Well, Now I Feel Like a Monster!

[MissPrissy]

I don't think you are a monster. I do think you gave control and power of the situation to your child which is causing you to second guess yourself and your motives for dispatching the rooster. Perhaps since the kids know that it will happen it would be best for them to not know when it is happening? The first one is always the hardest. Once dinner is served and over (don't tell them until after they are eating the rooster) take a few minutes to talk about it. The next one won't be much easier but the kids will come to accept it as part of their life and routine. Extra roosters are for the table and we enjoy them while they are crowing and even more while we are eating.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

Our kids are all grown but I have my grandkids here all the time as they live next door. We tell them right at the outset that this is for food and not a pet. They know all along that sometime the dded will be don.e We are processing our two large pigs today. When I told my granddaughter she didnt bat an eyelash. Now if it was one of her pets, there would be a problem. The grandkids know the difference. They are 3, 7,9,11,12. My 7 year old loves any animal I have seen her cuddle mice that they have found in the yard. But she is growing up knowing where her food comes from. She recently took pictures of a duckling hatching into class. Its amazing how many kids know nothing about it.

 

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

It definitely gets easier on the kids. I agree with what others have said. It is the attitude of the parents that sets the tone. You have to be matter of fact about the situation, and not let them see that it is upsetting for you, even if it is. I think it is always difficult, and rightly so, to actually kill a chicken. But the lessons my kids have learned from our raising meat birds is something I never could have just "told" them about.

The first time we butchered, the kids all hid upstairs, and a couple cried a lot, even though these were birds that didn't have names and the kids had been told from the start they would be killed for meat. We recently did our 3rd butchering. This time, the kids participated fully, some even using the ax with help to chop off heads, all helping to pluck. I think they have a much better understanding now of the work it takes to put meat on the table. I also talk to them a lot about how our meat birds get a very good life outside with plenty of room instead of all cramped together in a building and sleeping in poop and never seeing the outside.

My kids are 10,8,6,3. We live right in the middle of an inner city neighborhood, and always butcher in our backyard, so we get several spectators and they always ask lots of questions. It is amazing how many kids and even adults don't understand where meat comes from. One of the kids' friends won't eat chicken unless it has no bones and in no way is chicken part shaped.

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

When we butcher chickens our kids are out there helping in some way shape or form. They might not help through the whole process, but they come and go and help when they want. Partly because I don't feel like MAKING them help. Anyway. We do the butchering of the chickens and send the pigs and lamb to the butcher. Our girls have NO problem eatting their animals/pets. They know when we get an animal if it's ment to be eatten or not. Or if it's a little boy lamb they know there is a possibility of him being either sold or butchered. We had "Sir Oinks Alot" and "Spotty" for our first two butcher hogs. One night we were eatting pork chops and our youngest daughter asked which pig it was...Making it up on the spot I told her "Spotty"..Well she proceeded to search her food over and finally said...."It has to be 'Sir Oinks Alot' because I don't see any of 'Spotty's' spots"...hahaha
When we had our lambs butchered I didn't tell the kids or hubby right away that we were having lamb chops. I thought out of all the animals that would be the one they would have a hard time eatting. So I made the meal, everyone ate. The kids and hubby each had 2nds and 3rds. When all was done I told them it was lamb chops and each one asked when I was gonna make them again that they were DELICIOUS. Made me feel a little better.
We name ALL our animals, we make pets out of all of them too. We spoil and sometimes even baby them. All the animals on our farm are treated humanily and are actually part of our extended family. Sometimes the kids joke about the animals being treated and feed better than they are (I used to tell this to my parents all the time too.) But when all is said and done we all know which ones will be on our plate and which ones will stay in the pastures.

 

[patandchickens]

Me, I don't like killing things (I don't think we're SUPPOSED to like, or even be utterly unaffected by, taking a life, even an animal's) but I'm not a vegetarian either (although if I did not live with a very meat-and-potatoes DH I would probably eat a lot less meat). I have had to be firm with myself and not let myself keep putting things off just one more day

(BTW, to those who have commented that vegetarians may eventually relapse, it goes the other way as well -- I knew a couple who used to raise *all* their own meat, but finally became vegetarians as a result)

I tried to prepare our oldest son (now 4 1/2) gradually (the other one is still just 1 1/2, I am *hoping* he will not wake up one morning someday and be horrified at what happens to some of the chickens, but I dunno, because he is QUITE attached to them). When he was maybe 1 1/2 or 2, we started mentioning conversationally at dinner that beef "comes from" a cow, chicken meat comes from a chicken, pork comes from a pig, etc. By the time he was 3 1/2 he knew that meat is part of an animal's body that you eat after the animal is dead.

This spring, when he was almost 4 and we were discussing getting broiler chicks, I finally took the bull by the horns and explained that we get meat by killing the animal, that you can't eat an animal that has just died on its own, you have to slaughter and process it properly. He was a bit taken aback but absorbed the information ok and has seemed pretty philosophical about the chickens we've eaten since then. (As in, "gee mommy, <name of chicken> sure tastes good!") I've explained a little bit about how most of the meat you get in the store comes from animals that did not live very happy lives and have scary things happen before slaughter, whereas our chickens get to be happy chickens on the grass in the sun until one day quite suddenly and unexpectedly they are carried over to the stump on the other side of the driveway (and of course not all of our chickens are *going* to be eaten, either).

I'd be careful about delaying the processing of the rooster just because your 5 yr old is upset, though. Unless you *want* to give her veto power on everything you do, it seems to me that it's YOUR decision whether and when to do it, although if she doesn't want to eat the rooster when it gets to the table it might be wise and kind to have the makings of a cheese sandwich available for her

Good luck, hang in there,

Pat

 

[TT]

We just butchered our first batch of roosters and it went well. My boys are 4, 11, & 14 and the oldest 2 helped while the youngest just watched some and then went to play. It helped that we kept them seperate from the rest of the chickens and told the boys from day 1 that they were going to be for food.

 

[SandraMort]

Yeah, my kids also have known from day 1 that the rangers were for meat. No names etc. My (7 year old vegetarian) son watched a bird get processed, though, and found it very upsetting.

 

[moenmitz]

It was hard for us too-especially the first time. The kids handled it better than we did actually. They both chose to watch, and very solemnly helped with the plucking. When it came to the butchering, my 9 year old daighter's curiosity overcame her revulsion. She loves science, and before you knwo it, had the whole works spread out in her lab, dissecting it. We emphasized to them that the chickens gave their lives for us, that God gave us permission to eat the animals, but that that they shoudl always be treated with consideration in respect. We reminded them that one of the reasons we pray before meals was to show our appreciation for the fact that we have been provided with food, and for the animals who sacrificed their lives to give it. We talked aboput the circle of life alot- abotu the frogs and bugs that the chickens happily devoured, because that was what was provided for them to eat. I also reminded them that if they were to get knocked out in the chicken pen, the chickens would not hesitate to come taste THEM.

So, there were a few tears, and neither of them would actually eat the first couple chickens, but they are now used to the idea anyway. My daughter did indulge in some chicken pot pie finally- I found that not making it LOOK like a chicken is a big help. I served the first one roasted, whole, and that was a big mistake. Even I couldnt help thinking of how he had looked the day before...

You are doing a good thing, and they are learning a valuable lesson from it, so hang in there.

As for breaking its neck...just a thought. I ahve heard that this can be tricky the first time-and if you dont do it exactly right, there can be unpleasant consequences. You may wnat to find someone to show you how exactly, or perhaps try a fool proof, although bloody method, like chopping off the head...

 

[Bassleg]

I have no problem killing, cleanup the birds but if I have to cook it I have a hard time eating it so my wife cooks it and then it taste just fine, same goes for beef.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
we ALL would probably have a hard time eating 1 you cooked.. :|