Exposing kids to butchering. Please take a second to weigh in.

[chickiepie]

Here's my 2 cents: I remember seeing my Mom butcher chickens a few times as a child. I was both amazed and frightened. I was in awe that my little mama could just grab a chicken, and off with its head! We grew up in a rural community and this was a normal part of life. I think it will depend on some extent to how you approach it. If you are anxious or concerned when talking to them, they will pick up on that and it will probably affect how they respond too. We are planning on butchering ours when they slow down laying, or if we end up with an accidental roo, and although I know it will be difficult, I also know I can't afford or have the space to run a hen retirement home. I feel like it will be good for me to know how to butcher my own chickens; afterall, I do eat chicken and that is just part of it. That being said, I have been taking a straightforward approach to it and tell my kids that someday, if the hens slow down or stop laying eggs, we will have to butcher them and bring in new ones. They love the chickens, they are named, but they also seem to have that understanding that someday they may end up as soup. I guess we'll see when the time comes...

 

[jgervais]

@ Shikens!
I share a lot of the same thoughts you have - and I don't think it matters who's kids they are, everyone should be made aware of where their food comes from! You're doing a great thing by helping your girls understand this process. **applaud**

If they aren't interested in the actual butcher part, I do think it would be of importance that they at least understand how well the animals on your land and other local sustainable farms live in comparison to industrial farming. I'm not sure any of them offer tours anymore, but that would be much more eye opening to me than a video - a real tour of an industrial farm! If that isnt enough to turn your stomach and open your eyes, I dont know what is!!!

My daughter is only 1 1/2 - but she is a 'selective' vegetarian like me until she understands the process of food. I feel like it would desensitize her to give her industrial farmed meats before she's even old enough to make her own decisions....

 

[AngelaClassAct]

Hogwash to the entire "written consent" and discussing this with your stepdaughter's bio mom. That's not your job, that's your husband's job - I don't think you raising meat birds and encouraging them to be a part of the process is anything that could be used against you. If you force them to be, that's another story. I assume that your husband is an active parent, and has a say in their lives, so if he's on board, and you're not overbearing and forcing the issue, the knowledge they will gain from the process is invaluable. I say start with Food Inc. and begin discussing as a family where food comes from, how its made, etc. Start teaching them now, and prepping them for later. I also suggest laying birds first, get day old chicks and then get a couple of pullets so they don't have to wait 20 weeks to see the fruits of their labor. As you're doing this process working them up to having meat birds around might be a bit easier.

When the decision to have meaties is made, then you'll need to discuss the process of slaughtering them and what to expect. They may (or may not) want to be a part of it, let them decide. I think it would be far more traumatic to force them to watch, so if it is participation or watching by choice - I think that's fine. Your entire family may like it, and next year you might raise more, and your girls may want to be involved. Kudos to you for stepping up as the stepmom and trying to impart some widsom. Blended family raising isn't easy, I know because my son's father probably watches from a distance what we are doing to raise our son with my husband. But, he trusts us and our parenting style. That is key. Best of luck!

I have a 4 yo, and wonder the same thing, is it appropriate for him to see us process the chickens? I don't know what the right age is, but I know the longer I wait the more traumatic I think it will be. He knows our meaties are dinner, we've told him that from the beginning. We are also raising pigs, and have egg birds, so he's getting the full experience in raising animals for food.

Thanks to another family in his day care, their son told mine how they get slaughtered. His parents did a better job than I would have ever done trying to explain it to my son. Essentially it goes a little something like:

First you put them upside down in the cone and then let out all of the blood until they don't move anymore. Then you put them in hot hot water so the feathers will come out. Then you pull the feathers off, and then you reach in side and take out the insides.

I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about processing the birds, but as I read, look at images, and prepare myself, I have an easier time with what I'll be doing in 7 weeks (and counting). If you asked me 2 years ago if I'd have 17 laying birds, 2 pigs and 25 meaties, I would have said you were nuts! I like knowing where my food comes from. My husband refuses to listen to my ramblings, he'd rather not think about it. Its better to know, and make the choice to eat that food, or to raise your own.

 

[mysweetgypsy]

I don't think it's "hogwash" to get the bio moms consent. Yes the husband should do it, but if the girls take it badly, feel too pressured, or just get too whiny about the whole thing, they could lose custody. If there is any animosity between the two parents, the mother could easily call this child abuse. I baby sat some foster children and the things I heard were truly frightening, as far as what the state considers abuse. (ironic given the Casey Anthony verdict) I was told yelling at a child is abuse. Let's be honest we all yell at our kids from time to time. She is in a very precarious position and should cover her @$$!

 

[AngelaClassAct]

Quote:
It is simply a matter of opinion. Telling the other parent ahead of time what the situation is, is one thing, but getting a signed letter of consent for the sole purpose of allowing her children to be involved in the butchering process (if they choose to be on their own freewill) is a little out there.

I'm not asking my ex if it is OK if our son can (or not) witness the slaughtering of our chickens. I highly doubt the court would find abuse, neglect, or mistreatment if my ex decided to make a stink. Now if I abused the chicken, and tortured it in front of my son that would be another story. I imagine that the court would find the claim of abuse laughable and a waste of the court's time if there are no signs of abuse, and no previous allegations of abuse. I think the OP plans to handle the situation by being appropriate and respectful.

I am a new member and don't want to start poop on this board, but I wanted to be clear in saying that I feel getting written consent is the hogwash, disucssing it ahead of time with the parent to let them know what the siutation is, is an entirely different thing - THAT is not hogwash. That being said, I don't think the conversation has to be much more than:

Dad: Hey Fran, we have meat birds now. We thought it would be cool for the girls to learn about where their food comes from.
Mom: Wow, that sounds great.
Dad: We are going to process them ourselves. The girls might not like being involved in that process, and we'll respect their feelings on it.
Mom: Sounds reasonable! If you have an extra chicken to spare, I'd love to cook one up.

Seriously....I don't think its that big of a deal, unless the stepmother is FORCING them to watch a brutual inhumane processing event. Which, it sounds like she doesn't plan on doing that.

 

[awesomefowl]

I think younger kids handle it better. For example, my sister, who is 6, wasn't disturbed to see the bleeding out chickens flopping around, but she thought it was "gross" when I took out the insides! It depends mostly on how the child was raised.

 

[Dogfish]

Let them get their hands dirty. Ryan was 10 and Hunter was 13 in these pictures.

 

[leadwolf1]

Some kids can handle it, some kids can't. When I was young, we had a rooster named Harvey. Harvey was a monster. My mom had to carry a baseball bat to hang out the wash. Finally, she had enough. My dad killed Harvey...none of us would eat him...just my mom. I think, in her way, she was paying him back for being so mean

I wouldn't subject my kids to the butchering...but, that's me.

As for the deer processing, that wasn't something that was raised and then killed. I don't know about your kids but mine get very attached to everything we raise. Telling them that it is just for food would make no difference. If it's a baby and we raise it, it lives out its life with us. That's just how it is.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[Denninmi]

Dogfish, neat photos. I could handle the skinning and cutting up on a larger animal, as long as I didn't have to gut it. THAT would make me toss my cookies.

 

[chickymomma68]

Kids should know where there food comes from... I think raising your own meat gives them a real respect for the animals that nurish there bodies.. Or they will become vegitarions. We got our first egg chickens and my 12 year old felt guilty for eating chicken for a while but she's over it. I used to help my Dad slaughter rabbits and raised my own pigs in FFA. I couldn't bring myself to be home when the butcher came to do the pigs. But I sure did enjoy the best pork I EVER had. I thanked them everytime I ate them.
I told them next year we will do meat chickens. I think they are still milling it through. The 9 year old boy says cool, 12 year girl not so sure 3year old i don't know.

They may be a little old and closed minded to REALLY deal with it. You never really know until you try.