I am such a softie... Should I turn vegetarian?

[becky3086]

Quote:
I disagree.. I want my animals to know kindness and love before they feed our family.. My reasoning behind raising my own meat is to know it had the best possible life it could have.. My children even play with the animals while we raise them and they know they are going on the table..

My animals get plenty of kindness when I feed, water and take care of their needs. I don't need to pet them. I also don't really think that a chicken knows what love is, if they are well taken care of, they are content. However, to each their own and I could never make a pet of something I was going to eat, just wouldn't work for me.

 

[BigSkyChickens]

I started thinking about this issue the day I brought the chicks home from the feed store, as I was making chicken'n'dumplings for dinner. I worried dorkily to myself: "I hope they don't think I'm cooking their parents!"

All kidding aside, if you process your own, as least you are being honest about eating meat.

DBF wants meat birds in the spring, and I'm feeling hesitant.

This is a thoughtful and helpful thread.

Reminds me of that saying "If you do the easy things in life, life will seem hard, but if you do the hard things in life, life will seem easy."

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Life requires sacrifice from others, plain & simple. Even if you are a complete vegan there are animals displaced by crops grown in their habitat, produce harvested by machines often kill small animals in their path. If you eat eggs & dairy there are male chickens & cattle being killed for food to support that industry. Even if you keep your own laying hens or milk cow, unless you have room to keep extra roosters & bulls around as pets. It's difficult to avoid.

 

[Overeasyplz]

I always am grateful for the meat that we take. And, I know it's clean, healthy meat. When we butcher I wash the heck outta that carcass. i raise my own rabbit meat and belive me that is hard, when slaughter day comes..but I can do it. It takes great inner strength and a kind heart, but a firm resolve. These animals have a reason on your farm, to produce food. Your reason is to provide for yourself and your family, and to make that a healthy meal you have to have healthy animals, so of course you will take great care of them. It's natural to dread that day but think of all the excellent meals you are ensuring your family.

 

[mountainpridefarm]

I have been Vegetarian for almost two years this coming summer and I could never have felt better morally and physically. Though most people have this feeling that vegetarians are against killing animals -- they are not necessarily. Saying I am a vegetarian does nothing but identify my diet in no way does it promote my ethical opinions regarding the production of animals for food. In fact, I raise meat birds and this year I am learning to do the processing myself.

The most significant reason I am vegetarian is to boycott the mass production of animals for food in inhumane, unsanitary, and negligent facilities. I find that there is no way I can avoid it but only by raising my own food. It is obviously true that all animals will die, with this you can find comfort knowing you are providing them with the best possible life and taking them away from it quickly and with minimal pain. I would also look into alternative meat bird varieties oppose to the fast growing, inhumane circumstances of a modernly engineered bird.

I am only still vegetarian because of the excellent health benefits and feeling of refreshment I have received. I have never felt cleaner and more charged than ever. I simply feel healthier. Though I have moved my feelings towards eating my own animals I have no desire to eat meat and do not think I ever will -- but if I did it would only be what I raised and processed myself, and in no way would I ever touch red meat - I like my arteries waayyyyy too much for that!

 

[pdpatch]

Mental conditioning:

Every time you think you can't do it, tell you self you can.

When every you think they are cute think of something else.

Tell your self you have to chickens to provide for you, and thank your chosen deity for providing for you.

Keep telling your self your poultry has a job, whether it be laying eggs or providing meat.

Get a different pet, if you don't have one now.

Tom

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
I've read this message trail for 2 mornings. Yesterday I didn't comment, because I coudn't find a proper way to express what I wanted to say. I also don't want embroiled in a meat/no meat cruel/humane kinda argument thing.

Tom, you've said it well. Indeed, Comp6512 's issue is a matter of getting one's thoughts in line. It can be a challenge to get one's head around the idea of killling/processing meat animals.

My family were dairy farmers. We had our own beef, meat rabbits, the neighbors raised pigs for pork which we traded, family friends owned the local meat processing plant - you get the picture. We learned early, it's just a process in life that 1) animals are raised for meat & dairy 2) you treat animals well, give proper living condiitons/food 3) you dispatch animals humanely and quickly when it's time to butcher 4) a "natural death" for an animal is usually a crueler death as Ultasol described in post #2 .

I would only add this to Tom's comments - you must learn to stop assigning human emotion to the chickens.

The other suggestions to help DH with the processing in any way you can (to start with) are also good. At least help gather the equipment/setup. If you can't handle doing or watching the killing the first couple times...what CAN you handle? Just bagging for the freezer the first time? Fine. Maybe plucking but not gutting? Etc. Just pick what you can do, go with that, build up to a 'tougher' task each time.

You can do this. Best wishes.

edited for typos

 

[comp6512]

Thank you guys for all the beautiful support, insight and wisdom. It is truly an honor to be a part of such wonderful group.

On vegetarianism: I have been a straight vegetarian for a full five years, from 1987 to 1992. I frankly don't remember why I started it or why I ended it, but I do remember that it was not a big deal. I ate eggs and dairy, but no breathing animals, including fish. I don't think I'd die if I had not a piece of meat for the rest of my life. My family might object though

Before I ordered first chickens, I devoured this board for all bits of information I could find. As a result of that information I ended up with 20 Buff Orpingtons for sustainability (eggs, meat and self-reproduction). I wish however, that I could gain the insight that I should have started with 20 or whatever cornish cross birds. Here's why:

If I got cornish crosses as my first breed, then I would have no choice but to process them because they would have died anyway
That fact would have changed my perception and my attitude towards mortality of the chickens
After having some experience raising chickens as "meat" not "pets" or "source of amusement" I could have moved into other breeds with less hangups towards their life span

Please, don't take me wrong, I am not blaming anyone or anything for my decision on getting these beautiful sweet birds. But I am hoping that if anyone who is thinking of getting into "chicken business" is reading this thread, would consider the fact that they could get seriously attached to the chickens, which would defeat the purpose of raising your own meat.

As we speak, there is a young hen sitting there in my own living room, in a pet carrier. The hen has a sprained leg and is being pushed over by other chickens. So.... while the hen is healing, it is living in my house. Does that illustrate anything? I think if these were cornish crosses, attitude would be different.
I am still in a soul searching mode, and thanks to this board wise decisions will be made. I just feel guilty for the birds, that I obtained them to serve my purpose. That's not their fault. They are so sweet

OK, here's the million dollar question. Do you think if I get some cornish crosses, it would be easier to make them "meat"? I really want to break away from factory raised meat on my family's table. Really really don't want to participate in that, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

The Cornish might make it easier since they tend to be so heavy and lame. I truly pity them, so crippled by thier genetics.

 

[feetsoup]

I think it is good to have these sorts of conflicts with oneself about eating meat. It should make you consider carefully the weight of taking a life, and you will never take meat for granted again. I remember reading once about a head chef taking his whole kitchen staff to see a goat slaughtered. He said there were never any mistakes with meat in the kitchen again.

And meat you raised and slaughtered yourself is honest meat. I get kind of irritated with people who say they would never ever kill an animal but go on happily eating meat. I understand that it's hard, and I think others have made good suggestions about working your way up to it, but if in the end you really can't ever bring yourself to do it, maybe you should be a vegetarian.

But in the end all things must die, and we all must take life in order to survive. And as Joel Salatin said, go sit in your flower bed naked for a few days and see what gets eaten!

Hmmm, not a bad idea about starting out with the cornish x's... wish I had the space right now to do that.