that ours were never treated that way. I explained that our chickens were loved, well treated and fed. They only had a bad few seconds, compared to what store bought chickens had to go through. it helped her to understand the difference.

I agree! This helped my boys as well.

 

[pipemum]

Slingha, my daughter was 4 when I brought home my first little batch of CX. I told her not to get attached because we were going to eat them...she opened the box and immediately said, "Mama, I'm already attached!!!" Anyway, CX lose their cuteness quickly. Kids lose interest even more quickly. We're on our 3rd batch of meaties, and now my daughter lovingly names them food names. She's still 4, btw. When we get new chicks, I let her hold them and cuddle with them, because dang...there's really nothing more cute than a CX chick, is there?

Kids deserve to know what they are eating. My daughter has no desire at this point in helping with the processing, which is a-ok with me. At first, she wouldn't even eat our chickens, but she finally tasted one a few weeks ago and did a complete 180 on that stance!

So, Slingha, your kids will be fine! If it bothers them, they don't have to witness the butchering, and don't have to eat the chicken. But don't let your decision to raise and butcher your own meat rest in the hands of itty bitty children.

 

[Suzaku]

what if the problem is not your children but yourself?
I am just starting with my poultry and so far i have around 40 plus chicks. most of them are more than a month old already and the youngest are around 3 weeks.

the white leghorns which i started as eggs will surely get the best treatment as i have planned. they will be the breeding stock, as it was really hard for me to obtain such breed here in the philippines. they will not be butchered even after their prime years as a tribute to their very important role in our farm ( and they are actually very kind and sweet birds, they think that humans are friend and they love roosting on my arms, they also follow me around. I named them all).
problem is, we ordered a batch of cornish cross chicks. I think they are runt, or at least most of them are runt, because at 2 weeks, they have not grown much. they are also as active as the other birds, say the free ranging dual purpose and the white leghorns. since the white leghorns and free rangers that i have are very docile i kept them all in one nursery ( with occasional free ranging when i am around to watch them since other chickens will bully them).
since they are not growing as fast as they shuold be and they are showing so much personality, we decided to free range them when they are at least a month old already. I might keep some of them as my white leghorns are showing so much affection for them , i might break their hearts if i will kill their friends.
if this will go on our farm might end up as a retirement home for chickens.

ps..

my chickens are named Princes Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel, Merida, and i might also name at least one of the cornish crosses sooon

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Just remind the kids that they will be food, and FOLLOW THROUGH. They will get it. My kids are 4 and 7 and understand that the birds would die any way if we didn't put them in the freezer, and that taking the best of care of them, treating them kindly, and letting them play in the grass then processing them and not wasting them is a way to honor the animal. When I serve chicken, they sometimes will ask me if it was "one of ours" but that's about it.

I think your kids will lose interest as they turn into gigantic beasts that look and feel just like a supermarket chicken (with feathers). They really stop looking like birds after a few weeks. They are totally different animals from laying hens.

Now, I am in the minority, but I like my meaties. I think they are cute, and I love the way they come waddling and beeping up to me at feeding time. Of course, ours are pastured so they are missing the disgusting stink that meaties get when they are raised in less space.

 

[misbhaven]

I have 5 children 14 to 7months.....14 yr old gets it. The 8 yr old thinks they stink, almost 4 yr old helps me fill chickfeeder says those chickens are mean and gets it also ...but from day 1...for the older three I told no names for the meat birds,or extra roo's name all the hens and bantams. If they want. I only call them meaties or meat birds never even chickens. They get it they never try to pay them attention etc.. and wait in another week when those birds are half bald from growing so fast and not cute chances are your kids will loose intrest also