Can't eat chicken.

[Kickin.Cowgirl]

Hi Y'all
So since deciding on getting chickens about 5-6 weeks ago I noticed the other day I haven't actually eaten chicken since around that time... today in the grocery store I felt this weird sense of mortifcation as I passed the chicken section...yesterday, just to see if I could, I tried eating a chicken pot pie...usually great right? but I just couldn't do it .. is this normal? Will this pass? I don't think id actually *miss* eating it, I'm more of a ribs and margarita girl vs. chicken wings and beer :\\

I guess I have it in my head already our chickens will be pets...my 4 year old loves the idea.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I guess it's normal. Not sure. Maybe it will pass. My chickens are pets too but my roosters taste delicious.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

To me, that sounds normal. To others, it might not. My thinking is that once you get to know a creature it becomes more difficult to eat it. And, I know that is totally NOT true for a lot of people. I am totally not judging people who raise animals for meat and treat them humanely during their lives. But, then again,I haven't eaten meat in 35 years (okay, some fish, but nothing else).
Anyway, it sounds like it's normal for you, and that's what counts, right?

 

[roxyblue]

I havn't eaten chicken in 2 years for the same reasons

 

[Avalon1984]

It will only get worse if you ever end up processing your own chickens and taste the superior flavor. Some of us do that and I would never go back to store bought chicken. The quality of meat, the quality of life of the animal are just hard to beat.

 

[Avalon1984]

Yay Chicks! :

To me, that sounds normal. To others, it might not. My thinking is that once you get to know a creature it becomes more difficult to eat it. And, I know that is totally NOT true for a lot of people. I am totally not judging people who raise animals for meat and treat them humanely during their lives. But, then again,I haven't eaten meat in 35 years (okay, some fish, but nothing else).
Anyway, it sounds like it's normal for you, and that's what counts, right?

There is nothing wrong with not being able to eat a pet. I was a vegatrian for 12 years for the same reason. My husband wanted to bring me back to the dark side and we agreed that I would only eat meat that I would raise and process myself. So far I have managed to do so except for beef as I don't have room for a cow.​

 

[Magnolia_1971]

Weird, but I can't really eat chicken anymore either. We had chickens for 2 years. We are going to get more in the spring. For me it was when I picked up my favorite chicken, Henrietta, and felt her drum stick, yuck. I especially cannot prepare chicken anymore. Raw chicken smells a little like my chickens. I wont say that I DON"T eat chicken, but I cant remember the last time I ate it. I really don't miss it.

 

[ksacres]

I think that's pretty common for a lot of people when they start realizing that what they have been eating are real creatures, not just plastic wrapped protein cells.

I grew up on a farm, so knowing what came from where was just part of life, but for many, I know that's not at all the case.

There are some things I would never knowingly eat-like horses/goats/lamb. But that's just personal bias, I suppose.


I'm really longing for the day when dh and I can raise all of our own food. I get attached to animals very quickly, but I would feel better knowing they had a great life while they lived.

 

[itsy]

Funny you mention this. I was the same exact way when we first got chickens. That lasted for a couple months. After that - I was obsessed with buying my own meat chickens to eat, instead of the store chickens, and raised a batch of them for food. I killed/processed them myself and now I'm back to eating chicken. I recently made the most amazing chickensoup/dumplings that we have ever eaten with my own grown chicken. Could I process one of my pet girls for food? Likely not!

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Oh, Lordy, that just creeped me out. I have never thought "drumstick" when holding any of my chickens, even when I manipulated an injured bird's leg.

I eat things called "chicken" from fast food places, but those don't ever make me think about my flock members, unless I am joking with someone. I've purchased grocery store Free Range chicken for cooking since I started keeping a flock, and all of my birds are my pets. I never made the connection from one to the other; that is, had trouble separating the two in my head. That is food, this is Buffy (or whomever).

I am now thinking about the formerly frozen, store bought, whole chicken carcass in the fridge which I was going to prepare for dinner.

<*deep breath *>
Lemme see how this goes. I just sent some un-named roosters away to a friend's Freezer Camp and was looking forward to having some juicy home-raised chicken later this month. For the first time, ever. Sure hoping I've not been "changed" by this!