How do you live with yourself eating the birds you raised?

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Same way I eat beef or pork...ever seen baby pigs at the fair? Talk about personalities!...but man they are tasty! And I know that the chickens I raise and butcher have lived a fantastic life while they had it, and weren't shoved into tiny cages with their beaks cut off and never seeing the light of day. My birds scratch on the ground (gasp - even my show birds!) play in the rain, and eat bugs. They live a great life until it is time for that life to be over, however long or short it might be.

 

[jerseygirl1]

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We don't play with them. We have horses and dogs for pets. The chickens are there for food. Thats it. The rabbits are a bit harder.

I don'tknow why,but that just made me laugh, the part about the rabbits!!

 

[schmism]

from day one we treat our meet birds (regardles of breed type) like food.

we always refer to them as nuggets. "did you move the nuggets to day?" "did you feed the nuggets today? how full is the nugget's water? Coon got another nugget last night... need to put the trap out again!

after weeks of that there is no issues in this house with turning them into .... nuggets!

 

[jerseygirl1]

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This is turning into a great thread!!! Think about it - the chicken you buy in the supermarket is debeaked and full of garbage - steroids, drugs, etc. and subjected to live their very short lives in a cage -
Sarcasm here, what a healthy way to live!!

Then, you have your own pasture raised, unstressed, lovingly cared for hens an roosters who are humanely processed once they have lived out their days being pampered to the max!! How gross!!

I'm sorry, but this thread just brought out that response!!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

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I would also like to add that if I were in your situation where I just had a few girls, I don't know that I would / could eat my birds either. When you live in the country, and you have 25 roosters, and some are not so nice, it's a MUCH easier task.

The first time I had to cull a bird that I loved, I bawled like a baby. It's all perspective.

 

[kcsunshine]

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My answer just popped out - but to tell the truth, I don't know if I could do the deed either. I have helped my parents and grandparents pluck and eat chickens, turkeys, etc. I have helped my husband kill and skin squirrel, rabbits and enjoyed them both, but I've had my birds for 1 1/2 years and I can't really see eating them - maybe as the age I could put one in a stew pot, but I bet I cry. I mentioned eating one to my big stout-hearted husband and he told me there's no way I could do it. So.............time will tell.

When I saw the OP's question, I really was waiting for the bashing to begin. Thank you all for answering in such a non-threatening way.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

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My answer just popped out - but to tell the truth, I don't know if I could do the deed either. I have helped my parents and grandparents pluck and eat chickens, turkeys, etc. I have helped my husband kill and skin squirrel, rabbits and enjoyed them both, but I've had my birds for 1 1/2 years and I can't really see eating them - maybe as the age I could put one in a stew pot, but I bet I cry. I mentioned eating one to my big stout-hearted husband and he told me there's no way I could do it. So.............time will tell.

When I saw the OP's question, I really was waiting for the bashing to begin. Thank you all for answering in such a non-threatening way.

I hear ya. Of my 65-odd chickens, there are probably a dozen or so that will have homes with us as pets until the day they die (on their own, or helped along for humane reasons) of the rest, the deed will be done, and we will be thankful to them for living so that we may do so as well.

 

[EHaus]

I don't regularly kill animals, but when I had a couple "pullets" start crowing when I've lived in city limits in the past, I butchered them and had chickens and dumplings. There's nothing so humbling as looking into the eyes of a living bird, then taking it's life. But that's where I am in the food chain and I put myself there that day. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's easy to relax into eating meat when you don't have to know where it's coming from. It's virtually unrecognizable as an animal when you get it from the store.

 

[HyLinda]

I think people would have more regard and appreciation for their food and more respect and empathy for animals and livestock in particular if they would raise and slaughter the animals they eat.

 

[bruinfan]

I guess it would depend on how many birds you have. If you have only a few birds it could be a little harder to harvest a bird. If you have alot of birds they are less likely to be seen as pets. Also as mentioned above, if you have a bunch of roosters who tend to be less friendly in those larger groups, culling becomes less stressful (at least for you I can't speak for the birds!). But like everything else, life is not a one size fits all. If you find it difficult to eat birds that you've raised - then don't do it. Just enjoy the birds while they still have a pulse.