Please help me understand meat eaters not wanting to process a chicken!

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes, the issue is complicated. I no longer eat factory farmed meat, but would be pleased to eat a happy, healthy, non-broiler, ranger-type chicken who had lived a free range life outdoors.... if someone else would kill & process it. I am extremely grateful to those who are able to kill and process meat. I make no apologies, however, for being too tender-hearted to do so myself. The world needs matter-of-fact, practical-minded go-getters who can humanely kill so that we may eat meat. The world also needs sensitive, high-empathy people to nurture, listen, and provide the softer measures of care that we all need at times. We're all somewhere along this spectrum.

I quit eating commercial meat also. I really don't like butcher days. The whole process is unpleasant and put them off as long as I can but I'm glad when it's over and the meat is in the freezer

For a lot of people it's just experience and exposure.
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I'm a very open-minded person and since I now live in a very different part of the world (somewhat rural Texas, population 1400), I've been seriously considering getting some meat rabbits, or meat chickens, or even somewhat larger animals...but I honestly don't know what my real reaction would be and I don't have a "mentor" to guide me through the process. Similarly, I would now love to go hunting, I've even gone so far as to take a hunter safety course and learn some basic hunting skills (marksmanship mainly), and I've bought licenses, but I have not even tried to actually hunt because I don't know enough about how and I don't have a "mentor" to show me the ropes. I circle closer every year but it's small steps and learning little things that seem trivial only AFTER I know them.
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I don't know how far you are but you might consider joining the Dallas backyard chicken meetup group. They do chicken processing classes and have big turnouts.

 

[hungry]

...I don't know how far you are but you might consider joining the Dallas backyard chicken meetup group. They do chicken processing classes and have big turnouts.</p>

I've been looking at that. I'm not too far, depending on where the group meets. I work in Allen so north Dallas isn't far. I'm still going through the "making sure I can have/raise them" stage now (e.g. this morning I visited my town's city hall to see what I'm allowed, and what the rules are).

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Their processing meetup is what inspired me as a co-organizer of a chicken meetup group to hold similar ones.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I used to be one of those who would happily eat commercial meat AND think killing your own animals was cruel. ..Such disconnect. I really had no excuse either, as I was raised outside the US, and had enjoyed things like freshly shot pheasant (yum!), and was exposed to more natural and self-sufficient lifestyles. I really can not explain it, other than the societal push directly around me was that killing one's own animals was cruel and/or uncivilized.

I have not yet had the opportunity to raise my own meat, so I am not yet sure if I will be able to do the deed. I have had to kill animals (mice mostly) for my job, and found that humane methods did not bother me on mice and even rats. I still enjoy and respect my pet (and respect non-pet) rats just as much, and cry just as hard when they die. It has not seemed to lessen my empathy at all. I may find I go vegetarian, or I may find that killing my own food makes me feel more connected to the world, or maybe even something completely different. I firmly respect scavengers (people eating meat killed by someone else), so long as they respect the animals they are eating and the process and people that landed the meat on their plates.

 

[foxrfarm]

I have a different perspective to throw into the ring. I raise Cornish crosses and sell them to people in my community, as well as keeping some for my family. I raise them on organic feed and pasture when they are old enough. They have plenty of room to roam and forage if they wish. When it comes to butchering, however, I let someone else do it, and I don't apologize for it.

Why don't I do my own chickens? For one, I don't want the blood and mess on the property, attracting other animals. Secondly, I want to allow my hobby/business to benefit someone else's business. My chickens are processed by a family who is sustained by their business. They do a beautiful job and I pay a fair price, which my customers are happy to pay. Everyone wins.

If I have a chicken that needs to be euthanized, I take care of it. I just would rather not do my own processing.

Just my two cents!

 

[gg706]

That woud be the perfect siuation for me! I wish I could find someone who would process for me.

 

[pbjls]

we raise and sell quite a few processed chickens. I also have taught may classes on processing and rent out my facility to individuals. The permit I have does not allow me to to do custome processing however. After a long talk with the inspecter he said that in order to be considered a "class"(which I am allowed to do) teaching processing, and not just custome processing, that the student had to be there the entire time and materialy(sp) participate. I did get him to agree that putting the chickens in the shrink bags counts as participating. so I have some that grab a knife and and want to do the whole thing from start to finish, some that want to do it once then go inside and wait to bag the chilled birds, and some that just bag the finished birds. We are all different and from a moral standpoint it does not bother me what level of participation they want. From a practical standpoint we process much faster with just me and my boys. The rookies really slow us down. It is really a social thing though. You can really get to know someone while doing the work.

 

[pbjls]

all of this talk about processing has made me hungry for my favorite meal.

pan fried fresh chicken liver (fried in leaf lard from our own pigs)
southern style cream gravey made with the drippings
mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus

yum!

 

[gg706]

Sounds really good! Where do you live we will all be over soon to eat!

 

[pbjls]

I am about the only one here that eats liver so I don't get it as offten as I would like. however I just found our my wife is out with a friend for tonight so I am getting out some liver from the freezer right now!

if you can be here in an hour there will be plenty. LOL