Meat Eaters: Do you slaughter and butcher your own meat?

[schola]

I'm not a vegetarian but I've considered the lifestyle due to health and philosophical reasons. I've never been hunting or participated in the slaughtering of an animal before either.

What I realized quite recently is that whether one eats meat or not, they must take responsibility for their food sources, animal and plant. This means knowing where your food came from, how it was grown, and the inputs and chemicals used. Specifically in the case of animals, it means knowing how the animals were treated and killed.

We're so far disconnected from our food sources. How can we decide what's right or wrong when we don't even know how it's made or where it came from?

An organic farmer I worked for over the summer is very interested in the subject and he has very strong views about the factory farm feedlots where most grocery store meat comes from. He believes those operations are harmful to the environment as well as inhumane. Yet he also eats meat and slaughters cows and pigs on his farm and hunts deer for venison. Now, mind you, these pigs and cows lived and ate better than most animals including wild animals. They lived relatively worry free until a few seconds before they died. He treats his animals humanely but he still kills them and eats their meat and has no moral qualms about it.

I've come to the conclusion that the only way I could decide for myself if I should continue eating meat is if I directly participate in the slaughter and butchering of my food. How else can I know?

This question is for both meat eaters as well as former meat eaters.

Have you ever hunted or raised and killed your meat? As well, do you believe it's important to be involved with the production of your food both plant and animal?

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by schola

Have you ever hunted or raised and killed your meat? As well, do you believe it's important to be involved with the production of your food both plant and animal?

I have not hunted, raised or killed any meat that I've eaten. As a child, I saw a deer skinned and butchered after a family hunt and the only effect was that I would not eat any venison (although I must have been too young to make the connection to other meat).

I doubt that a majority of people (in the modern US) would be meat eaters if they were required to kill and butcher their own food. It's pretty disgusting.

I do believe it's important to be involved. I appreciate your recent posts on this issue because it's reminding me. For one, if I choose to continue eating meat, my goal is to get it from someone like your friend rather than unconsciously eating whatever is available at the supermarket (aka crap).

As we've moved away from being involved in the production of our food on a daily basis, our diets have grown worse and worse. Seems if we turned around and got back to the land we could reverse that as well.

[Victor Vikingr]

As a child, I got to watch as my father killed and butchered sheep. It wasn't exactly appetizing. I still ate meat, because I didn't think about it, and of course I was taught that I was supposed to.

I agree with {aspiring_to_clarity}. Most people would be vegetarians if the meat didn't just show up in the supermarket.

[funchy]

It is disgusting, messy, smelly, and germ laden. It's also hard work. Do it wrong and you risk making yourself sick (eg puncturing the guts by accident and having that mix with the meat).

I don't know anyone here who butchers their own. Some of my friends raise their own animals, but I don't know of a single one of them who butchers their own. The animals are shipped to commercial processor or to one of the old Amish butchers. The last public meat processing place closed in my county 8 or 10 yrs ago, due to lack of demand, so those animals that are shipped to butcher are shipped a bit of a distance away.

Even the hunters here who take down deer rarely butcher their own. Most of the guys I know who hunt do it for the thrill of a kill. Some leave the animal or just cut off the head. Some just give it away. Those who I know do eat the deer take it to a processor and pay to have only the good parts cut & wrapped; I am unsure what the processor does with the less choice cuts?

[schola]

Originally Posted by Victor Vikingr

As a child, I got to watch as my father killed and butchered sheep. It wasn't exactly appetizing. I still ate meat, because I didn't think about it, and of course I was taught that I was supposed to.

I agree with {aspiring_to_clarity}. Most people would be vegetarians if the meat didn't just show up in the supermarket.

Originally Posted by {aspiring_to_clarity}

I doubt that a majority of people (in the modern US) would be meat eaters if they were required to kill and butcher their own food. It's pretty disgusting.

I think it might depend on whether you were raised that way. I live in a rural area and many of my (male) friends go deer hunting each year. My Dad doesn't hunt so that is probably the only reason I never went.

[schola]

Originally Posted by funchy

Even the hunters here who take down deer rarely butcher their own. Most of the guys I know who hunt do it for the thrill of a kill. Some leave the animal or just cut off the head. Some just give it away. Those who I know do eat the deer take it to a processor and pay to have only the good parts cut & wrapped; I am unsure what the processor does with the less choice cuts?

What a waste! My farmer friend also likes to rail against those types of hunters.

[Rose of Cairo]

I was raised in a very rural area, on a farm, where it is a perfectly normal part of daily life to kill and eat animals. I saw my stepfather kill sheep and rabbits regularly. But I never got used to it. I found and still find it deeply disgusting and horrible and I know that I would never be able to do it.

I kept eating meat for many years because I was taught that meat and dairy are absolutely necessary for human health and I thought I was just being too sensitive for this world. I'm glad I eventually found out about veganism.

To answer your other question, yes I think it's important to be aware of where exactly our food comes from.

[ChefSalad]

I know a few people who slaughter their own meat. One of my friend's former bosses raises and slaughters poultry (mostly ducks). My brother is a big fan of venisonn and does his own deer butchering, as do two of my uncles. My grandparents used to hunt and butcher squirrels and rabbits, although they haven't in years.

I'm planning on raising poultry myself, when I get a house in the country with land (hopefully by the end of the year), as well as a few pigs. I'd like to get the pig variety that used to be used for lard production and make old-fashioned dry bacon. For poultry, I plan on raising a number of different birds, both for eggs and meat, including, but not limited to, ducks, chickens, turkeys (I was thinking wild turkeys would be fun), ginneas (sp?), peafowl, pheasant, goose and quail. There are a few others I was thinking about, but that's quite a few to try out right there. All have delicious meat (peacock is supposed to be AWESOME, but I haven't found anyone willing to sell me one to eat (they all say that it's too tasty to let others have it (selfish bastards))), and good eggs.

Anywho, I don't see anything really wrong with meat eating in general, and would totally (and have) do my own slaughtering and butchering. It's just part of eating tasty and saving money. I just wish I was a better hunter so I could bag a few deer.

[Andrew Brunelle]

I suggest reading the Omnivore's Dilemma. It covers this very topic in detail. The author actually goes hunting for I think a wild pig. He goes in depth about where are food comes from and what our livestock are being fed. I'm sure you can get a copy via Amazon.

[lifetimelearner]

YouTube - Deer Scene from Powder (1995)

[schola]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

I suggest reading the Omnivore's Dilemma. It covers this very topic in detail. The author actually goes hunting for I think a wild pig. He goes in depth about where are food comes from and what our livestock are being fed. I'm sure you can get a copy via Amazon.

Thanks. I've been wanting to read that book for a while now. Heard it's quite enlightening.

[lisamelinda]

i have also always thought about this. I couldn't kill an animal. someone i work with claims to 'love animals' (of course only certain animals since some are fine to eat) and she also tells people with pride that she doesn't like to eat chicken off the bone or anything because it reminds her of where it comes from. I often have to walk away. people also get extremely uptight when they see anything concerning pet cruelty, but cows, etc. are fair game.

[schola]

One thing that prompted me to post this thread was reading the comments to this blog post about raising rabbits for meat: Granny Miller: Meat Rabbits

For some reason there was a backlash in her comments where people took issue with her raising, killing, and eating rabbits. Some people took issue specifically with her eating cute little rabbits. Thought it was interesting.

[Rossoneri]

Nope and no....

[Andrew Gubb]

I'm vegan now, but I don't see anything FUNDAMENTALLY wrong with it. But I do know this, animals are very intelligent, sentient creatures, and to act as if you know how they should live and die is like playing a king. Most kings had no right to wield such power, but then most humans have more power than wisdom nowadays so what can ya do? I might reer some animals one day, but I'd consider it a thing that would require a lot of care and consciousness to avoid causing hurt.

[jeff3]

I've killed and butchered cattle up to about 800 lbs only a few times, it is difficult and messy work, kinda' like child-birth and equally necessary for human survival. I prefer to pay others to do it for me, same with delivering babies and performing surgery as they all require specialization and correct tools to do the job properly. Butchering large animals is a logistical nightmare for the DIY'er and certainly not a job for the squeamish or those otherwise shielded from the realities of life and death.

The same arguments I'm hearing here about it being disgusting also apply to medicine and care of corpses but I feel pretty sure you guys pay someone to handle that for you and don't ask questions like "Do you embalm your own relatives?" , "Do you treat your grandma's impactions at home?" , "Do you perform surgery at your house cause it's icky?" No ,of course not, you've just been de-conditioned by having other people handle the hard and and messy work and now it's become "icky" and "wrong" and attacked under the guise of enlightenment, spiritual superiority or some form of moral/ethical issue. IMO it's just a choice based upon experiences and perceptions which humans often confuse with reality.

I still raise cattle to help do my part in keeping a well balanced diet on the tables of those that choose to eat meat (fortunately that's still over 95% of the population).

[funchy]

Originally Posted by jeff3

The same arguments I'm hearing here about it being disgusting also apply to medicine and care of corpses but I feel pretty sure you guys pay someone to handle that for you and don't ask questions like "Do you embalm your own relatives?" , "Do you treat your grandma's impactions at home?" , "Do you perform surgery at your house cause it's icky?" No ,of course not, you've just been de-conditioned by having other people handle the hard and and messy work and now it's become "icky" and "wrong" and attacked under the guise of enlightenment, spiritual superiority or some form of moral/ethical issue.

I help to run a large animal rescue program. I don't think twice about cleaning an infected wound, changing dressing, superficial debriding, giving an enema, or doing a dissection. It's a part of the necessary treating & healing process. I am also back in college on a medical track, and I don't find surgery "icky" at all. Surgery stops suffering and saves lives. Life, in my opinion, is extremely valuable.

Killing, eviscerating, butchering are the exact opposite: absolute destruction. It's a process where a balanced living thing is reduced to decomposing flesh. The moment you kill an animal, the cells begin to break down and bacteria begin to multiply -- rotting. Coagulation, putrefaction, and a pathogen-laden guts pile have a reason to be called "icky".

If we know people don't need meat to live, the whole process is unnecessary. It's not a "guise"; it's a fact. If we don't need X to live and X causes suffering, death, high rate of food poisoning, then why the heck do we still do X? So call me crazy if I find rotting dead flesh "icky" and the miracle of a healing wound "not icky".

[Dharma]

I know people need to eat meat because they are eating it. There's no denying reality.

Originally Posted by OP questions

Have you ever hunted or raised and killed your meat? As well, do you believe it's important to be involved with the production of your food both plant and animal?

To the first question, no.
To the second question, no it's not important for me be involved with the production of my food. That's not my focus. Someone else kindly has that one and I thank them for it.

[jeff3]

Originally Posted by funchy

I help to run a large animal rescue program. I don't think twice about cleaning an infected wound, changing dressing, superficial debriding, giving an enema, or doing a dissection. It's a part of the necessary treating & healing process. I am also back in college on a medical track, and I don't find surgery "icky" at all. Surgery stops suffering and saves lives. Life, in my opinion, is extremely valuable.

Killing, eviscerating, butchering are the exact opposite: absolute destruction. It's a process where a balanced living thing is reduced to decomposing flesh. The moment you kill an animal, the cells begin to break down and bacteria begin to multiply -- rotting. Coagulation, putrefaction, and a pathogen-laden guts pile have a reason to be called "icky".

If we know people don't need meat to live, the whole process is unnecessary. It's not a "guise"; it's a fact. If we don't need X to live and X causes suffering, death, high rate of food poisoning, then why the heck do we still do X? So call me crazy if I find rotting dead flesh "icky" and the miracle of a healing wound "not icky".

I worked in a hospital for 17 years and understand the differences you mentioned, which ironically further drives home my point, that this is all about feelings. The duties you mentioned, and I have done them too, except on humans, are messy, smelly, involve rotting flesh and bacteria....... and with the exception of those who do it for money, everyone tries to avoid it at all costs. You simply make a judgment that one is "good" and the other is "bad" and then fill in the blanks, very similar to how the "moral majority" does with drinking, gambling, homosexuals, porn and, well, anything they disagree with. First, a judgment is made, then the facts are summoned to support the judgment, the law of attraction at work.

I could list lots of things that people do which are unnecessary and at the same time harmful or potentially harmful but no-one here is complaining about them because they don't evoke those "warm fuzzies" that the anti-meat crowd use to brainwash people with and the touchy feely patrol so rampantly feed upon.

The real issue is whether or not animals should be elevated to the status of human beings and be given the same rights. I say no, they are not equal, but they have their place.................right next to the vegetables. I do appreciate and express gratitude for being able to eat a well balanced meal which includes meat and dairy products.

[jeff3]

Originally Posted by funchy

I help to run a large animal rescue program. I don't think twice about cleaning an infected wound, changing dressing, superficial debriding, giving an enema, or doing a dissection. It's a part of the necessary treating & healing process. I am also back in college on a medical track, and I don't find surgery "icky" at all. Surgery stops suffering and saves lives. Life, in my opinion, is extremely valuable.

Most people would be totally grossed out doing the things you mention, even if it is for "good", the reality is that it's still nasty work......but apparently it's exactly what you should be doing, because you enjoy it and it gives your life purpose and meaning.......sort of the way raising beef cattle does for me, and I bet there are actually people who like working in meat processing plants and derive the same sense of meaning and purpose from their jobs.

The whole world is a play, when I focus on doing my part to the best of my ability I don't have the urge to try and control or manipulate others, I sleep better at night, have more energy, better health and life just seems to happen "for" me instead of "to" me.

[jetpack]

Do you slaughter your own vegetables? Do you drink their blood? They were alive too. I'm thankful for all the living things I eat, but I don't feel guilty.