Meat Birds and small children??

[Buff Hooligans]

If I REALLy thought about it all, I'm sure I'd become a vegetarian. Good thing I don't spend too much time thinking!

 

[freerange freaks]

I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to suggest that anyone in particular was trying to fool their children. I just don't see what is wrong with forming an attachment with an animal that will be used for meat. I don't see why we can't name them and give them a loving life. I think that children are completely capable of understanding life's purpose with respect to meat birds.

 

[bheila]

Letting your kids know the truth before you get them is good. I have 10 year old son and a 5 year old daughter. Doesn't seem to bother them. I don't let them watch dad whack their heads. My 5 year old always tries to peek from behind the fence to watch though. They even help gut them.

 

[jessica117]

I'm just as bad as my son (4 yrs.) We are going to eventually get some chickens for meat, but we are going to build a separate coop, at the far end of the sheep pasture so we are not tempted to go get attached. The whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing. We said when we got our first batch of sex links, that we were going to eat the roosters... hahaha. I was all ready to do it, but when DH grabbed one, he was still way too small (those feathers can be deceiving.) By the time we got them fattened up enough, we were too attached. Drat! We ended up trading them to a neighbor for some rabbits to eat.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Dh and I have always been honest and up front about animals that have died or passed away. We have had chicks die and we don't make up foo foo stories about what happened, because I really see no reason too. She has already made the connection that we have chickens and we eat chickens.

We have 7 meat birds (our little experiment) right now and she knows we are going to eat them, she tells the neighbor kids (who have no pets and are completely freaked out about the fact that we are going to eat them) that they are for food. My DD is 3, by the way.

I think, though, at this age she is too young to watch them get butchered. But knowing where your food comes from is very, very important to us and something we are teaching her.

 

[CritterHill]

I want to raise a point that has been overlooked in this thread - that is the temperament of the child.

I have two, ages 2.5 and 5. From day one the 5 year old has been the most empathic child I have ever seen. TO THIS DAY she can not watch Mr. Rogers (at 5 years old) because the cat puppet is sad and shy and drives her to tears "Why is he so Sad! Why! What's wrong?"

I would never, ever, ever try raising meat birds with her around until she hits her goth stage which I expect based on her personality thus far is only a few years away

The 2 year old on the other hand wouldn't notice if a bowling ball dropped on her head. I think she would really get into it if we decided to raise meat birds.

So some kids, if approached correctly have no problems raising meat birds. Others, it may be a near impossible task.

 

[dangerouschicken]

Exactly. Maturity and temperment. That makes all the difference.


No one offended me. I only wanted to clarify that not letting your kids participate in something too adult for them doesn't mean you are lying to them.

Edited to correct the content.

 

[Leslie In North Pole]

We have always made sure that our children understood where meat comes from. When it is butchering time, if they want to help corral the birds or pluck, we let them, if they don't want to help, they don't need to. I find that not making a big deal out of it is the best thing you can do, as kids will base a lot of their reaction on your subtle body language, not just your words. Answer their questions truthfully, we always have told our children that everything has a purpose. I also found that raising cornish cross helps because the kids can see that the birds really aren't meant to live a long life just by the way they grow.

Each child handles it differently but even the three year old understands that when we eat chicken, beef, or pork that it came from an animal that was butchered out. I always tell them that even meat animals deserve a quality of life and regardless of how long or short somethings life is, we will give it a good life and put it to good use.

I also make sure that the children know that mommy would never ask daddy to do something that she wouldn't do herself, i.e. the actual slaughter or cleaning of the carcasses. My DH usually does the butchering and I appreciate it but I have been known to thin the flock on occasion.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

removed by luvmychicknkids

 

[dangerouschicken]

Well, it is a question of maturity if you have a 4 year old that can't behave like a 4 year old, much like mine (she has a learning disorder and has trouble communicating so she cries and acts out instead). Age has little to do with it. I would not put her in the position of "feed the meat bird" or "learn where your food comes from" when she can't deal with it at this juncture of her life. Every kid is different is all I'm saying. People who make generalizations like "Just be up front with them" or that "children understand what you are telling them" are assuming that those are even options, where for some families, it is not.

Not all children behave, act, feel, think like other children. Assuming so is a mistake that can really frighten a child. As the parent you have the option of making those decisions, and you are not a bad parent if you don't expose your child to every single realistic thing. They are children, and children are innocent. They grow up fast enough without sticking the image of a headless chicken into their minds. As I said before, I thought it was funny. My daughter(s) however would not.

I say choose your real life situations carefully. There is nothing wrong in that. A parent protects their child. Protecting them from something that would truly upset them is justifiable.

Okay, you can all

me now. I'm done with this thread.