Butchering Day Blues. :(

[MrsDuck]

I would love to be able to raise our own meat. Even just a little of it. But we don't have the space. It would be HARD, but like everyone else has said, it's good that it's hard and it's good that you guys are doing it.

Short story... Three years ago we bought a heritage breed turkey for thanksgiving. It was a little late in the season, and by the time we realized that it was a LIVE turkey we had purchased, it was too late to get an appointment to have it processed. I was nearly in tears as we drove out to pick it up, but I managed to get it and bring it home. I just kept telling myself that if we didn't do it, we would have to go to the store and buy a bird that had not lived such a great life (these were organic/free range/local/etc.) and how on earth was that the better choice?! DH had to do the "deed" but I helped with the clean up/plucking, etc. The whole experience made me that much more thankful that holiday. Everyone I knew thought we were CRAZY.

I have been trying really hard to get our family back to the "good old days" as much as we can in today's environment. We grow what we can (not much), we buy locally when we can, and some day we'll have enough land that we can raise some of our own meat. Good for you guys.

And, Snakeman, thanks. You husbands are sure appreciated! And we know you don't like to do it, either.

 

[MysticalMom]

iamcuriositycat, Thank you for that. MrsDuck. You're turkey story had me giggling. And when you thanked Snakeman I sat back a minute and realized I needed to cut him some slack. He's an animal lover too and doesn't like doing it anymore than I like it, but he does it for US. His family. Thank you. I needed that. (He thanks you too, I'm sure)

Even if it isn't easy, we are doing a good thing. You guys made me see that. We are giving them such better lives than store bought birds live and we are providing food for our family. I guess it will always be hard. And I understand now that that's good too. If it were easy, what would that say about us?

And this is why I love BYC. You people rock. Any fowl, meat or pet, is lucky to have BYCers for their people. I am feeling mushy now in the after effects of all these realizations and I want to give you all a great big hug.

You guys have TRULY made me feel so much better. I CAN do this farm girl thing.

And Snakeman... for the record.. I love you very much and thank you. But I still won't help on butchering day.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Quote:
I complained and complained that my brother in law had way too many roosters and it was cruel to the four hens that were in with the fifteen or so roos. I said I wasnt hatching for him anymore, because it was cruelty. I finally convinced all my brother in laws to butcher the extra roosters. I took a lot of flack from my mother in law who firmly believes that I should be able to butcher a chicken. She even shared all the details with me on how to do it. I love her and respect her, but was unable to convince her that there is absolutely no way I could do that.

Long story short- my share of the roosters sat in my freezer for FOUR MONTHS because I could not bring myself to take it out of the bag and cook it. And when i finally did it, it wouldnt fit in my crockpot and they had left a few feathers on the wing tips- and I was so traumatized..instantly I began mentally guessing which of my boys it was. And it was so hard. However, once it was cooked, and time to eat. ..Two bites. I choked down two bites, and then, well....

it tasted SOOOO good.
It was the first time I had ever eaten something that I had raised. It was the first time I had ever eaten chicken that wasnt purchased from a store or ordered at a restaurant. Wow.

Now, I don't expect that I will ever be able to witness butchering- however, I hope that next time, I will be able to at least cook it without waiting four months to do so.

I completely understand how you are feeling. I have nine ducks. And three are boys. Too many boys- and two of them probably need to be rehomed.

 

[pookiegoldman]

Today was My Phase 1 Butchering Day for quail. Tomorrow is phase 2. Butchered 50 males that needed to go. I can't say that the killing part didn't bother me because it did, after all, I've got a conscience. The processing didn't bother me at all.......up until getting the insides out. I did a few and jammed. The smell got me. So maybe it's not for you, and that's OKAY

 

[FenDruadin]

I don't find cleaning all that challenging after the first couple. That first one, though, my hands always shake. Then it becomes just a job, and I find it fascinating actually to see all the insides and what all the organs look like in a fresh state. But the killing--I can't even actually watch that part. I sit in a chair facing my husband who does the killing, and I watch when he tosses the fluttering headless body onto the draining board, but somehow I manage never to quite see the act itself.

Maybe some day, but I think there's a reason men have traditionally done the butchering. They're built differently, physically and emotionally. Not that women *can't*, and it's still hard for most men, but I think it's even harder for women (in general).

 

[J3172]

I can hunt and shoot anything, butcher chickens with no problem, I even hunt wild ducks, and geese. But their is no way I could ever kill my waterfowl. The problem I think I have is with ducks and geese they become too trusting and personable, plus considering the fact that they follow me around when they are babies no way could I kill my ducks.

 

[MysticalMom]

Gee thanks so much for that J3172.

Let me ask you something? And this is simply because I'm curious... But don't you have times when you're hunting, when whatever you've shot doesn't die right away and you have to track it while it suffers in pain until you finally find it where it falls, twitching and dying in agony? See I could never do that. At least this way their death will be quick and painless. They'll never know what hit them. And I could never kill my 20+ pets and I'm sure in the future there will be certain ducks from hatches I WILL keep, but I will keep my end of the bargain for the meat and yep, for sure, I feel a lot better about it now.