Cute now - in four months, YUM!
05-27-2009, 08:20 AM
#21
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I grew up on home raised beef, pork and the yearly deer that dad brought home. Fresh whole milk and eggs, too. It took a long time to get used to store bought, I love it when I get to eat home raised anywhere now!!! About 10 years ago I had a neighbor who raised rabbits, he did all the butchering for me...I waited until my kids were really hooked on the meat before I clued them in!
05-27-2009, 08:48 AM
#23
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Location: Salem Iowa
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Originally Posted by k3n
Yes it was hard at first - especially with the pigs we had which I got quite attached too. BUT I'd much rather eat our own meat that I know has lived well, eaten well and died as painlessly and quickly as possible, on our land without the trauma of the trip to the abbatoir!
K x
K x
My DH Glen named all his pigs and had them come to him by name!
My kids used to ride the pet pigs out into the barnyard so they wouldn't have to walk in the mud!
I grew up butchering chickens also. When you grow up on a farm you take the butchering in stride. If you want to eat!!
When I was growing up my grandparent had a huge long chicken house. The floor was made of part sand(natural to the area) and sawdust. It made a perfect place to play! My cousin and I used to run large toy trucks/tractors/combines in the sand/sawdust floor! It was like having a huge sand box.
I hated getting eggs though sometimes the chickens would peck or fly at your head. Wasn't my favorite thing to do.
My MIL used to collect fancy chickens. It was always fun to see what she added to the flock. She had French hens /quineas(which are so LOUD) and Chinese crested/ and a lot of them I didn't know what they were.
They had a rooster named Pete he slept under the Wood burner on the porch and whenever anyone opened the door to the kitchen he would scoot through the door until someone saw him and kicked him back out the door!
They also had domestic turkeys and Geese. One Gander backed my son over a culvert top! He has not liked them since but he hunts and has no problem shooting turkeys!
I get nolstalgic about all this but we had some roosters given to us about three years ago and my mom and my son thought we would butcher them.
My son thought he knew how to kill them but he had never done it. Now this son has killed and dressed rabbits turkeys deer and all kinds of fish but chickens are differant. You can't shoot them you would ruin the meat. So my dad and my FIL always used to wring their necks. So Nathan tried and couldnt' get it done. He got so mad and then an elderly neighbor came over and she is in her 70's and she killed them for him!
We decide we won't do that again!! I HATE the smell of wet feathers! It was always my job to strip the feathers! Then I learned to cut up chickens. We did 300 at a time when I was growing up.
So I always buy my chickens whole and cut them my way. I wish I had access to buying whole chickens fresh. Once in awhile someone would have them locally but they are quite often expensive!
05-27-2009, 10:45 AM
#24
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Location: Somerset, England
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Originally Posted by gaigai
QUELLE HORREUR!!!!!! NE MANGEZ PAS CES POUSSINS PRECIEUSE!!!!
K x
(But it's very French to eat ALL animals - even snails! Translation for those who don't parler français - not aimed at YOU Gai, obviously!) :D
05-27-2009, 10:47 AM
#25
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Originally Posted by sewjoyce
Years ago we used to raise rabbits for meat. I could handle everything but the actual butchering. Hubby would do all that and then bring them inside and I wouldn't know who was who. I could then do my part. And they fried up just fine :roll: :roll:
I was also raised around and on farms. Imagine my horror though when, after moving to the "city" and I was a TEENAGER, my mom bought a bunch of chickens. She calmly tied them upside down to the clothesline and cut their heads off. I then had to take the things off and dunk them in hot water to defeather....thought I was just going to die from mortification when all the neighborhood kids lined up along the fence to watch.... :lol: :lol: :lol:
I was also raised around and on farms. Imagine my horror though when, after moving to the "city" and I was a TEENAGER, my mom bought a bunch of chickens. She calmly tied them upside down to the clothesline and cut their heads off. I then had to take the things off and dunk them in hot water to defeather....thought I was just going to die from mortification when all the neighborhood kids lined up along the fence to watch.... :lol: :lol: :lol:
05-27-2009, 10:54 AM
#27
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Location: Somerset, England
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Rhonda - my pigs had names. One was called Elsie after my Granny. It was a family joke that she hated her name so much she always said it was only fit for a pig. I'll bet she sat up there in heaven laughing her head off when I used to call Elsie the pig in from the paddock. The neutered male was named Curly by the kids from a book they had. I somehow make the mental switch, when they're dead, they're meat NOT the animals who used to follow me (an a bucket of food!) in and out from paddock to stable every day! People think we're hard that we can do this but as I said earlier, I know where my meat comes from, so I can eat it with a clear conscience. I'm glad there are so many other country folk on here who understand this. Sorry am in danger of getting 'political' - will shut up!
K x
K x
05-27-2009, 12:34 PM
#29
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this was an interesting thread to read. k3n. I was not raised on a farm, but I have relatives that still do. Although I have never raised a chicken, I would have no problems with butchering and frying one. I would however have to have someone tell me how it is done. LoL!
You are so right about home-grown animals and eggs tasting much better than the store bought. We have friends that raise animals and we buy meat from them sometimes. There is nothing better than farm fresh eggs either. I go over to my buddy connie's and buy her brown eggs once in a while. Oh my they are so good!
There is a lady at my church that makes homemade goat cheese. Wowie!
Do you make soft cheese?
You are so right about home-grown animals and eggs tasting much better than the store bought. We have friends that raise animals and we buy meat from them sometimes. There is nothing better than farm fresh eggs either. I go over to my buddy connie's and buy her brown eggs once in a while. Oh my they are so good!
There is a lady at my church that makes homemade goat cheese. Wowie!
Do you make soft cheese?
05-27-2009, 02:31 PM
#30
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,822
Originally Posted by RedGarnet222
this was an interesting thread to read. k3n. I was not raised on a farm, but I have relatives that still do. Although I have never raised a chicken, I would have no problems with butchering and frying one. I would however have to have someone tell me how it is done. LoL!
You are so right about home-grown animals and eggs tasting much better than the store bought. We have friends that raise animals and we buy meat from them sometimes. There is nothing better than farm fresh eggs either. I go over to my buddy connie's and buy her brown eggs once in a while. Oh my they are so good!
There is a lady at my church that makes homemade goat cheese. Wowie!
Do you make soft cheese?
You are so right about home-grown animals and eggs tasting much better than the store bought. We have friends that raise animals and we buy meat from them sometimes. There is nothing better than farm fresh eggs either. I go over to my buddy connie's and buy her brown eggs once in a while. Oh my they are so good!
There is a lady at my church that makes homemade goat cheese. Wowie!
Do you make soft cheese?
You are so right on Red:0)I dare people to go see the farms where there food comes from. You will find hands down that your local farmer loves his animals and treats them w/the best care. Our chickens live better then most dogs:)They are housed in a big barn w/cedar chips on the floor to catch their droppings and fresh hay in their boxes. And, they freely roam during the day. There are only 2% of what they call 'store bought' or hatchery bought chickens that lay out and hatch their own eggs...well, I'd say we are about 50%:)We've had to put a stop to it or we'll have to add on to the barn:)Our yearly cow has hay (fresh grass)all the way up to her belly as she eats non stop all day and corn at night:)If you really want a fresh anything...go attend the 4H fair auctions. You will get the best for your money and those kids(that took care of their healthy animal and worked it daily- take that money and reinvest in their projects and future college. It's a win-win for both people involved:)
My dad tells stories of when he was a kid his parents sent him to the local corner store and w/a quarter he'd buy a real live chicken on a string. He'd take that chicken home and tie it to a tree. He says a good day of doing that, the chicken would lay an egg:)It's just life and survival. No reason to raise a finger at someone who dares to care all the way w/the work of it just because they believe it a healthier way to do things. Skeat
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