BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[DesertChic]

Just in case I need to clarify, I have realized this for a long, long, long time, I've just never taken an food animal life directly before (except a few fish, which I did not raise). Actual participation leads to understanding on a level not possible otherwise... And I agree, living in denial can lead to bad decisions. I was vegetarian/vegan for a short while when I was much younger. It was good in that it made me begin to think about the source of my food more than I had. One of the very, very many reasons I personally decided to go back to eating meat was when I realized the extent to which animal products are in essentially everything - including the stearic acid in our car tires.

- Ant Farm

I've come to the conclusion that the reason why so many people are so crass and lack so much respect for life in general is because they have removed themselves from the cruel reality of where their/our food comes from. Now that I actually kill what I eat, I have for more appreciation for the fragility of life and the sacrifice of the animal to nourish me, and I'm that much more determined to give my animals the best life possible in gratitude.

 

[AnthNDacula]

I'm so glad you're going thru this process, Ant Farm. I killed my first chicken when I was 13, and it was difficult. I also feel lucky to have done it. Don't get me wrong... it's still a struggle to kill certain animals. But I also feel I'm better equipped to cope with death than most of my friends. I've had friends who never faced any form of death until they were in their 40s and by that time they had no means of coping. I'm not equating culling livestock to the death of a loved one, but most people do that to me when they say things like, "I love animals too much to kill them" or "If I had a hundred pigs (which I often do) they'd all be pets". Life, death, and new birth are all equally important in the grander scheme. Sacrifice and appreciation are also part of a rich life. Money can be as scarce as hens teeth around here sometimes, but life certainly is rich.
Anthony

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I've come to the conclusion that the reason why so many people are so crass and lack so much respect for life in general is because they have removed themselves from the cruel reality of where their/our food comes from. Now that I actually kill what I eat, I have for more appreciation for the fragility of life and the sacrifice of the animal to nourish me, and I'm that much more determined to give my animals the best life possible in gratitude.

Agreed. In addition, I find that I am much less likely to waste food or consume more than I need, knowing what goes into it (growing veggies or raising animals). With either veggies or animals or eggs, wasting food seems like such profound blasphemy - which it is, I think - it's just that it's more obvious/in the front of my mind. For instance, I don't make all the cheese I eat (sometimes buy from a local cheesemaker), but now that I know not only what goes into making cheese, but also how many gallons of milk are involved for a given amount, I find that I eat a lot less cheese, without having really made a conscious effort to do so. Same for meat.

- Ant Farm

 

[varidgerunner]

Desertchic, exactly. Lack of respect. Seeing people throw away food that something died to provide. I will never forget overhearing a conversation of a distant relative. His wife found a BONE in her chicken nugget. Oh the horrors, who ever heard of a bone in chicken? How gross! (Not that chicken nuggets are comparable to real chicken.) So she threw the whole bag away, and vowed not to eat at that fast food place ever again or until the next time she has a coupon anyway. People like that are the same people that would scream if somebody mentioned putting down a "pet" animal that was unfit or even dangerous, and not worth the resources needed to keep it alive. "That's different because you can't kill NICE animals." They all take up resources no matter how we characterize them, and sometimes being a good steward means making some unpopular decisions. It's just easier for some folks to throw life away when it is wrapped in a fancy wrapper, all nice and contained.

 

[miss heny]

As probably one of the young member part of this thread I can second all of this.

I knew were my food came from at age five, and in return I had so call people who 'loved' their animals nearly dump fake blood on me, these same people (Who group they are part are will be remaining unnamed) were openly found dumping dear pets into the dumpsters after so call 'rescuing' them, yet they say we are the cruel ones knowing the truth. As a dairy farmer I know very well what it takes to get their dairy that many people who believe in 'animal rights' yet these same people have caused much heartache.

At our farm when it comes to the birds 90% of the time now I am the one doing the mercy killing to them, it hard but I know inside it what right. That is what these people don't understand or want to understand. For there to be life there must death, like one of the people said death happen all the time but denial is what makes it worse.

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

I remember the days of going to the state fair and getting penned near the Lamanchas. Fielding the thousand questions from horrified city people wondering what happened to them. I began to get creative, told people that goat ears were a delicacy in Canada. Our Nubians were almost ready to harvest, but the Lamanchas had already been harvested. Darned Canadians.

Hey!!! As a Canadian, I can emphatically state that we absolutely do NOT eat goat ears.

Beaver tails, maybe. But never, goat ears. Eh?

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Hey!!! As a Canadian, I can emphatically state that we absolutely do NOT eat goat ears.

Beaver tails, maybe. But never, goat ears. Eh?

I'm sure they're delicious...

- Ant Farm

 

[miss heny]

Hey!!! As a Canadian, I can emphatically state that we absolutely do NOT eat goat ears.

Beaver tails, maybe. But never, goat ears. Eh?

I hope you understand that we show goat people have a habit of spinning myths about the earless lamancha correct?

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I hope you understand that we show goat people have a habit of spinning myths about the earless lamancha correct?

They looked like this before you harvest the ears for eating, right?

- Ant Farm

 

[miss heny]

rofl, that picture BTW is of my heart queen and baby Rose lol. spoiled rotten thing she is...