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

[Keara]

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this is a perfect well thought out responce I wish I had made it!

 

[xineschix]

msbear....i feel exactly the way you do. i worry that people are so far removed from real life that if or when the grocery stores become empty, they will starve. it is wise to learn and honor the old time skills and be self sufficient. i think killing a chicken and working through feelings about it is much healthier than sheltering someone from being exposed to life.

 

[triplepurpose]

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Lol.. my mother didn't believe that.. we named all of our chickens and made pets of them.. and at slaughter she would mark the freezer packages with their names.. then when they became dinner she would announce at the dinner table who we were eating!

I'm with your mother Yakima Kid!

And especially today, when raising your own meat is often a choice rather than a necessity, as it is for myself--isn't the point to get closer to your food, to experience the whole process more intimately? Why would you take on something yourself, only to then try to distance yourself from it? Why the conflict? Embrace the process! If you approach it with this kind of inner conflict, children WILL pick up on that, and that will disturb them more than anything else, I think. There is no guilt or sadness or conflict in the actual act of slaughter itself, only what we attach to it. And your children will take they're cues from you, even unconsciously, especially the young ones.

 

[inohio]

Speaking as a 40-something, who's father decided to buy/butcher rabits one summer and chickens another summer... I was 6-8 at the time(s).... raising them was great. The slaughter totally traumatized me. I didn't actually watch it. I knew it was going on and I had screaming fits trying to save the animals. I can still hear the sounds they made. Reading this thread has made me cry because it brought all of that back.

To my father who hunted and butcher cows, etc... it was no big deal. That was life. We bought our beef from the farm down the road... so I knew where meat came from.

To me as a 6yo who made a pet out of anything that moved and had played with these animals all summer, it was very different knowing they were all killed like that. I can't eat rabit to this day. I have hens for eggs and am working myself up to processing my own meat birds (hence why I wondered into this forum)... but even though I can rationally understand why I'm choosing this lifestyle... it does not change the trauma from those summers as a kid. I can't believe how this thread has totally destroyed weeks of effort to decide if I can raise and process meat birds. (But now, I"m making a lifestyle choice as an adult)

As someone has said, if you want to continue raising meat birds, then great. That is your lifestyle... but if you are going to buy them to teach a lesson to children who haven't been raised on a farm... even if they don't participate, they will know that they are eating the birds that they had been feeding last month... I think it would be far better to enroll them in a 4H program that will discuss all aspects of animal husbandry and the business of it.

I'm only posting because you asked people to weigh in. You guys can call me any name you want, but it won't change the fact that 40 years later, I'm still brought to tears by the memory and can still hear the thrashing sounds as if it had happened just today.

ETA: I was only posting my experience as a child who had not been raised around slaughter. You are free to choose what ever is best for your situation.

 

[LegginMF12]

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Your father should have never let you play with, pet or make pets out of them. That must have been very hard on you.

I had a similar experience when a my friends father had all of us kids pick out our very own newborn piglet. We made full on pets out of them never knowing they were going to be slaughtered. All of us kids new the difference between a pet animal and a food animal. This man was just a sadistic person. When he slaughtered them and made us help he laughed because we were crying. He said it was just a pig. I said "No, he had a name" Thankfully my father (oooohhhhh was he mad) stepped in and I didn't have to finish the slaughter or processing part. The best thing to do is to bring up the subject with them and see how far they are comfortable going with it. Remind them the next time they eat meat where it really came from.

 

[anthonyjames]

I started my girls at 5 and 4. They are now 7 and 6. My oldest has helped cut and pluck. She does not want to cut and gut. She will pluck with no issues. She has also been with me when I dispatched rabbits. She will not help with that at all but she love to eat them.

My youngest she doesn't care either way. She will help with all animals. They only thing she cares about is that every roo we dispatch she has a name for it and a photo of it before we dispatch. That way she can tell it thank you before we eat them.

They both love having the animals and when their friends come over they tell them about what animals stay as layers and breeders and which they get to eat.

It is great in my opinion as they have a better understanding and are much more thankful. Also, great for chores because they don't mind feeding and watering. That means petting and cuddling with their favorites.

Hope that helps.

 

[jdopler]

There are some really great responses here. Starting the conversation process would probably be the best way to introduce these young ladies to the idea. Definitely watching Food Inc (and pausing for further input and discussion) is a great idea.
My kids are 11 and 15 (boys) but prior to moving out of the city I made them both watch Food Inc and explained why we were moving to the country and what animals we would have as well as what their purpose would be. As a single mom, it is taking longer to achieve all these goals but this summer will be our first processing. My younger son is gung-ho, the 15 yr old is not so much (but if its not an xbox he isn't interested in anything

). However I will encourage both of them to see the process thru on at least one bird. Earlier this summer I processed my first bird with help but it was a bit "difficult" for me to begin with. Simply keeping in mind that it was a meat bird and keeping the process as humane as possible, I got thru it and learned a lot.
Kudos to you for taking an active roll in your stepdaughters' lives. Hopefully their mom won't object and they will be receptive enough to learn about their "source of sustenance".
Best of luck and keep us updated!

 

[ladyride]

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This is wonderully stated !! Allowing them to their own opinions & respecting them as you would want yours respected goes a long way. Communication with children of all ages goes much better when served with honesty & respect. Compassion comes to mind as well we all have our diffculties when learning this journey regardless of age. Some of us have bad memories to overcome as well. Respect for the animal involved should be utmost in humane dispatching , as well as respect for what that animal is providing in nutrition. I think you will find the best way for you & your husband to best handle this situation.

 

[LegginMF12]

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I agree about telling biological mom. We have my fiances son and have taken him hunting. I loved the part when BM said we had loaded guns all over the house, even under our mattress. I raced home form court thinking the big guy had hid a present for me! LOL. BTW the kid has shot 2 doves and finished a kill on a rabbit that was a bad shot. He seems perfectly sane and well adjusted to me.

 

[Peruvian]

My 11 yo will help gather the chickens and then helps with the indoor portion (bagging, etc).

Here she was this morning helping out. She like to dress the part!