Don't you feel bad?

[MissChick@dee]

We harvested three different types of birds this year: our own hatched-on-the-farm chickens, ducks, and geese. All brought their own challenges to the table and emotions are a part of that challenge.

We celebrate with has been given to us by God and remain thankful in spirit that we have these gifts on our farm and also the abilities to harvest them. That puts a different focus on things. A purposeful life is a thing to celebrate.

We also are mindful that we are harvesting the meat and not killing them. While this sounds strange to some, it is no different than putting down and sick or injured animal rather than letting it suffer. No ones thinks they are murdering their pet when they are "putting them to sleep." Instead they celebrate the life and do what they must at the time. Emotions are a very large part.

Finally, you work through it making yourself stronger through the process - mind you not less caring, just better at working through the emotions. There is a point, when you do it yourself, that it goes from being an animal for which your carefully cared to meat that you will carefully process and prepare. The hardest part is at the beginning. The latter is all technical.

You know, this weekend I had the tough job of taking care of a chicken whose time had come. "No Toes" was a tough bird who survived bumblefoot and served a valuable part on our farm laying eggs that we hatched and ate. Due to injury I had to take her life. I did so with my wife and children watching from the porch. When I finished dispatching her my wife said, "You are a very caring farmer." I guess she saw the emotion in this act of kindness for it was swift and ended suffering.

If you read this far, thanks! This was helpful to write - for me at least!

Thank you.
The respect and reverence you hold for your animals is just how it is supposed to be.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Bravery is not the absence of fear but action in spite of it.

Taking a life is never an easy emotionless act for me. It always feel bad. I hate processing days, not only for the work but the stress of it. It's normal to not feel well about it... Cultures dating back to the beginning of humankind revered animals they took for food. They didn't take it lightly even though it was life or death.

But for whatever reasons you have, you took those lives into your hands. You are now responsible for making sure their end is a good one, whether you are processing for food or faced with a fatal and untreatable illness or injury or need to maintain a regularly laying flock. Not everyone has access to a chicken vet, but almost every chicken keeper will have to face the reality that their birds life WILL come to an end and they are responsible for what that end looks like.

So you buckle down and you do it. If it's to feed yourself from a more humane/healthy source, to continue your flock in good health, to put a bird in pain out of its misery... Whatever the reason, the point is, there IS a reason. You have to have those convictions toward an you must follow through on them. That's the responsibility you take on when you accept lives into your care.

You can watch videos, ask for help the day-of, visit other farms to see it done, invite people over for support, cut up a whole chicken from the market to get a feel for what it's like cutting through chicken skin, make a delicious dinner immediately after processing to help remind yourself of why you're doing this (my personal favorite coping method)... And these are all good ideas and help a lot. Experience and knowing exactly what you're in for goes a long way!
But when push comes to shove it's just you and your own conviction that gets the job done. So you just let yourself feel bad... Which is totally normal and OK. And then you do it anyway. Because it's your responsibility.

Be brave.

 

[RoosterML]

In my view the second someone acquires an animal/livestock you better be able to put that animal down if the time comes you need to. Don't rely on a vet, or your buddy. Here's an example, fox attacks and severely injures your chicken. It's now time for you to end the suffering, not wait until the vet opens in the morning for the vet to do it or wait 15 minutes for a friend to come over to do it for you. To me that is irresponsible ownership. I look at it the same way with chickens being raised in commercial operations. I figure every chicken I raise myself is one less that needs to go down the commercial path. Just my view but you did ask if we feel bad. No pleasure in taking a life but I don't eat just salad either. You can't have it both ways.

 

[MissChick@dee]

In my view the second someone acquires an animal/livestock you better be able to put that animal down if the time comes you need to. Don't rely on a vet, or your buddy. Here's an example, fox attacks and severely injures your chicken. It's now time for you to end the suffering, not wait until the vet opens in the morning for the vet to do it or wait 15 minutes for a friend to come over to do it for you. To me that is irresponsible ownership. I look at it the same way with chickens being raised in commercial operations. I figure every chicken I raise myself is one less that needs to go down the commercial path. Just my view but you did ask if we feel bad. No pleasure in taking a life but I don't eat just salad either. You can't have it both ways.

Point well taken.
But I am not irresponsible. I believe everyone needs to have this type of discussion Before getting animals especially if your dealing with younger people. Mine are pets not livestock.
I truly have a great respect for people who grow and harvest their own meat I do. Due to logistics I knew too that I would have to treat my birds injuries/illness. I am also one of those chicken owners who’ll keep my birds for as long as they live well after they stop producing eggs (God Willing)
I understand how that would be...Not practical at all for so many who raise them for food.
It’s difficult to paint everyone with the same paintbrush. People keep chickens differently for for different reasons. To me to use the word irresponsible means you have no foresight in the decisions you make with lack of consideration of the consequences.
Am I a wimp when it comes to dispatching my pets and have my friend do it? Yes absolutely! But I’m responsible enough to think of a solution before I find myself in that situation. Could I do it? Would I do it? I feel I would be so ineffective because of my deep emotional attachment to my pets. Which is unfair and unkind to them.
I have learned to never say never. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Best wishes

 

[007Sean]

I take the matter of taking any life with reverence. It's not a decision to be taken lightly. And once the deed is done I give thanks to the creator and to the animal for giving its life so I can have life.

 

[RoosterML]

@MissChick@dee I think you or anyone else could and probably would push come to shove dispatch if needed. I don't think you would leave a chicken with one legged ripped off for the night because you can't get ahold of or your friend is unable to come over. I believe most would dispatch that animal, and those that would just leave that animal be are the ones I would consider irresponsible. That's why I think everyone should have a plan or something in place if they needed to do the deed themselves. Let's say you did do it yourself in that case I would almost guarantee that after you did it you would feel a level of comfort and relief knowing what you did was the right thing.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Am I a wimp when it comes to dispatching my pets and have my friend do it? Yes absolutely! But I’m responsible enough to think of a solution before I find myself in that situation.

I also take the point of the other poster... but agree with you.

Never would I consider how to dispatch my own dog before I get one.

Recently a friend had decided to put down their beloved pet dog. When the vet wouldn't come to their house to do it.. they took the dog out to their country property where they shot and used a tractor to bury it deep. This is an older gentleman who comes from a different time than me.. With all 3 of my dogs aging... I have to wonder what I will do... Yes we have firearms... but to me HUMANE is NOT just about the animal but also the keepers' well being... I think it would destroy me. It would destroy my husband even more. Bet if I was faced with it... I might call a friend... And be thankful that someone with the skill cared enough about me and my animals to help in a time of desperate need.

I am NOT an irresponsible animal keeper by any stretch of the imagination. But am very much human. and very thankful for the threads that give us an opportunity to consider how we might respond before being faced with the decisions.

I have the skill to dispatch or harvest a chicken... but not a dog. And the time we had to dispatch a cat that my 3 dogs got a hold of and was in awful shape by the time I called them off... even though it was not my animal... it's a very somber event... taking away all brain power I have for the rest of the evening... virtually paralyzing me... The cat was shot and then appeared to make a running motion... I presume was the death twitch... BUT... how do I know? Shoot it again??

I am glad we can discuss this with intent to help each other and not be all holier than thou judgey about someone else's skill or emotional difficulties.

 

[MissChick@dee]

I also take the point of the other poster... but agree with you.

Never would I consider how to dispatch my own dog before I get one.

Recently a friend had decided to put down their beloved pet dog. When the vet wouldn't come to their house to do it.. they took the dog out to their country property where they shot and used a tractor to bury it deep. This is an older gentleman who comes from a different time than me.. With all 3 of my dogs aging... I have to wonder what I will do... Yes we have firearms... but to me HUMANE is NOT just about the animal but also the keepers' well being... I think it would destroy me. It would destroy my husband even more. Bet if I was faced with it... I might call a friend... And be thankful that someone with the skill cared enough about me and my animals to help in a time of desperate need.

I am NOT an irresponsible animal keeper by any stretch of the imagination. But am very much human. and very thankful for the threads that give us an opportunity to consider how we might respond before being faced with the decisions.

I have the skill to dispatch or harvest a chicken... but not a dog. And the time we had to dispatch a cat that my 3 dogs got a hold of and was in awful shape by the time I called them off... even though it was not my animal... it's a very somber event... taking away all brain power I have for the rest of the evening... virtually paralyzing me... The cat was shot and then appeared to make a running motion... I presume was the death twitch... BUT... how do I know? Shoot it again??

I am glad we can discuss this with intent to help each other and not be all holier than thou judgey about someone else's skill or emotional difficulties.

That’s me in a nutshell.

 

[RoosterML]

@EggSighted4Life in the case of the cat you did what needed to be done and that's what I am talking about. You yourself did it. You did not continue to allow the cat to suffer.
For example in the case of a dog reaching old age and having to be put down. I am not saying you take it out back and do the deed yourself. Bringing to the vet to be euthanized is the responsible thing to do when the time comes. BUT keeping the dog alive longer just because you don't want to or can't bring yourself to do it to me is the definition of irresponsible ownership. I hope that clears up what I am trying to say. Heck I have a pet cat I would not take it out back and put it down myself. To the vet we would go, BUT and very unlikely to happen seeing how she is an indoor cat. If something traumatic where to happen I would do the deed myself if needed. I will not let an animal suffer.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I was wondering if any of you feel bad when you butcher? How do you train yourself not to feel bad?

I have not trained myself to not feel bad when I take a life. The rest of butchering is not a big deal, it's just meat. But there is a certain finality about the moment you go beyond the point of no return. But my main goal for having chickens is meat, much more than eggs. Those chickens would never have been hatched if I were not going to eat them so the killing is necessary.

The way I look at it they had a great life and one bad moment. I try to make that one bad moment as quick and sure as I can so it is very short.

I feel the same way. It is the most difficult part of chicken keeping but necessary. I don't need 80 roosters running with 80 hens. And they taste just like chicken.