Please help me understand meat eaters not wanting to process a chicken!

[DeepFriedBacon]

It's the whole city/suburbia lifestyle. Sadly the majority of those in this country would not be able to survive if something drastic did happen. Skills of our grandparents are being lost at an alarming rate.

While I do live in a modern suburb, we luckily found a treasure of a property. 6 acres in total, less than 5 minutes from every ammenity you could ever hope for. So while my neighbors houses are right next to mine, I have my 5 acre "field of solitude" that's landlocked, no one can build anywhere next to it. Already started on the apple orchard, with cherry,pear,nectarine,almond, tree's going in this spring. Unbelievably large garden, and future coop planned as well. I haven't told the "boss" yet, but I'm liking the idea of getting 2 pigs this year to raise for meat. All my friends started calling me farmer joe, but I just keep asking them if they know where their food comes from. How it was raised, and what went into them(hormones etc).

The amount of work is overwhelming @ times but working 10 hrs then coming home and then starting to work on the homestead, it's actually relaxing. I find the stress just melts away.

 

[Arielle]

I catch DH throwing corn to the chickens after work-- it is his down time. Work can reach him 24/7. I do think having a little oaisis helps us to both relax in this crazy world.

We recently added chickens ( 2 years ago) and I want to add pigs too. ANd funny how I was looking at fruit trees again. Only our peaches have survived over the years. At the town play ground we eat handfuls of mulberry. No one else knows they are edible.

For those of us that know producing our own food, healthy animals that are happy and well taken care of, and fresh fruit and vegies,,,,,,,,,,we have opportunities to help others understand the benefits to us, the land and our future. I have a number of people that like buying farm fresh eggs-- one is a vegetarian that wears leather boots. Very funny to hear her husband tease her. We are in all levels of progress.

 

[bilder]

It is conditioning of people for a couple generations. By the education system, media and dare I say it.....factory farms.

You are taught that it is mean and cruel to harm an animal. They are so cute and cuddly. Let's just go to the market where they have a machine that makes meat out of thin air on those neat little foam trays. Yes, it is mean to harm an animal, let's just not tell anyone where that burger or chicken nugget came from.

Ignorance is bliss and a great marketing strategy. If you cannot put a face to it, then it is not some little creature with eyes and fur or feathers. As long as people accept that any personal involvement in what they eat is not required, then the factory farms will be around to make meat appear out of thin air.

I have talked to kids who have no idea what kind of animal a hamburger comes from. Say nothing of bacon, pepperoni, cheese, or sausage. Only reason they know about chicken nuggets is because chicken is part of the title.

My kids have killed hundreds if not thousands of salmon over the years. This year will be their first time with rabbits and chickens. I will probably end up making the kill, but they are willing to help with cleaning and processing. They know where their food comes from and I am thankful that they are willing to assist with the process.

 

[redsoxs]

...and it's just a result of the pre-processed, plastic wrapped, store bought, restaurant food culture we live in. When you aren't raised with at least a bit of a self-sufficiency mindset (or have someone introduce you to it) I can see people being turned off by the process. I hope as a culture we are getting back to some of the old ways.

 

[sourland]

I think a lot of people are seperated from where their food comes from.

Food/meat comes from the grocery store nicely pre packaged or more likely comes from the fast food places already cooked. So many of our society are totally removed from the reality of where our food comes from. I was raised rural, and we killed and processed ALL of our own meat - from wild game to poultry to pigs to cattle. I was taught to respect and treat animals kindly and to then kill compassionately with the minimum of pain and fear. I too see great hypocrisy on the part of those not taking part in the OP's program, but see great hope for those embracing the reality of life.

 

[missnu01]

One of my friends is like that. She says she couldn't eat a chicken that she knew...I don't have the same issues. I don't understand it. I mean we all know that chicken comes from chickens...so why not this chicken right here?

 

[bj taylor]

for me, it's that i've never in my life (almost 60 now) seen or been involved in killing animals for food, except fish, and even that bothers me. i have such an innate connection to animals but am missing the teaching component of bring food to the table. at this late stage in my life i want to be able to be honest in my consumption of meat & i want the animals i eat to have come to me humanely. it's a long bridge for me and i so wish i had some kind of mentor to walk with me through this.
i certainly don't object to killing for food - i'm just woefully inept at getting it done.

 

[DeepFriedBacon]

I'll admit, one of my chickens I couldn't just harvest for tuesday's dinner plans. I also didn't get her to eat though. Now if she keeled over from say a blocked egg, or died some way besides a viral or bacterial disease, she'd go in crock pot as I wouldn't waste it, but knowingly harvest for the sole purpose of eating I don't think I could. The others though, wouldn't have an issue.

 

[Shewholovesducks]

For me personally my family was country and raised all their own food, as adults they did a little of both so I never had this kinda disconnect as to where food came from. I just assumed ALL meat came from local farmers who let their animals have a good normal life it wasn't till I saw a peta video and realized just how horrible it was I became a vegan and then finally tried eating meat again later. We plan to do it but honestly its not the fact that I know the animal personally as I don't feel comfortable killing period. Taking it to a butcher is one thing you did not have to get that blood on your OWN hands, you didn't have to watch it sit there and die. Once its dead all that other stuff is fine cleaning it etc its just taking its life is a depressing thing to do. That being said if I can't do it I'm not eating meat anymore, we don't need it to live or survive so its not a big deal to me if I can I will but I'm not gonna go back to eating some animal thats been tortured and pumped up with chemicals.

 

[DeepFriedBacon]

No better way to eat them if the blood is on your hands I say! To each is own, but I get a sense of oneness with the planet, a lil more in touch with nature if it's done by my hand. Having to sit and watch them die, that's part of the process. Seems to me if you're going to raise them, eat their eggs, and eat them, might as well give the honor of doin it yourself. But I can understand why some can't, it's not for everyone.