How do you do it??

[Crysalismum]

We have a small family farm & all our neat animals are not named or overly handles - it is a blessing to know that your food is fresh, chemical free & has ha a good life. Once you have tasted proper chicken you will never want to eat that soggy, smelly, waterlogged supermarket chicken ever again!! I tend to raise about 12-15 birds at a time so they are a group not individual birds

 

[Chambertin]

I think the kids take their cue from the parents.
The kids are allowed to watch at THEIR choice and it's explained that this is where their meat comes from and how it is processed into pieces.
A very big problem in America is the lack of knowledge about meat animals in the general public. Food does not come from a grocery store all neatly packaged. It is [our] responsibility [to educate] children where food actually comes from, how to raise it responsibly, and understand the circle of life.

Absolutely agree. Try to teach your kids as a neutral party and just give them the facts. They can take it well, honestly in "life" as it was children helped do all the family chores from the time they could walk and if you go back 100 years ago these chores were pretty graphic. Yet all I hear about is a desire to go back to the good old days when life was simple and people were honest.
Maybe understanding and respecting your food and the truth about it was part of that.
OR its all a dream and the only thing we can do is be responsible to ourselves and families.

Kids are often a lot tougher than adults if given the chance to be, dont coddle them because of your preconceptions, give them the choice of how much they can handle.

Now for the adults, who need the real convincing.
Meat birds, even with a name, can be an honorable and satisfying thing. Still, its not for everyone.
For me I take it like some eastern religions and the Native American aspect that all life is precious and all life has a purpose. Some life was meant to be nourishment for others and so long as it is consumed with respect everyone can be happy.
Its not as easy as wolfing down some nuggets, but its more rewarding and more respectful along the whole line.

I find them, I care for them, I kill them, I process them, and I eat them.
They taste good and they know it, so although not extremely excited to go they take their fate with respect and know I really appreciate what they left for me to eat. When I eat a store chicken I might throw away 60% of the nutrition and carcass, but when I kill a bird I make sure to use everything I can. You know what, it tastes good enough to use everything too. So only about 20% or less is "waste" and even that can go to the dogs.
All those icky awful bits are a whole different story when you helped raised them.

In the end its all perspective.
If not knowing suits you, then dont get meat birds.
If you dont mind, and maybe even enjoy knowing about your food then do it.
Either way, raising your own food is a very eye opening experience. No matter what path you choose dont think of it as a win or a loss, think of the many things you learn about yourself and the respect you gain for your food.

 

[Kildare49]

Good read. a lot of great posts.

Most kids that grew up on farms with livestock understand the process.

Will never forget wifes cousin telling us about time they got kittens for the barn & out buildings.

Her daughter ( I believe 4yrs old at time ) asked her how big they had to get before they butchered them. Beef,pork, or poultry, that was the only end result she had known.

 

[Farmer-John]

There are so many great post that it's very hard to add to what others have said. I grew up on a farm (still live on one) so I believe it just comes easier. Having said that, it all comes down to whether or not butchering is the way to go for you.. I raise over 30 layers, which are by all sense of the word "my girls"; although, when there cycle is over they will become part of our daily staple.

I specifically raise rooster separately for the purpose of meat supply..

I can honestly understand how the attachment has grown for you, but like many have said: You know exactly how they were cared for, how their lives were and how much of an benefit you provided them with and now they will inturn do the same for you and your family by providing you with much healthier food for you and your children.

It is impossible for me to eat store bought, mass produced and inhumanely raised chickens. But that's just me. I pass no judgement on those that do. It's a preference and that's all there is to it.

We all have to eat and if it's to hard for you, then by all means do what's best for you and your family.

Quick growing broilers will not be around long enough for any attachment (I wouldn't think so anyway) they are not like the dual purpose birds that I raise. Try a few of those, but please remember if you do go that route, they are short lived and will not have the typical life span of dual purpose breeds such as Rocks, Sex links, Wyandottes and yes even the Marans. I just set eggs from my Marans Rooster and Golden Laced Wyandotte for the purpose of layers and meat.

All in all, if you can't do it... don't, or maybe find a local farmer who will do it for you. Just a suggestion, because I believe that once you had a slower grown free ranged chicken, you'll never want the store bought.

Good luck and enjoy those crazy birds..

Sincerely,

John

 

[cassie]

Hi everyone sooo my question is we have 2 hens that my family is in Love with they are our pets sit on your arm kinda birds, however hubby wants to have meat birds (I made him agree the 2 we have would devastate our kids to find out they were eating their pet so they will never be meat!!) how do small back yard hen owners cope with eating their "pets"? Do you forget naming them and treat them different? It's gonna be hard on me to care for them knowing I'm gonna eat them (turns my stomach actually!!)!! Any tips would be appreciated I wanted to get 2 more heritage breeds as I love getting daily eggs but hubby wants meat birds just don't think I can stomach raising them and getting attached or treating my 2 differently!! ( sorry I'm a softy and grew up on a horse farm not a food animal type farm and have a hard time dealing with the whole raising to eat when I only have 4 lol I assume its different/easier when you have like 40 birds!!)

The rule is simple. You don't eat pets, and you don't make pets out of meat animals.

 

[Farmer-John]

The rule is simple. You don't eat pets, and you don't make pets out of meat animals.

Agree....

 

[Jessie and Kade]

Thanks everyone! Hubby was chattig with his friend yesterday about building a chicken tractor for meaties so we shall see (my girls slept in dog crates at first on our deck till their coop got built so may take him a while lol). Thanks for all your input this helps me and gives me things to think about before jumping in to figure out I'm not cut out for it lol! Might just look into local farm raised already processes chickens lol might start that way

 

[wyoDreamer]

I hope you can find a local source to buy home raised chicken. It would be a good way to get into the meat bird process and see if you even like the end product. Home raised chicken can be quite different than store bought.

Being in the city and only allowed to have 4 chickens would really make the meat bird process more difficult. I think it would be harder to not get attached when there are only two in the pen, even if you only have them for 2 months. If you do decide to give it a try, just remember that this is their lifes purpose and they will NOT live a long/healthy life; they are genetically geared to grow fast and put on alot of meat. They outgrow their essential body functions (heart, lungs, etc.) and will die fairly young if not butchered. Some people have had luck raising them to egg laying and beyond, but these stories are fairly few and far between and involve people who have restricted feed and made them exercise with the intent to keep them alive as long as possible. When raising for meat, you normally do not raise them like that, so changing your mind on butchering day will probably leave you with a chicken that is going to die of a heart attack or heat stroke or some other cause anyway.

 

[Chambertin]

That's one of the sad truths about meat birds. They are not even genetically designed for a happy life. After chick stage the blueprint takes over and its grow until the heart stops.
The best you can do is let them enjoy the pre freezer time because there's no stopping it even if you try.

Still though I just dont understand how people can turn a blind eye to everything that goes into their food just so they dont have to deal with the thought that it was once alive.
I mean we all say, and understand "you are what you eat." but no one seems to get that bad food = unhealthy person.
Healthy happy chickens = healthy happy people even if you have to deal with the small pain of killing.

For me, and maybe only for me, the killing really puts me in touch with just what it means to eat and how its important to know and respect all food, not just the cute stuff.
I mean vegetarians are killing just the same as everyone else, only carrots arent very cute and they cant be heard screaming.
(however a properly dispatched chicken wont make a sound and hardly move a muscle)

 

[lizanne]

We just got our first set of meat chickens this week. My parents and I got 22 Cornish x and are going to split them. I'm raising them at my house, then taking them to my dad so he can process them. Eating animals I have taken care of doesn't bother me at all. I know they were happy and well taken care of before we butcher them- that's not something you can say for store bought chickens. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I'm very open with my kids about where our food comes from, it makes it a little easier.