How to not get attached?

[elevan]

Not get attached? I don't think that's possible in my case. Keeping the end in mind and knowing that you've given them the best possible life and thanking them for their "service" is how I get through it.

It's a little bit hard, but I know that store bought meat was also alive at some point in time. Although the difference is no one worried about killing those animals. Those animals were raised to make a profit, they were not fretted over like I fret over my rabbits. I go out and play and pet my rabbits. I brush them, I pick them the best grass by hand every day, those beasts are spoiled. And yes, I will put them down without much hesitation. I do it quickly, I make sure I am ready before I begin, and I do it cleanly. I know where my meat comes from and how it has been handled.

Well said.

 

[VickieB]

I've just started raising rabbits and I've been asked quite often by family and friends how I will be able to butcher the rabbits. I agree with llbolen. Rabbits were God's gift to the animal kingdom, they are so prolific that they are probably on most living things menus. In the wild I imagine most rabbits do not make it to the age we butcher at. Those that do become the next generation's parents. But their lives are filled with the stress of always staying ahead of the next predator, until they too finally become some larger animal's dinner.

In contrast, my rabbits live in nice safe cages, protected from the elements and predators. They are well fed in the morning, and look forward to their treats in the evening. They love attention, petting and scratching behind the ears. The breeders have names -- noble names in honor of their noble purpose: Queen Esther, Princess Di, Lady, and Hillary (okay, Hillary is a little ornery and is being considered for freezer camp). The babies are all named with one of these three names, Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner.

Our first butcher date is about a month away, but to be quite honest, I feel no trepidation about it. I love my bunnies and I've given them a much better life than what they would have had in the wild. I will dispatch of them in the most humane way possible, hoping they never knew what happened. And then I'm going to start up the smoker...

 

[lovinglife]

Yumm! Smoked bunny! I raise meat rabbits also, the first one for me was different, but now I just look forward to the awesome meals I can prepare with my yummy CLEAN meat! Now I have milk goats along with the bunnies, I seriously love my goats, but I know there will come a time when some of them will have to go to the freezer, we can handle it.

 

[VickieB]

I would love to have goats! We live in town though, and aren't even allowed chickens. I'm planning on starting some quail soon, though. And also have plans to get some banties and hope no one catches me.

 

[norseofcourse]

I know this is an older thread, but I just read through it (again), and I think it helped a bit. I sent my first lamb off to be processed a couple days ago, and I still feel bad. Mostly I just try not to think about it.

I have three wether lambs that are due to get processed in a month or two, and I might be reading through this again closer to that time. Some of the concepts here have helped - they have had a good life here, been raised more humanely than many food animals, they have a 'purpose'. And I'll have more lambs next year, which will also allow me to milk the ewes and make cheese and fudge and other good stuff. But it's still hard.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

 

[norseofcourse]

I took my three wether lambs in to be processed a few days ago (more details in my journal). It was hard. I had to keep trying not to look them in the eyes. Or think about what the actual process was going to be. They assured me it would be quick and humane. I wish we had mobile butchers like some do, but I don't think there are any in Ohio.

I know they had good lives, more natural than many animals raised for meat. And they ran in the pastures, and had good food, and weren't treated with antibiotics or any other medications unnecessarily. My mind knows all the reasons, but my heart still hurt.

It did help that I didn't name them, I used numbers. Some of the posters in this thread have said go ahead and get attached, love on them, etc... - but that would not have worked for me. I handled them only as much as necessary, and while I liked watching them, I tried to keep an emotional distance. I have always only ever had 'pets', and making the leap to 'livestock' has been a difficult journey.

My original ewes, Gracie and Rose, are here for life. That helps me, too. Brosa is also here for life. Elding (my ram) - undecided for now, but he's here for at least a few years, and unless he turns really mean I probably could not have him processed. Number 3 (ewe lamb from last year) is here for awhile at least - I bred her back to her sire, but I might still sell her someday if the right home comes along.

In about a week I pick up the lamb, all turned into neat little wrapped packages. Don't know yet how I will feel about that step.

 

[Baymule]

I butcher my own chickens and last spring I raised ducks for the freezer too. I cut their throats and say a prayer over them as they bleed out, thanking them for giving up their life so that we may eat and thanking God for providing us with good food. It helps.

We are moving to 8 acres, buying sheep and I will have to make that trip to the butcher too. I will name, love and spoil the lambs and enjoy them while they are here. That won't stop me from eating them.

If you want to save a heritage farm animal, eat it.

 

[SheepGirl]

I've never taken my animals directly to the butcher. I take them to auction, knowing the livestock dealer buying them is taking them up to New Holland to sell to a meat locker.

However, when I take care of my animals I go out and feed them, give them a pat on the head or scratch them if they come up to me. But usually they are just worried about food. Normally I'm strapped for time because I go out right before I have to leave to go to work. However, my feeder lambs do become friendly, they come up to me at the fence and they are wanting to be fed. They baa at me when they see me, they let me pet them. When I take them to auction, I load them up and drive them there. At the auction (not really an auction anymore... part of the building burned down so they just have you drop off animals and wait for your animals to be weighed and you get your check or cash) while they are waiting for the scales to clear, I pet them and take pictures of them. I help them move them to the scales and then I walk over get my check and I leave, see where they were moved to, look at them for a minute or two, and leave. Getting that check makes it worth it to me, as I raise them as a business. It makes me happy because I can then use that check to pay for their mothers' feed to have more babies. It's a cycle. Sometimes I miss their cute faces or their little quirks. Like this little guy. He was a bottle baby and I took him to auction in Sept. He was the fastest growing bottle baby and his face looks just like his mother's.

 

[koop]

I grew up on a farm with registered Holsteins, if there was a injured bull calf that we had to keep he got a name (all the heifers had names).
My dad was a stonch conservative (Canadian political party), the names were the leaders of the other parties, we had Jean's, Preston's and Stockwell the pig.
My friend and I will raise some pigs this summer, I want to name them Justin, Trudeau, Tomas and Mulclair