A picture to share

[centavo71]

Ha! You all are great and I love this forum - I must admit that it is very quickly becoming my new addiction! My poor husband, first facebook and then chickens and now this...

Thanks everyone for the comments about my cute kids...of course I am loving those.

 

[theburtschickens]

Although maybe not intended, this is a great topic! I think several people have alluded to the fact that, in factory situations, chickens have it so much worse than they do in our backyards...even the ones for slaughter. I can't remember the farmer's name, but I love this quote "An animal (for meat) should only have one bad day in its life." I do agree that there is a lot of discernment in when and how to teach children about this (coming from a non parent), and every parent may make different decisions there. But in the end, it's right to teach our kids about the origin and process of food, and show them how much better the sustainable way is.

At our community, we call it "freedom food"...everything from the veggies we grow to the chickens we buy from the Amish. The kids love it. We hear frequent conversations from a five year old about how we fight the man by growing our own food. It's wonderful.

 

[centavo71]

Quote:

I love love love this...as my husband would say, we are stickin' it to the man!

 

[lurky]

There is a big difference between 'LYING' to your kids, and not telling them 'EVERYTHING". I am sure all these people who dont LIE to their kids, also dont tell them EVERYTHING in life.
There are reasons for that.All kids handle things differently, and i was only offering something to CONSIDER as a parent. I was not intending to make the PO feel any need to defend herself. There are some things that cannot be taken back and it does not seem worth it, or necessary to traumatize children too young to need such information. I am not a professional and i was just suggesting something to think about. Sometimes people need to remember that this is not a debate..... we are all entitled to offer an opinion............

Centavo71.......... i hope you did not feel i was telling you how to parent. I am not really the big gray fluffy monster you see in the avatar...... i was a little girl and i loved all the animals my Daddy raised. I just wanted to share with YOU, how i am really glad that i did not know the rest.

Sorry to anyone who was not able to understand the meaning of my post.

 

[centavo71]

Quote:
Absolutely and I am sorry that I sounded so defensive! ITA with what you are saying, they really don't need to know EVERYTHING, nor will they. I do recall hiding in the house on butchering day and I was a preteen! I also have a childhood memory of going for what I thought was a walk with a family friend as a child...only to discover that we were walking his trap line. Lets just say I was horrified and it really wasn't something I needed to see!

I am brand new to the chicken thing and am learning as I go, with the kids as well. Hopefully we will all come out the other end better for the experience!

Cheers!
Penny

 

[The Chicken People]

Thats a wholesome picture! I just love it! I would post that in my house in a frame! Beautiful kids and a beautiful life...thats how my grandchildren will be raised...farm life and great memories...but the greatest will be love!

 

[rainplace]

Interesting the responses made to the question I asked. A lot of food for thought. I asked because when I told my 11 year old that I was looking how to process chickens he acted very interested in coming with me if I found someone. I've always thought of him as super sensitive. Just this year he cried when I gave a duck away, because he thought it was so awful to take her away from the other ducks she had grown up with.

Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't include him.

On the other hand, it bothers me that I don't know how to kill my food, and that I don't even know if I can. I don't want him to be that way.

I really didn't mean to turn this into a parenting thing

It was such a beautiful picture and it got me to wondering.

 

[centavo71]

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Kids are all so different! My edest (almost 13) was part of a butchering probably 3 yrs ago or so and he really wasn't impressed. In face even now I don't think he is going to want to have too much to do with it. Lukey, however (the one in the pic) I think will want to be involved...with enthusiasm

That is just his nature. My middle son is a very sensitive little boy..I really don't know WHAT to think about him and the chickens...at this point he is not at all attached to them...I guess time will tell!

I think the one who will have the most difficult time is my husband! He supports me having the birds etc etc but I have discovered that he is one of THOSE people who are freaked out by birds. Could be a very interesting killing day!

 

[toxo]

Great photo!

But can I insert a word of caution here!

I'm a newbie at this chicken malarkey and only recently acquired three ex-battery rescued hens.

In the first week I found an egg in the bushes, and another under the coop on the ground. After that, I always check under the coop.

Half-way through that first week I was on my knees looking for eggs when the ringleader of the three came up on my blind side.

As I turned my head and saw her she must've seen a glint in my eye or something because she lunged and stabbed my eye quite close to the iris. It was bad enough to make me fear for my eyesight but could've been a lot worse had she not been de-beaked which I think is something they do to all or most battery hens to stop them damaging each other.

Ever since I got the urge to get some chickens, I've read everything I can lay my hands on to learn about them but no-where have I heard of this happening. Has anyone else come across this? Was I just unlucky?

Needless to say, I don't get eye-level with a chicken any more unless I've got my hand around it's neck.

When I saw your photo, I immediately thought of this.

Paul

 

[IAK]

I think the younger they know the better. Younger kids like aren't going to have the more complex emotional development as older kids and so the sooner they make that connection that chickens=food the easier the transition will be. This is my experience with friends from families that hunt, fish, and raise their own livestock. I hear so many times, "I remember when I was a kid.....[insert horribly emotionally scarring experience]." Why not just teach them and get them used to the concept before they can remember?