Why do I beat myself up about butchering a few cockerels.

[BigBlueHen53]

They don't live where I am if they did I'd make them try my chicken. Plus I'd make them eat my eggs too then they'll dislike both store bought eggs and meat

I moved years ago down south. Everyone who lives here respects what I do, it's the people in New England that are giving me grief over it.

I have not read this entire thread yet, but I will. There is a danger I may fall asleep first, so I just want to say this. You are not a weirdo for feeling troubled at the taking of a life, IMO. I would think there was something weird and a little disturbing about a person who could do it for the first time with a total lack of emotion. Maybe someone who does it all the time could get used to it, but that's kind of sad, I think we lose a little of our humanity if we become that indifferent to life. I like hearing hunters say they thank the animal for giving its life. I think it's much the same thing as giving thanks to the Creator over our food before eating it, and just acknowledging that great circle of life. Try not to feel guilty, my friend. Feel grateful instead. And try to accept that your city friends can't understand what they've never experienced and forgive their ignorance. Maybe someday they'll walk a mile in your moccasins, then they'll understand.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

Hi folks, I am have not read the entire thread but a few pages.

I don't want to encourage anyone to feel guilty - I don't think it makes sense to feel guilty - we all (except for some really exceptional people who may be mentally ill) do the best we can to be good people and make good decisions for ourselves and others, at each moment in our lives, given all we have learned and can think of - so I think it is fine.

At the same time, I feel like interjecting another view point (in case it has not been mentioned already), one I have explored for about 2 years now (I am 52) after a lifetime of eating meat - I am trying a vegan diet and reconsidering my relationship with animals. We have dogs and a cat and a coop full of Guinea Fowl and two horses, so I am not giving up having animals in the family anytime soon, maybe never.

However, I decided to listen to my bad feelings about killing young, healthy, innocent animals to eat, or much worse (as many of you have pointed out) pay someone else to torture them in factory farms and kill them in sometimes horrible ways where they get dismembered alive on a conveyer line since industry considers it too costly to stop the line when a bolt misses its target. We don't need to eat meat. It is healthier not to. It is better for the planet, too. And it is sure as s#$% better for the animals, ha ha.

I don't know what to say about wanting a flock of only female birds. I don't have that problem with Guinea Fowl - the males can live together and the fighting is minimal - they pair up and we can keep all the males that hatch. I know that it not true with roosters and I was thinking about getting some Ameraucanas when I was still eating eggs and I was pondering about what to do with the extra roosters and decided not to. Easy for me. Sorry. I don't eat eggs anymore now. Only need the Guineas to eat ticks, ha ha.

Maybe the roosters could be paired up with hens if people would be willing to keep pairs instead of flocks of hens? I am not sure. If you eat meat, yes, killing the animals yourself is probably best.

When I found out about CAFOs and mass slaughter houses (I was so naïve for so long - thought if we can send a man to the moon we would surely treat the animals humanely - after all you would get arrested if you treated your pets the way the food industry treats animals) I first stopped buying animals products at the grocery store - bought only from a local butcher shop who could tell me where the animals came from and what slaughterhouse they use and what steps they take to treat the animals as humanely as possible (except for the killing at the end, of course); and I had a cow share to get milk and dairy products and bought eggs from local hobby farms. Now I am vegan except for the occasional restaurant steak or burger, and I still try to eat at the local burger restaurant that gets their meat from the local butcher shop I used to buy from for a while.

There are so many great choices out there now, even Hardees and Burger King offer vegan burgers now (you have to ask them to hold the cheese and mayo) - it takes effort - but if I could do it, anyone can. =]

You tube has so many recipes and even vegan athletes answering questions - it is actually easy for me now. I learned new ways to cook. Even got a great chocolate cheesecake recipe made only from cashews, dates, cocoa powder and water with raisons and almonds in the crust. I put frozen wild blueberries on the crust before the filling is poured on. Hmmmm!

Again, just another, somewhat obvious, view point when having qualms about killing animals to eat them. You can make yourself do it anyway, or maybe not. That is also an available choice. Just another idea.

 

[DSill]

I’m sorry. Sometimes it just has to be done. I still remember the sound of the screams when we had a pig butchered when I was a kid 60 years ago. It’s hard.

 

[Chickenclaude]

Ok so we butchered three 5 month old cockerel this morning. I feel bad. I hatched them and raised them. But with the virus I didn’t want to take them to the animal auction because of the risk although it hasn’t been reported in the area yet.. they were over breeding the hens, and fighting a little..


So please no harshness on this. I understand some are for food. I was raised on a farm and raising cattle for butchering is often what we did. I have a hard time with it when I get attached, this happened one year I refused to eat any beef for a long time. A calf had a hard birth and I took to spoil it. I begged dad not to butcher it.. he said suck it up.. lol. I just feel bad that animal trusted me and I go and kill it. Lol. Mind you that I am a hunter and go kill deer every year.
If it’s mine I have these crazy I feel bad feelings. If it’s not mine it doesn’t bother me..

I guess it’s different for me when raised.. its mixed feelings..

I know I am a weird-o

No you’re not weird. You had to do what you had to do. I would worry if you didn’t feel a twinge, ya kno?

 

[boskelli1571]

As someone who eats meat, there is no way I can criticize someone who humanely culls and butchers. Should there ever come a day when I can completely eliminate meat from my diet, then and ONLY then could I not be a hypocrite about someone else.

I used to be a newspaper editor and reviewed books for our weekly farm publication. One of the books, Barry Estabrook's Pig Tales, made me quit eating pork. He described how intelligent pigs are, some were taught to play computer games. I guess I'm lucky that the books on chickens and cows weren't as well written!!

I immediately name all of my critters so they will be considered pets, not food. But I still buy a lot of chicken at the grocery store. Guess you're not the only weird-o.

After a couple of years of keeping chickens, researching and watching them I came to know how intelligent they are.
I cannot eat chicken now, especially if it is from a factory situation. I will on occasion eat farm culled but only if I know the farmer.

 

[donnamay]

Ok so we butchered three 5 month old cockerel this morning. I feel bad. I hatched them and raised them. But with the virus I didn’t want to take them to the animal auction because of the risk although it hasn’t been reported in the area yet.. they were over breeding the hens, and fighting a little..


So please no harshness on this. I understand some are for food. I was raised on a farm and raising cattle for butchering is often what we did. I have a hard time with it when I get attached, this happened one year I refused to eat any beef for a long time. A calf had a hard birth and I took to spoil it. I begged dad not to butcher it.. he said suck it up.. lol. I just feel bad that animal trusted me and I go and kill it. Lol. Mind you that I am a hunter and go kill deer every year.
If it’s mine I have these crazy I feel bad feelings. If it’s not mine it doesn’t bother me..

I guess it’s different for me when raised.. its mixed feelings..

I know I am a weird-o

No Your not crazy or weird. You understand the need for them to be used as food but you became attached to them. I understand completely. I think they just weedle their way into our hearts . they are so beautiful and entertaining.

 

[Ggg]

Ok so we butchered three 5 month old cockerel this morning. I feel bad. I hatched them and raised them. But with the virus I didn’t want to take them to the animal auction because of the risk although it hasn’t been reported in the area yet.. they were over breeding the hens, and fighting a little..


So please no harshness on this. I understand some are for food. I was raised on a farm and raising cattle for butchering is often what we did. I have a hard time with it when I get attached, this happened one year I refused to eat any beef for a long time. A calf had a hard birth and I took to spoil it. I begged dad not to butcher it.. he said suck it up.. lol. I just feel bad that animal trusted me and I go and kill it. Lol. Mind you that I am a hunter and go kill deer every year.
If it’s mine I have these crazy I feel bad feelings. If it’s not mine it doesn’t bother me..

I guess it’s different for me when raised.. its mixed feelings..

I know I am a weird-o

There’s no reason to take the life of an innocent being. None. We don’t need to eat them or wear them or exploit them in any other manner. So if you already killed it then yeah suck it up and get over it you’ve already done it so why care about it now.

 

[Vicker]

I know how you feel. It needs to be done sometimes. I am able to do most of the process by myself but struggle with getting it started, so to speak. I'm working up to not having my husband help me. But with us seeing the problems with people not knowing how to feed themselves outside of what they buy at the grocery store, we have this wisdom and skill that can teach the next generation how to survive.

 

[aart]

Sorry... I'm confused... how do you humanely kill a living being who doesn't want to die?

@anacarov .... As quickly as possible.

 

[DobieLover]

There’s no reason to take the life of an innocent being. None. We don’t need to eat them or wear them or exploit them in any other manner. So if you already killed it then yeah suck it up and get over it you’ve already done it so why care about it now.

Well this is a rather nasty reply. Is this totally necessary?
Regardless of your personal opinions on the matter of food sources, human beings ARE OMNIVORES. Our bodies were designed to process meat protein.
Every person makes their own choice on what protein source they choose to consume. The OP feels bad about making the correct chicken husbandry choice to HUMANELY process the excess cockerels to feed the family and improve the flock dynamics. YOU don't have to do that. That is YOUR choice.
Incidentally, how do you feel about other animals eating animals?? It happens all the time, everywhere. And when it does, it is not humane. It is painful and ugly.