Learned something new today that helps stock the freezer
#41
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Join Date: Jan 2010
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Posts: 9,319
Originally Posted by quiltnchik
Originally Posted by Candace
Why at 7 weeks? Our chickens are Rhode Island Reds, so meant for eggs not meat, but they weren't full grown at 7 weeks.
Interesting. Thanks!
#44
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Join Date: Jan 2010
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Originally Posted by Rachelcb80
Originally Posted by quiltnchik
Originally Posted by Jingleberry
I would only eat fruits and vegetables if I had to kill anything, watched my Mom wring chicken's neck when I was about 6, never left me. Made a bad impression.
Also, a lot of people have no idea what goes into store-bought chickens, cows, pigs, etc., or that most eggs bought in stores are approximately 3 months old when they reach the store - YUCK!
It's unbelievable what goes into commercially raised meat. These chickens down the road live in the nastiest conditions, no access to fresh outside air or light, their feed is made from ground up leftover chicken parts and the day of collection is so brutal. They come in with big cages with spring loaded doors. They sling the chickens head first into the cages and many of the birds suffer broken wings, legs, etc. They ride on the back of those flatbed 18 wheelers, in whatever the weather condition is, to wherever the processing plant is. I have no idea what goes on from there but what I know is enough.
My next step is getting a little weanling steer and raising him up. Right now all we have is an electric fence for my horse and that's definitely not enough for a cow, but someday we'll get a better fence put up.
Milk is the one area I'm stuck on. I can't be here every morning and evening to milk a cow and it's illegal to buy/sell raw milk in the state of MS (and many other states for that matter).
#47
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I have no problem with killing my own meat and I think that we might end up going back to the good old days before we know it. But the only thing I hate to do is sticking them to bleed them out and gutting them.
When I was 8yo my Dad and I would go to my friends farm and slaughter several hogs and cows a year and I was always the one that had to stick them soon as they were shot. I was so glad when I was big enough to start shooting them instead of the sticking part.
I am hoping to be self sustainable in the next few years on my land in the hills of TN. But I am with you Rachel, I think I would rather blow the chicken heads off then cutting them. Definitely less personal and hands on per se.
Billy
When I was 8yo my Dad and I would go to my friends farm and slaughter several hogs and cows a year and I was always the one that had to stick them soon as they were shot. I was so glad when I was big enough to start shooting them instead of the sticking part.
I am hoping to be self sustainable in the next few years on my land in the hills of TN. But I am with you Rachel, I think I would rather blow the chicken heads off then cutting them. Definitely less personal and hands on per se.
Billy
#49
Originally Posted by Candace
My mother has about 15-20 cows and they slaughter several every year. I could do this (send them off, they're way too big). But if I had just one cow, I know I'd bond to it and wouldn't be able to do it...same as the chickens. If I had a whole flock it would be o.k. to cull the group, but since I only have 2 you begin to notice personality traits etc. I think that's the key to NOT having an emotional attachment. If you have enough of them around, and don't name them or treat them as pets you don't get emotionally attached.
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