Vegetarians...anyone

[HarlansHollowFarms]

I was a vegitarian for many years. However, in my quest to be self-sufficient, I found it impossible to get proper nutrition soley with what myself and neighbours could grow in this area. So now I raise my own meat or hunt, that way I know the living conditions and the nutrition of the animals I am consuming.
I had to ask myself: if all the grocery stores and online shopping vanished tomorrow, would I be able to sustain my family with the things I can grow and raise in my area.

 

[cassie]

There are many personal reasons for being a vegetarian, and I respect that. I am curious about something though. Many people are vegetarians for ethical reasons. Because they can't bear the thought of an animal being killed for their consumption. OK. I understand that. I don't like to kill things either. I like to eat them but I don't like to kill them. But do you think about what happens to the animals in a natural situation? I can tell you what would happen to my chickens if I let them roam free. The coyotes, hawks, foxes, and raccoons would be ecstatic at the opening of an all-you-can-eat buffet. I fail to see the difference in ethics between me eating a chicken and a coyote doing so. Can someone explain this to me? I would really like to know.

 

[Mikhail]

Coyotes are carnivores, they can;t survive without meat. We can. And we can just go out to the grocery store and buy food, a coyote can't. Plus when animals kill things its natural and the prey doesn't suffer for months and years. They don't raise animals in factory farmed where hundreds of chickens are crammed together in horrible conditions.

 

[cassie]

Ummm. Being chased down, grabbed by the wings, and being eaten while still alive doesn't seem real humane to me. But that's just my opinion. That was the last chapter in the life of one of my free range peacocks that got nailed by a couple coyotes yesterday.

 

[sparkles2307]

Thru my 3 yrs of High School I was a polo-ovo-vegitarian. I ate a burger once and it made me so ill. But when I was pregnant with my first I lost so much weight that the doctor ordered me to start eating more meat and then I just got used to it. I cannot, however, eat anything that I previously knew or saw be slaughtered, denial is a good place for me.

 

[Mikhail]

I said they don't suffer for months and years. Just about any death is painful and I feel bad for any animal that dies but there's nothing anyone can do about wild animals eating other animals. They have to to survive. So if someone wants to make a difference to animals that we CAN stop the suffering of, they can be a vege.

 

[Wifezilla]

Coyotes are carnivores, they can;t survive without meat. We can.

Big difference between survive and thrive. And Coyotes are omnivores. Cats are obligate carnivores....so are ferrets.​

 

[sparkles2307]

OR just raise your own so you know they had good treatment in their life. I want to raise my chickens because of the stuff about poultry farms and egg farms. Ish. And we raise black angus all natural, no shots or hormones and we feed them all home-grown hay and feed that we grind and bale ourselves. Our food has a good life...altho I have a hard time eating something that i personally knew and let suck on my thumb as a baby...

 

[Wifezilla]

Our food has a good life...altho I have a hard time eating something that i personally knew and let suck on my thumb as a baby...

And I know what you mean about having a hard time eating something you know personally. I honestly don't know if I could eat one of my ducks.​

 

[Mikhail]

Quote:
Big difference between survive and thrive. And Coyotes are omnivores. Cats are obligate carnivores....so are ferrets.

Eh, I disagree that dogs and coyotes can survive on a vegetarian diet... and who's going to tell the coyotes they need to stop eating meat? It's not like we can control what wild animals do. I can stop my cats and dogs from killing animals (but they do have to eat meat) but I cant stop lions and wolfs from killing animals.