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Farm Tour

BoneheadNW

New member
After camping with my wife and kids for several days, we visited my in-laws who live on a neighboring island. Their island is somewhat isolated (about a 90 minute ferry ride from the mainland) so many people have some sort of garden or livestock. We took a tour of a small working farm and watched cows being milked and chickens fed, and we went for a carriage ride. At the end of the tour, we watched the farmer feed a calf (named Sir Loin), and that is what got to me. The farmer himself said that while he has raised cattle for slaughter before, this one was really going to be tough to deal with. He said that while he tries not to get emotionally attached, Sir Loin has gotton to him. I tried to convince my wife that we could buy him and bring him home, but I was unsuccessful. I would have no problem with chickens, but Sir Loin has a real personality, almost like a big dog (not you BD). Anyway, I have been thinking about how farmers deal with such things.

Do any of you have experience raising cattle for slaughter? How can you deal with it?

Bonehead
 

ghautz

Bronze Member
Site Supporter
We have been raising goats for slaughter for about 25 or 30 years. We don't get too attached to them. It is understood from the start that they will be butchered. They are not pets, but they are not mistreated, either. Putting them down is not a problem. We just do it quickly and get on with life.
 

elsmitro

floppy member
I raise a lot of different kinds of poultry but I don’t have many of each breed. I would really like to get to the point where I could hack up a few and cook them some day. But, I’m not there yet; maybe I should stop naming them… Even worst: since I have successfully incubated the eggs a few times I’m even getting weird-ed out about eating the eggs. I have had a few birds die, and I chopped the heads off of a couple injured chicks (one of which was my favorite); I felt like a real farmer that day. I really hope to get to the point that I can take the hatchet to the extra roosters some day. Cooking them up would be way easier than trying to give them away. It took me a few months to get rid of the last ones. I recently got a milk goat too; but I thought she looked shinny so I let her dry up so she can put on weight before winter. I’m sure if my kids were hungry I could do it; fortunately they are not and can work on getting my courage up for next spring when I hatch some more out. Right now farming is just a hobby for me, but I might get good at it one of these days.
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Yep, naming them is not a good idea, unless you use names like A, B, C .....
Like Ghautz said, if you know from day one they are for slaughter, then your mindset it ready for it. Otherwise it's a tougher chore when the time comes.
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
You could name them things like: Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney. I know that would make it easy for you (Bonehead) to do the deed.
 
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