As a farmer, I often get asked how it is that I can raise, kill and eat my own animals, especially when I have raised them from babies. How do you set emotional boundaries? Don’t you get attached to them?
The truth is, I’m a animal lover. That’s how I CAN raise them, kill them and eat them. I have respect for them and their life. The thought of eating chicken raised solely in a wire cage, where its feet never touched the ground and its face never felt the heat from the sun, completely repulses me. Commercially raised beef is the same. Being raised on manure covered paddocks, eating left over candy and soiled chicken litter may be cheap but it’s not a natural source of calories.
To me, continuing to purchase commercial meat is encouraging this type of market. It’s telling the food industry that “it’s ok, people are going to buy it anyways.” Well not me! I can’t do it! I can’t even bring myself to buy a grocery store chicken. How was it raised? Free range? Natural? Antibiotic free? Soy free? Did it touch the earth? See the sky? Was it cramed into a tiny cage where it’s feet grew into the wiring?
Yes, I know this is the industry standard. But the standards rub me morally wrong. I do not believe that these farming methods are ethical or healthy. Therefore, I will not support them. However, my family still has to eat. So as a mother, a homesteader and activist, I have to put on my big girl panties and raise my own meat.
Genesis 9:3 – Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
Take the chicken for example… When I grab 2 dozen eggs and put them into the incubator, I am very aware that these eggs will become fluffy, little, scutter butts running around my garage for 8 weeks. I will care for them, buy them the best feed and I’ll even bring them into the house and snuggle them. Because they are little beautiful lives that deserve love and attention. As the chicks get older, I will move them out to a clean, secure coop where there is fresh water and they can free range all day. I will give them slices of watermelon to keep them occupied during the hot long days. My kids will chase them around and feed them bites of their lunchtime sandwiches. I am also very aware that these chicks are food for my family.
When it comes time to butcher them and put them in the freezer, I know wholeheartedly that these chickens lived the very best of lives. They were loved. They were well cared for. They had food, water and shelter at all times and treats in between.
That is how I can eat them. They were raised to be our food. To nourish our family. Putting my own emotions aside to provide this chicken a great life and my give my family a healthy meal, is how I can raise them, kill them and eat them. This is how I set my emotional boundaries.
Turning my back to commercial raised meat practices is something I just can’t stomach. I’m not a cold-heartless farm girl. I’m a tough farm girl! A animal loving tough farm girl. That’s how I do my job. That’s how I feed my family.
I love this book. It has given me the insight and knowledge I need to raise my own meat. affiliate link ![](<iframe loading="lazy" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=livinlovinf02-20&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=1405345101&asins=1405345101&linkId=LTF6TLPS2XGCA4BJ&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" width="320" height="240" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>)
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Thank you so very much for this post. A great way to think about it.
Well said. I wholeheartedly agree.
Beautifully said. I also raise my own meat, and in my years of learning have seen the horrors of a pig factory, and seen the video of the filth filled meat chicken industry houses. I teach others how to process chickens and I’m often noted in their responses on how I speak kindly and sweetly to the birds while calming them and carrying them to their fate. There is no reason not to be kind and loving to your food producing animals. Granted, we don’t name the chickens. The pigs get names just to tell them apart when reporting on them each day. Horray for the new food movement where animals will be treated right. Thanks.
Good for you! I agree with your points , especially commercial farming.
I believe in the concept of “happy, happy, happy, dead”. Give them the best life you can and, when it’s time, end that life quickly with respect.
Amen friend!
God never meant for his created people to eat meat. Genesis 1:29 He gave the plants only for man’s food, and to the animals, He gave the plants for food. That was His intention.
The verses you referenced (9:3) are Him allowing you something that started out of mankind sinfulness. Mankind was disobedient and death came to the world. He gave in and gave permission strictly as a result of our wickedness because that verse happens after He has destroyed everything. It’s a ‘second choice’ situation, not at all what was intended for the jewel of His creation.
Personally, I think that Christians should live up to Gods highest ideal instead of taking the low road and living according to a manner that was allowed because mankind is basically wicked. Using those verses to justify doing something that was NEVER intended by God, that was allowed because of our wickedness is not living up to the highest ideal of God.
And in the New Earth (Isaiah 11:1-7), the wolf will live with the lamb, blah, blah, blah and ‘ lion will eat straw like the ox’. At both ends, God intends that we will live with love and compassion and No One will eat anything but plants. How do you choose to live? As was intended or ?
There’s nothing wrong with feeding your family tasty protein that was raised humanely! Put any chicken out in the wild and he’d be eaten horrifically by a coyote or hawk! If God wanted all plants to be eaten by humans and animals then their would be no natural cycle to keeping sick/old/ too many populated animals off the food chain by other animals. Carnivores are going to eat meat! As long as meat is in it’s natural state it’s quite essential for a healthy body! Just my 2 cents…
I this is this wonderful. I appreciate the respect you show for your animals and the care you give them. I applaud your efforts in raising clean food for your family!! 🙂
As a vegetarian my wish is that all food animals were treated with the same respect and care you show your animals – that would be the ideal world. Bravo
I know this is old but I love this! I LOVE animals and I, too, am horrified and sickend by our food industry! Your reasoning is the very reason why I have finally made the decision to raise my own meat. I already raise chickens for eggs but I think it’s time I become a big girl (despite my hesitation on the idea that I will actually have to kill). Like in A Game of Thrones, “The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.” I know, funny that I pulled that from a book series, but I definitely believe that we should all have that mindset. If I want to eat meat then I better suck it up and be the one to do the dirty work.