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Jools
Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 147
Location: South Wales
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 Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 9:29 am Post subject: |
 
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| Shan wrote: |
| Jools wrote: |
I'm not trying to cause an argument, just curious about how people who are aware of decent animal husbandry can eat the animals that they've named. |
I name my pigs and yes, I give them affection and yes, I have every intention of eating them. I want them to have a good fullfilling life. Who says that an animal destined to become meat, should not have attention or even affection? Surely, it is crueler to buy some anonymous lump of meat? |
I quite agree with you. It's just that I think I'd become too attached to them. You know, in my head it all makes perfect sense, but my heart would over-rule my head! 
| Ixy wrote: |
I'm just wondering if this just applied to pigs with you, or other intelligent creatures too? To be perfectly honest, from my work training cattle I would put them as intelligent, if not moreso, than a german shepherd and certainly as intelligent as a pig. Mine have learnt things in a fraction of the time it took the dog to learn a comparable trick. They are also as affectionate with me as the pigs - they love a belly/back rub as much as the pigs do and will come away from the rest of the herd to get one.
One easy example for me is that of the pigs we have in outdoor pens behind an electric fence. It seems that once they have got used to the fence, we can't possibly get them over the line where the fence was for love nor money. It takes forever to convince them, and no matter how much they look or how much we cross the line, or put food out or whatever, they just don't seem to learn, even though they are moved every week or so.
Whereas when I first started paddocking the oxen behind an electric wire, when the fence came down the first time and I attempted to lead them over the line, they hesitated but when they saw me cross, obviously assumed it was fine and followed - not even a food bribe involved. |
Nope, not just pigs. I'd feel the same with any animal. That's interesting about how the two different animals reacted to your moving the fence. 
To be honest with you, I don't think that I'd eat meat even if I did sort out my head and heart. Mum said I was never very keen on meat when I did eat it (which is probably why I found it so easy to give it up) and the few times I've tried little bits since then, I didn't like the taste nor the feeling it left in my mouth afterwards.
But, as I said, I'm quite happy to cook it for my family, so it's important to me that it's good meat and I'm so glad that more people are rearing animals in a good environment. |
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Chez
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 15148
Location: Quantock Hills, Somerset
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 11:16 am Post subject: |
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| Jools wrote: |
| I quite agree with you. It's just that I think I'd become too attached to them. You know, in my head it all makes perfect sense, but my heart would over-rule my head! |
It's hard to start with, but you get used to it. And it helps if you have an arrangement with someone where they help you with yours and you help them with theirs. Moral support and all that. And a big freezer means that you can leave the bits for a few months and don't then think 'Oh, we're eating Mable'.
I think that if you get to the point where it's enjoyable you are probably a bit psychotic. |
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mochyn
Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 13967
Location: mid-Wales
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 11:20 am Post subject: |
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| Chez wrote: |
| Jools wrote: |
| I quite agree with you. It's just that I think I'd become too attached to them. You know, in my head it all makes perfect sense, but my heart would over-rule my head! |
It's hard to start with, but you get used to it. And it helps if you have an arrangement with someone where they help you with yours and you help them with theirs. Moral support and all that. And a big freezer means that you can leave the bits for a few months and don't then think 'Oh, we're eating Mable'.
I think that if you get to the point where it's enjoyable you are probably a bit psychotic. |
Do you know, it's never worried me in the least. I know my pigs/chickens/ducks have had good lives and I look after them right up to the end. The chaps at the abbatoir are a good bunch: I wouldn't take animals there if I didn't trust them. And if we don't eat rare breeds no-one will keep them and then no more Tamworths. A sadder world. |
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bring me sunshine
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1929
Location: Somerset
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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| mochyn wrote: |
| Chez wrote: |
| Jools wrote: |
| I quite agree with you. It's just that I think I'd become too attached to them. You know, in my head it all makes perfect sense, but my heart would over-rule my head! |
It's hard to start with, but you get used to it. And it helps if you have an arrangement with someone where they help you with yours and you help them with theirs. Moral support and all that. And a big freezer means that you can leave the bits for a few months and don't then think 'Oh, we're eating Mable'.
I think that if you get to the point where it's enjoyable you are probably a bit psychotic. |
Do you know, it's never worried me in the least. I know my pigs/chickens/ducks have had good lives and I look after them right up to the end. The chaps at the abbatoir are a good bunch: I wouldn't take animals there if I didn't trust them. And if we don't eat rare breeds no-one will keep them and then no more Tamworths. A sadder world. |
Indeed. Whenever I finish a meal made from one of my lot, I always thank them. And yes, I am quite flippant about it ("sosage de Harold, anyone?") but that's not being callous, or at least it's not meant to be. Knowing which cut etc comes from which pig means that they're not reduced to being the same anonymous lump of meat you get in the supermarket. And I want to enjoy the meal: what's the point of rearing them and making sure that they're happy and content if I'm going to be miserable eating them? |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 16802
Location: York
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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That advantage doesn't have to stop if you buy your meat either- small producers might only give them numbers, rather than names, but you should be able to ask them about the animal that it came from. Interestingly supermarkets could do too- they just don't tell you it on the label.  |
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bring me sunshine
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1929
Location: Somerset
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Rob R wrote: |
| That advantage doesn't have to stop if you buy your meat either- small producers might only give them numbers, rather than names, but you should be able to ask them about the animal that it came from. Interestingly supermarkets could do too- they just don't tell you it on the label. |
A good point. I'm trying to persuade a friend to go halves on some beef in a box ... If so, I expect to be told all the details  |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 16802
Location: York
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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Ooh-err, thanks, how much is too much information?  |
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bring me sunshine
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1929
Location: Somerset
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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I can live without dates and diagrams |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 16802
Location: York
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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Meet the parents? |
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bring me sunshine
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1929
Location: Somerset
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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 How big are the boxes?!
Baby photos, a lock of hair, souvenir from their first holiday ... that ought to do the trick |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 16802
Location: York
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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Check. |
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bring me sunshine
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1929
Location: Somerset
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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BTW, can't seem to load the beefinabox website from your sig... |
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Rob R
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 16802
Location: York
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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Ah. Thanks.  I'm onto it. In the meantime: www.rosewoodfarms.co.uk/shop
Got it in the right thread this time |
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bring me sunshine
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1929
Location: Somerset
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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chicken feed
Joined: 27 Aug 2009
Posts: 440
Location: the fens cambs
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| Posted: Tue Nov 10, 09 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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we name all our pigs so as to know which we are talking about we also send the pork customers a write up about the breed and an explanaition as to why we eat rare breed meat all our customers seem to like this information we even give the option of visiting the pigs they have ordered (except show season when we are too busy in showing anyone around) |
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