Responsibility

This weeks post I have been putting off for a while. I have been wanting to write my take on eating meat, but it is a sensitive subject for some. A warning in advance. This post addresses the topic of slaughtering your own animals. If you are offended by this I give prior warning.

Our rooster, Roadrunner and his best girl, Betty

I guess I wanted to address this topic because I have seen a disturbing trend in the world. Most of those who know me are aware of my love of chickens. I have thrown myself full force into caring for them and have enjoyed their company and the eggs they provide. But they don't just provide eggs. Yes, I slaughter my own hand raised chickens for my families consumption. 

To this knowledge, most people actually recoil in shock with a look of disgust on their faces. "You mean you KILL your pets and eat them??" And then the most disturbing question of all: "Why don't you just buy chicken at the grocery store??"

Two of my lovely egg layers

Now it is my turn to recoil in shock and horror. I think it is disturbing that people are so separated from where their food comes from that the grocery store trimmed and packaged meat seems so much more humane than raising your own animals.  This question usually results in me explaining that my chickens are raised in fresh air, with grass and bugs and dirt to bathe in. With fresh vegetables and land to roam on and manure to scratch in. My birds are happy until the moment they are taken and I am very proud of that. Instead, others would choose to purchase a chicken whose life was spent in a long cramped building with little ventilation, up to their feathers in manure and surrounded by dead hens that didn't make it. 

This brings up a very important topic for me. I believe that you are just as responsible for the death of that chicken as any farmer that wielded the knife. YOU are the reason that chicken died. YOU decided to purchase that bird. We all as humans need to recognize, we are responsible. We are always responsible for the choices we make.

I say that knowing that I am not perfect. I am still growing and learning and I have not yet gotten myself to the point that I do not have to purchase that chicken from the grocers. But I do what I can. I pay what I can afford. And come next summer, I plan to have at least 30 hens at a time in my own private coop so that I can make sure they get fresh air and sunshine. I will slaughter them myself. And I will feel that much more responsible. 

My redneck killing cone. Fashioned out of a traffic cone.

The act of the slaughter is not easy. I never want it to become easy. Because then it means that I am numb to the order of it all and how precious life is. 

And yes, I do understand that there are 'Organic' options. I put quotes around the word organic because I believe that it is in part a marketing ploy. It is being thrown around on half of the packages and boxes in the store lately and I don't trust it. The regulations for organic goods is very loose and you might be surprised to know how little fresh air those 'cage free' chickens get and how few hours daily those dairy cows get in the open air just so that the farm can stamp the carton 'Organic'

I think to be truly mindful, if you can't raise your own, is to visit local farms that raise their own. See how their animals are raised. What they are fed. Learn to trade goods and services for meat. Grow extra vegetables. House or Farm sit. Volunteer your time. Remember what we are. Humans who were given dominion over the earth. Responsible Humans.