The horrible topic about the time to kill ?What about¿

[Afterburner]

My hens are getting to the point they aren't laying anymore. Because I love them, as pets, I can't kill or eat them. For me it would be like eating the family cat or dog. But in the context, I can't have an animal sanctuary in my suburban backyard. So, I am donating my spent layers to a friend who will humanely kill and process them. Doing that may be a better option for you. They way I look at it, Chickens, like other domestic livestock, doesn't live very long. Its not bred to do that. They will die relatively young and there's nothing I can do about that. Knowing that, I prefer my spent hens be eaten and feed a family rather than suffering in pain before rotting in the ground. It's a tough choice, but it must be made with a clear mind and even clearer ethics.

 

[Quijote]

Specialy for feathersnuggles, from Seattle:
Dear friend fron Seattle: you are the one that has put your finger in the injury (escuse but is a straight traslation from Spanish), the cuestion is not to give up eating meat, many animals are forced to kill for surviving, don´t you are turning off a life when an onion is pulled up from your garden? it was a alive being as well. If that we would´n live.
In my opinion, the cuestion we treat (it´s evident that it is interesting for reply number) is inside us. To kill (in general sense) may be evil (in some case) or not (in else) the crucial thing is to be among those last, because if not, should be in the dark side and it´s specialy dangerous for a farmer, who is a man forced to live alone. (read the tale "the man of mutitudes" by EA Poe).
You have mencioned the word fhilosofie, this would seem rare in a forum about chikens, but not, it´s strongly apropiated.
What is the diference betwin the happy farmer and the bitter farmer? this last is horrible, the literature and cinema is full of those characters, curiosilly they aren´t ever fishermen, employees, constructors or nurses, they are farmers. It is (speaking in the spiritual field) a risked work.
Escuse me due here is 1 pm and i must prepare the lunch, if you bear me, this afternoon post again with the topic.

 

[peterlund]

Quote:
You don't HAVE to, but it's a lot easier to keep them on the grill or in the pot that way

Funny!

 

[peterlund]

Quote:
Days of slaughter are not days of sinister "Jack Nicholson" type The Shining moments. It usually involves a few friends, a beer or two to soothe the nerves, and the knowledge that after the deed it is all hard work to make the dead animal look like a chicken,,, plucking, getting them cleaned out and cooled down, packing. It is not a horror movie. Those pretty pink shrink wrapped ones in the stores live the true horror movie. My 2 cents. AS to the original poster, have a friend (or find one on Craigslist) to assist in your processing and share the birds. That way he/she will teach you how, and the process will benefit you both.

 

[Quijote]

Quote:
Days of slaughter are not days of sinister "Jack Nicholson" type The Shining moments. It usually involves a few friends, a beer or two to soothe the nerves, and the knowledge that after the deed it is all hard work to make the dead animal look like a chicken,,, plucking, getting them cleaned out and cooled down, packing. It is not a horror movie. Those pretty pink shrink wrapped ones in the stores live the true horror movie. My 2 cents. AS to the original poster, have a friend (or find one on Craigslist) to assist in your processing and share the birds. That way he/she will teach you how, and the process will benefit you both.

You are quite right, that you have decribed is´t a terror movie, is a scene from "Divine Comedy" (if you have thougt "what?", look at wikypedia for same name or for"Dante Alguieri") by the way, in this version condenated are the poor animals.
regards

 

[Bossroo]

When one thinks that shrink wrapped chickens in a grocery store is a true horror story ... have all of you seen the horror of the crazed crowds at the retail stores on BLACK FRIDAY ? Mindless zombies rushing in to be plucked and fleeced and not knowing what happened ...

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
Quijote, each person must decide, for himself or herself, how not to be on the dark side. For some, it requires deep philosophical searching inside. My experience was that I asked my own "inner guidance", and then I tried to listen and give myself lots of time to look around and observe and ask myself if this feels right or not. Eventually I found my answers, and was able to do my first slaughter with respect and gratitude. It is never easy to end a life, but I had peace about it. Reading this forum was very helpful. There are experienced and sensitive people here, with good information. Some people here are more spiritual about it, and other people are more about the practical aspect. I'm not sure why you say farmers are more bitter than others? I have seen the opposite. But, yes, many farmers work extremely hard to earn a small amount of money -- perhaps you are seeing this frustration? My own opinion is, good food is not cheap and we don't pay enough for it, in our industrialized society.

Last, there's a set of 2 videos on youtube about how to respectfully slaughter a chicken. I think people here have linked to it before, because I watched it and thought it was a great example of someone who cared deeply for the animal that she held and killed with her own two hands. I think I could find the link, if you want to see it.

 

[Quijote]

Quote:
Quijote, each person must decide, for himself or herself, how not to be on the dark side. For some, it requires deep philosophical searching inside. My experience was that I asked my own "inner guidance", and then I tried to listen and give myself lots of time to look around and observe and ask myself if this feels right or not. Eventually I found my answers, and was able to do my first slaughter with respect and gratitude. It is never easy to end a life, but I had peace about it. Reading this forum was very helpful. There are experienced and sensitive people here, with good information. Some people here are more spiritual about it, and other people are more about the practical aspect. I'm not sure why you say farmers are more bitter than others? I have seen the opposite. But, yes, many farmers work extremely hard to earn a small amount of money -- perhaps you are seeing this frustration? My own opinion is, good food is not cheap and we don't pay enough for it, in our industrialized society.

Last, there's a set of 2 videos on youtube about how to respectfully slaughter a chicken. I think people here have linked to it before, because I watched it and thought it was a great example of someone who cared deeply for the animal that she held and killed with her own two hands. I think I could find the link, if you want to see it.

I think you are right, regarding the videos, thank but I am very aprensive and easily get obsession with images when it are really.

 

[Oregon Blues]

[[[[.........the literature and cinema is full of those characters, curiosilly they aren´t ever fishermen, employees, constructors or nurses, they are farmers. .....]]]]]]]

You do understand, right?, that literature and cinema are fiction, very often written by people who don't have the slightest clue about what they are talking about. You aren't actually learning anything about farmers.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
That's okay. You are sensitive; this is your path. Be gentle with yourself, as you observe and search for answers.