Butchering heartbreak

[Duckfarmerpa1]

@Grant ...we started raising rabbits for meat...we sell them now as pets. We were only able to eat a few. We had to cull one about a week ago, due to an abscess....chris ended up drowning him. He said it felt easier?? I thought it would be much worse. Terrible either way ....but, I suppose on a farm..it’s something we all face. I know sometimes people pay to get the processed. We figured that doesn’t save the money that we are putting into these animals. Have to cull a pig soon. It won’t be easy at all for Chris, as they are very attached. But he’s a feeder. When we culled our first pig, I made a thread and everyone cane to my rescue because I was all torn up about it. They said say a prayer and thank God, give them a good life while they are here...we’ve been doing all of these things. Perhaps someday it will be better..but, truthfully m I hopeit doesn’t. We love these animals. I understand that we are raising many of them to feed ourselves and keep us healthy, but we can still feel a loss for them. I know where you are coming from.

 

[Grant]

Think you meant that for @georgiagirl. I understand the thoughts. I love my animals, but I understand why I have them also. To me, my dogs are pets, my cows are livestock. Making that differentiation mentally is HUGE. I grew up on an 1100 acre farm. 300 sows, 100+ cows + males, babies...we had a lot of animals. They didn’t have names. We regularly slaughtered them. Many of the pigs we did ourselves. They were raised for consumption, harvesting them is why they were there. I would get in the habit of NOT naming animals you intend to sell or consume. A name puts a different thought process to the animal.

I’m not saying don’t love them, dont mistreat or ignore them, putting a name on them makes it harder for you, it’s no difference to them.

It’s hard to eat a buddy burger. Easy to eat a hamburger.

When it’s time for them to be put down, do it humanely. Fast and straight to the brain. Minimize suffering.

 

[Niele da Kine]

I tried raising meat rabbits and they're so fluffy and soft and have big eyes and, well, we never ate any rabbits. I'm a wuss! Now we have angora rabbits and are yarn farmers. They get harvested three times a year and always grow more wool, just like little micro-sheep. There's the occasional cull, but I have a friend who eats them for me. Now if they were roosters, that would be a different story!