Changing goals and speed

[NH homesteader]

See I'm the opposite. I would prefer to eat the bucklings than sell them, because I always worry about animals I sell being treated poorly, particularly wethers who get bounced around a lot.

Things that come to the farm as pets or non eating animals though, can't eat them. We're weird.

Oh, and Bob is adorable!!

 

[AClark]

Well, I feel better that it isn't just us that name things and then can't eat them!

I kind of wondered about that too, whether they would get bounced around and treated badly. I would feel guilty about that. Weird how it is, you feel less guilt about eating them than selling them to a potentially bad home. I bet that's why when I got my does the guy I bought them from came out to see where they'd be.

 

[NH homesteader]

Absolutely. It's hard to sell animals!
We do name our pigs, but we just go through the state names. We've had New Hampshire, Vermont, Washington, California, North and South Dakota. Lol

 

[AClark]

We debated pigs, but the butchering process for them is insane with the scraping and hot water dipping. DH was telling me how they did it when he was a kid and that it took him, his uncle, dad, and cousin and it was an all day affair. No thanks. I'm not a lazy person, but that just seems like too much work. That and I don't particularly care for pork, except bacon.

 

[CntryBoy777]

With me it comes down to not just the name thing, but when there is a distance kept, I can do the whole slaughter thing, but it really isn't my idea of Fun....but, can..have and done. If there is more than 1 chicken in the freezer, then I don't know which it is....but, a goat or bigger I would know. Though, I have noticed that there is a change about the 1.5-2yr mark that they lose their younger personality and at that point I could do it. So, those we keep will be wethered and not sent to camp until about 17mnths. There won't be as much time devoted to them...like chickens or ducks. The reason we got goats too, is if there is ever no more power...or can't afford it, then there won't be very much wasted or spoil with us and the neighbor eating it. Plus, we have to be able to handle what we have.

 

[NH homesteader]

yeah no way are we doing that either. We skin them. Not that difficult or time consuming. DH cuts, I wrap. I never cared for pork until I had farm fresh pork. Now it's my favorite meat!

 

[Baymule]

I don't name the ram lambs that get wethered for slaughter. I did slaughter a named ewe lamb last year because she didn't grow off and was small. Reality knocks. I name pigs and they go to slaughter. I butcher my own chickens and old hens. But I get it about not wanting to eat an animal you named.

 

[AClark]

Well, Bob didn't make it. I'm not sure what happened, he was looking good and alert, moving around, eating and drinking and DH came home from work and came out of our room with a sad look and I already knew why. It sucks. At least Bob got a couple of days of being warm instead of dying in his shell.

I really prefer to keep a distance between my heart and animals that are destined for the freezer. Reality is, I'm a bit of a soft touch, and it helps me cope with it. I have no problem hunting, and butchering the ones I haven't tamed down or named, but just something eats at me if it was a "pet". I currently have a rabbit with a name that I don't think is fertile anymore, or is refusing. She gets 1 last shot at making a litter or she's going in the freezer. I do know that she can't sit and scarf down food without doing her "job" and have a replacement set up for her.

 

[Baymule]

Sorry about Bob. Sometimes we just throw our heart into a lost cause, even though we know the chances are zero to none. But we still try. Sometimes we beat the odds and that one success outweighs all the losses.

 

[NH homesteader]

Sorry about Bob. And well said Bay, as usual.