Emotions Tied to Culling

[Isadora]

It can be frustrating to try to have a conversation with people about stuff like this. I know this isn't a satisfying answer but some people choose to be ignorant and no amount of explaining yourself to them will make them think any differently.
I wouldn't talk to these people about your hobby anymore as they don't seem to have the capability to see your side. It's only going to be hurtful and frustrating to you.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Some people just prefer to have a disconnect between their food and the animal it once was, because it's easier.

Story time. I currently cannot drive long distances due to some health issues. A few weeks ago, one of my Cornish X chicks from TSC died so I called and they offered to sell me 2 more chicks because I was outside of the window of replacement. Anyway, I had to ask my mom for a ride. She has given me more crap than anyone about raising meat birds. We were raised in the suburbs and taught to love and respect all animals, which is great, but I also think along with that there came an unacceptance of death (which is an unavoidable part of life that more recently I'm trying to come to terms with). She's always making comments such as, "How could you kill these sweet chickens after you raise them? How can you eat a chicken that you knew?" But I KID YOU NOT, on our way to get the new chicks, as she is still giving me a hard time about killing chickens, where does she take us for lunch?! CHICK-FIL-A FOR CHICKEN SANDWICHES!!! I laughed inside as she told me what a bad person I was for raising meat birds, while we were in the drive thru line to eat meat from chickens that grew up in crowded, dirty conditions and never even saw sunlight, bugs, grass, or felt the breeze, and who even knows if they were slaughtered humanely.

I love my mom so I didn't say anything. But in that moment, I truly realized how people like the convenience of disconnecting their food from the life that it once was. You can't always change people's minds. But in those moments when I'm criticized, I just reassure people that I love and care for my chickens, and that they have a better life than any they have ever eaten (if they only eat factory farm food). They have a happy life, and a swift death. They see less suffering in their lives than most humans or other animals. If that's not enough for people, that's on them.

 

[samanthaoverton]

Some people just prefer to have a disconnect between their food and the animal it once was, because it's easier.

Story time. I currently cannot drive long distances due to some health issues. A few weeks ago, one of my Cornish X chicks from TSC died so I called and they offered to sell me 2 more chicks because I was outside of the window of replacement. Anyway, I had to ask my mom for a ride. She has given me more crap than anyone about raising meat birds. We were raised in the suburbs and taught to love and respect all animals, which is great, but I also think along with that there came an unacceptance of death (which is an unavoidable part of life that more recently I'm trying to come to terms with). She's always making comments such as, "How could you kill these sweet chickens after you raise them? How can you eat a chicken that you knew?" But I KID YOU NOT, on our way to get the new chicks, as she is still giving me a hard time about killing chickens, where does she take us for lunch?! CHICK-FIL-A FOR CHICKEN SANDWICHES!!! I laughed inside as she told me what a bad person I was for raising meat birds, while we were in the drive thru line to eat meat from chickens that grew up in crowded, dirty conditions and never even saw sunlight, bugs, grass, or felt the breeze, and who even knows if they were slaughtered humanely.

I love my mom so I didn't say anything. But in that moment, I truly realized how people like the convenience of disconnecting their food from the life that it once was. You can't always change people's minds. But in those moments when I'm criticized, I just reassure people that I love and care for my chickens, and that they have a better life than any they have ever eaten (if they only eat factory farm food). They have a happy life, and a swift death. They see less suffering in their lives than most humans or other animals. If that's not enough for people, that's on them.

It is easier for people to disconnect when they only see meat in the packages. They truly don't have respect for the animal if they are judging someone who is raising their animals well and then giving them a swift death...ive seen all sorts of videos inside the food factories. I'm not gonna feel one iota guilty. I'm just realizing how truly blessed I was as a kid to be raised around the caring and butchering of animals. My dad and grandfather both hunt as well and they would NEVER take a shot at a deer if they couldn't drop it in one shot. You can respect an animal and still put it down gently..

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

It is easier for people to disconnect when they only see meat in the packages. They truly don't have respect for the animal if they are judging someone who is raising their animals well and then giving them a swift death...ive seen all sorts of videos inside the food factories. I'm not gonna feel one iota guilty. I'm just realizing how truly blessed I was as a kid to be raised around the caring and butchering of animals. My dad and grandfather both hunt as well and they would NEVER take a shot at a deer if they couldn't drop it in one shot. You can respect an animal and still put it down gently..

Yes I think that's the way it should be! You're very lucky and your family sounds wonderful. My family is great too in other ways, but I've had to (chosen to) learn the realities of meat more recently but growing up we just disconnected from the meat. It came in packages and it was hard to imagine it was a real animal. Along with that comes less respect, less care for waste, and just refusing to deal with facts of life. I've learned so much from my short time of raising meat birds so far, and I've also become extremely conscientious about not wasting. We use every part of the chicken we can and don't let meat spoil if we can help it! It has been nothing but a positive experience, but people who haven't done it want to paint it negatively.