Hi everyone

[sandcat]

Hi everyone i havnt posted on the duck part of the forum for ages, ive been going through alot of things to do with my ducks and i feel i have to confess that i went the route of killing some of them for food, believe me i couldnt even touch it let alone eat it, I felt never ending guilt for killing 3 of the males, i really want to be more self sufficient and only eat what we kill ourselves(if that makes sense) but i could never do that again, not to my ducks that i really love. I tried to not be so attatched to them after my duckling died around christmas time, i didnt want to ever go through that pain again, but getting rid of the ducks was not the answer. sorry for eambling on and on i just wanted to share some of the struggle ive been going through. I will post some pics of my 10 ducks soon. thanks for reading

 

[bwmichaud]

Some people have a problem with killing animals that they knew while they were alive. It never bothers me anymore to kill a meat chicken or a duck. Turkeys and geese are a different story though. They are just so friendly it makes it harder. There is nothing worse than going to grab an animal to slaughter and have it walk right right up to you thinking that it's getting another treat. All I can say is...it does get easier the more you do it.

 

[chickenbottom]

its very hard when you get attached to them i never thought ide cry when one of my girls died. but i cry when any of them die. as for the meat i would never eat them even if i was starving and they were the last chickens on earth i would rather eat grass. now i have killed a mean rooster ive got scars on the back of my legs from him so he had to go. its different for everyone but its hard for me not to get attached to an animal that i love so much. its kinda ironic cause chicken is my favorite meat. lol. maybe raise some drakes or roosters in a seperate coop and just feed them until its time to process them not spending any time with them at all.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I just had a discussion with my daughter just this afternoon about what would happen if there was a disaster ( literally world ending ) that meant we had to find what food we could to survive. I told her I could never eat one of my own ducks. I raise mine first as pets- second to continue a rare breed and showing. Gosh I dont even eat their eggs. I accept that many see ducks as a food source- and that is why they were domesticated in the first place- but know that we all have a personal choice to make about the animals we raise. Its just something I could never do myself.

Im sure your posting will get a mixed response- but as for my response to you need to " confess" You dont need to explain yourself to anyone. None of us- whether we keep ducks as pets or for food can judge you in any way for what has happened- but we can offer you some moral support to help you feel less guilty about what has been done. They would have had a lovely life growing up- Im sure you cared for them very well and made sure their end was dignified. That is all that can be asked of anyone raising animals for food. If you did find a home for the boys they may have ended up having their lives ended in a much crueler or unfortunate way- especially if a predator was involved.

Please forgive me if you think my suggestion is out of line- but maybe rather than continue to struggle- think about if there is something you can do to help you distance yourself from what has happened. Donating some of your time at an animal rescue or taking in an abandoned animal and offering it a second chance at life may give you something else much more positive to think about.

 

[sandcat]

I feel i had to explain myself as this part of the forum mostly is for people that dont eat their ducks and keep them as pets and i wanted to be involved in the conversations again and just wanted to ease my way back in rather than "leap" right in. Ive been a vegetarian for about 6 months as i just cannot tolerate the cruelty to animals that is everyday practice in this world, i have no problem with home killed animals that have had a good life, maybe i could have a flock that is just for food and some just for pets but i think that im just a big softie and would turn even a mouse thats eating everything in the house into a pet!!! lovely to get your comments, my ducks cause so much caos but thats why i love them they have attitude and they are so cool i love them to bits.

 

[desertdarlene]

I don't know if I could slaughter any of mine if I had any, either. I cry when I even see a stuffed duck that was legally hunted because I think of all the nice ducks I knew that looked like that one. Raising my own food sounds great, but it's scary to think of actually having to slaughter that food. I think I would become a total vegetarian if there was a disaster.

Now those grouchy, mean, biting, fighting geese at the lake that give me endless trouble, hmmmm.