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

[ChocolateMouse]

Apps, while you have a point that's no excuse for the people who call you disgusting for butchering a chicken while they shove fast food down their throat. My sister will gladly consume dozens of chicken sandwitches from McDs each year without a thought... Chicken from a place so low quality their meat is cheaper than their vegetables and getting a whole burger costs as much as getting tomatoes on it. But ask her to eat a chicken I raised for one day in the year and she gags.

People are HAPPY getting their food in squishy unidentifiable packages. I know people who wont work with any bone in meat because it reminds them that it was a live animal... And these people will gladly ridicule you for processing a chicken and call you barbaric and cruel when they eat factory chicken all the time.

That is being hypocritical in every way. They're happy to eat meat if they have nothing to do with it and are unhappy going without if they have to be reminded that their steak breathed at one point in time.

 

[LilyD]

I was told last year that my chickens are not killed humanely because I keep them confined to my yard and don't let them loose all the time. I almost laughed at this person. for being totally ridiculous.

She will buy from the store the chickens kept in buildings their entire life and yet my raising chickens makes me an inhumane people. Don't tell her I also do goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, turkeys and cows she might never recover.

My view on the whole debate is this; the birds are providing me with a service, whether it be eggs, bug control, meat or brooder assistance. In return I give them love (yes I said it love, I do get attached to each of my chickens and other animals, but I feel I owe them that) food, safety and as much freedom to roam and be animals as I can safely allow ( I will not allow them in the road or running rampant in the neighbors gardens). It is my duty to the animals I raise that they receive everything they need even if it will make it harder for me to process them later.

I did have another person process them the first few times but even though it made me uncomfortable, I stayed there and helped all I could with the steps afterwards and he taught me what to do to process. The first birds I processed myself were two very mean rooster. These two were so mean that when I went into the coop to collect eggs they would run up and grab the skin on the back of my hand and twist until I got a blood blister. I have young kids show up at my farm all the time and they want to carry and handle the birds when they come so mean roosters will not work here. This made it easier because it took the choice out of my hands since they had to be processed for safety. I think I shook for the rest of the day after I did it but I made myself keep going after the first cut.

I have since processed hundreds of chickens and each an every one gets attention while they are growing and then they get a quick dispatch at the end.

Don't get me wrong if you can't do it yourself, don't beat yourself up about it, everyone is wired differently and has different things that bother them and they can't get past. I had one friend when we first started processing that would buy 15 birds from us each year. She would come out and try to help but watching the birds killed and then dressed out made her physically ill. She still wanted to help and do her part, so she waited in the chicken and then bagged up the chicken parts after they were all processed. She felt bad not being outside and helping with the dressing out but she did what she was comfortable with and that is all anyone should be asked to do. Helping each other should be part of our society and if you need assistance to get the job done then I think that it's great you can be honest with yourself that it might be hard. Don't count yourself out though. You might find that if you start on the outskirts you can gradually work towards doing it yourself. I think it will always be hard, if it weren't we wouldn't appreciate it as much as we do but I think we can dull our emotional responses to it over time so we don't feel ill or shaky when we do what needs to be done.

 

[Beekissed]

Well said!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Lily, I agree totally! My beau is a sensitive soul and doesn't like the killing part of the process. Skinning makes him a little ill and gutting is right out. But once the carcasses are clean he washes them under cold water and bags them for me, and he will sit in the next room and talk with me to keep me companyy while I am processing. He will also fetch and carry things for me like knives and buckets. I am super proud of him because he has come this far in just a few years and he was born and raised in NYC, home of plastic packaged pre made foods. He doesn't have to kill the animal, or chop out guts.... It is a bit gruesome to rip out a chickens heart with your bare hands. Not everyone can do it... But everyone should try to get involved with the process in whatever way they can!

 

[LilyD]

. Not everyone can do it... But everyone should try to get involved with the process in whatever way they can!

Definitely, if only so they can appreciate the cost at which their meals come to their tables. What disgusts me more than a person who talks badly about those who process their own meals are those that will purchase their meat and will cook it and then throw three quarters of it away. They don't realize the sacrifice that was made so they could have that food, to them it is just another meal so why bother to save the leftovers or to make broth out of the bones. They can always buy another one. Who cares if they eat 4 ounces and then throw the rest of the bird away.

This is one of the biggest problems I think with our society becoming detached from our food. If it was never living we don't feel bad when we don't finish what we have. When I process I try to use as much of the animal as I can. The internal organs that are edible and the feet are used to make food for me or for my animals (I have a dog and a cat and make my own food for them without grains in them) The feathers and inedible organs and blood are used to fertilize my garden. I usually dig a hole in one of the garden beds and bury what I am not able to use for food. Nothing is wasted and nothing goes to the landfill, everything is recycled and reused.

My husband is another one that can't process himself. He contributes by helping to build structures for the animals to stay in and being my sounding board when I run into a problem. Most recently my kill cone station ran into problems because my turkeys were too heavy and the stand that I built to hold them wasn't heavy duty enough to support that much weight. He readjusted it between processing and fixed it so it was better able to support 5 to 6 birds at a time since he is better at building than me. He can't stand the blood or the smell of the guts but he has amazing ideas and knowledge he can lend me when I run out of ideas so it all works out in the end.

 

[Beekissed]

The work that is involved between the chick and the jar or freezer should make anyone pause and realize, not only the animal's input, but the work hours spent to produce that food. It's no easy thing to get enough for a meal and that adds to the value of it all. I think it just automatically adds more of a value to the meat because of all the bonding time with the animal and also the work it takes to process and preserve it.

I can fully understand someone not wanting to do the work and I can fully understand not wanting to deal with blood and guts...those two things are only natural and have no positive association for the people in this country. The only problem I have is when folks claim they won't do it because they are "too soft-hearted" to do it. That's just an empty excuse to me...it really has nothing to do with the heart or emotions whatsoever, but rather a mindset they cannot get past. Particularly if they can continue to eat meats raised in CAFOs. If it were truly a heart issue I can't see where they can justify that little item.

I also cannot bear to hear about when that mindset causes the same people to withhold mercy for their chickens and other pets because of how THEY feel. Truly, if one's heart was fully committed to love for that animal, they would be taking more into consideration about how the animal is feeling and not how they, themselves, were feeling at the time.

That whole soft-hearted catch all excuse becomes a front for self love at that point.

 

[LilyD]

Bee~

I totally agree whether they are for meat or as pets they should be treated as if they are well loved from beginning to end. If they can't raise them themselves because they can't bear to see them die in the end that's fine but they should definitely make sure that where they do get their meat from comes from people that also take good care of their birds and treat them humanely as well. Maybe buy in with someone else who is raising them and provide money for feed and shavings to help care for them so at least they know they are taken care of.

I will never buy from the store again knowing where they are kept and how they are processed.

It totally grosses me out just to think about it.

 

[Ruthster55]

Apps, while you have a point that's no excuse for the people who call you disgusting for butchering a chicken while they shove fast food down their throat. My sister will gladly consume dozens of chicken sandwitches from McDs each year without a thought... Chicken from a place so low quality their meat is cheaper than their vegetables and getting a whole burger costs as much as getting tomatoes on it. But ask her to eat a chicken I raised for one day in the year and she gags.

People are HAPPY getting their food in squishy unidentifiable packages. I know people who wont work with any bone in meat because it reminds them that it was a live animal... And these people will gladly ridicule you for processing a chicken and call you barbaric and cruel when they eat factory chicken all the time.

That is being hypocritical in every way. They're happy to eat meat if they have nothing to do with it and are unhappy going without if they have to be reminded that their steak breathed at one point in time.

 

[critterkeeper83]

I think it goes deeper than Walt Disney. ( chuckle) It is more complicated. We have raised sheep for 25 years, DH will drive the lambs to market and pick up the coolers of meat, but not kill and process. He is also the one to stop and get a turtle across the road, or a mole ( or is is a vole?) that cannot get over a 6 inch curb. Innate kindness to animals. He chooses not to process directly, yet he can help by handling the ax for a bird that is badly hurt. To him there is a difference. I have move to the side of wanting better food for my family, without the cost of paying a butcher. I still need to prepare myself mentally, heck I had wanted to be a vet, and that means healing and helping animals live a long life, but I started to see a different perspective when I studied animal science, aka food production animals. I"m digressing. . . . to kill an animal comes with a price, I can process chickens now and enjoy eating it, but I cannot eat those that were pets as my kids will not eat their pets. THat crosses the line. I say a prayer for each I kill and thank God for my food. Everything comes with a price IMO, I hope I never tak life for granted, any life. As far as your program tomorrow, it is wonderful that the participants have a teacher to show them the ropes. Kudos to you. Like all aspects of husbandry there are choices to be made. Individuals can choose whether or not to participate. It took me 25 years to make the leap. lol I tried the first time after a few days of working up my courage, and still needed to go in the house after cutting the throat. I was tramatized by the event. I was in conclict but didn't want to waste the meat. I finished the job. Shortly after this, I met a man who showed me a fast and easy method that was easier on me emotionally. I can do up 10-12 quickly now. ANd I still say a prayer over each. In my case I have never been against the killing of food animals, rather I just couldn't do it myself until recently. I LOVE meat . . . and vegies, too. lol

I love meat too but like your husband I'll gladly take a chosen animal to be processed but cannot bring myself to end the life of an animal that I invested so much time and emotion into raising. It is the emotional investment that gets me. I've killed, skinned, and ate wildlife and fish (I have only eaten farm animals not processed them). Like your husband I have stopped my car to aide animals in the road, rehabbed many orphaned wild animals, even helped bugs stranded in water. I don't know if I could stand killing one of my own animals unless I absolutely had to. I hate how big corps get a pass on abusing their product ( they say product to hide the fact the it's a living being). I wish there were more butchers available. Maybe I can find someone with the same issues I have and we can process each others chickens!

As I said it's not processing livestock that gets me, it's just processing MY livestock I can't handle.

 

[critterkeeper83]

Agreed it is Walt Disney's fault just like people that won't eat delicious venison because of a stupid anti-hunting cartoon.

I assume you are talking about Bambi. I never saw that movie as anti hunting. Never had an issue hunting after watching it. I always saw it as anti irresponsible hunting. You DO NOT kill for sport or pleasure. You NEVER take more than you need. And you absolutely NEVER kill a mother with young. Oh and you ALWAYS make sure your camp fires are completely out before leaving them unattended. That's what I took from Bambi.