Unexpected and sad butchering

RLMS · #21 05/22/06, 11:49 AM

Jnap:
That is why there is vanilla, choclate and strawberry ice cream.

Everyone has their own tastes.

Your views are somewhat different than mine.

Free country.

And I can afford to make those decisions. Whether we eat, or pay our bills, or buy a new tractor, or add more ground, or buy a new Excursion has absolutely nothing to do with butcherin' a pig or selling some scrap truck.

We have a farm because we have twin autistic boys that are essentially helpless. They can play with the animals, fish in the pond, make all the noise they want and pretty much have as close to a normal life as they can.

Planted 25 acres of corn last year and did not pick it. The deer and turkeys congregate there. It brings smiles to the faces of the boys. Nothing is worth more.

I have a 175 hp tractor with 1016 hours on it. It pulls a wagon. Has a full cab, AC, radio. But more importantly it has enough room so the boys can ride in it-safety and comfort, or on the wagon, their choice. We bought it because the boys like to ride.

We have a multitude of horses here. The boys ride two of our racehorses. The one horse made a bunch of money one night in Lexington in 1994. He retired that night in the winners circle because he was too important for the boys as a riding horse. The other one won his last start in Freehold in 1999. Same thing. We as a family, and the horses mentioned above, were on the Today show May 2001 for a segement on simplified sign language and autism with the University of Virginia.

We have cattle here for the sake of the children. They like to help with them. Chickens the same thing.

We don't eat any of them. Our choice-our business-and none of yours or anyone elses.

Go play Little House on the Prairie on your little corner of the world.

We have-our own version-for our own reasons-and are quite content.

jnap31 · #22 05/24/06, 12:30 AM

Different strokes for different folks, please continue to carry on in your own bubble as you see fit. Glad you have the means to waste.

RLMS · #23 05/24/06, 04:22 AM

Thank you for the permission to do so!

ozark_jewels · #24 05/24/06, 03:26 PM

Thank you all for your kind words. Just stopped in for a second on the library computer as my computer is down. My thoughts go out to those of you who have lost also, its never easy. I think it would have been easier if we were expecting it, but she was so healthy.....Thanks again. We have four heifers we will be freshening in the fall, but Honey will be missed.

wr · #25 05/24/06, 04:04 PM

I wouldn't have eaten her. Firstly, she was ill or unwell, a healthy animal does not just go down and I only eat healthy animals. I raise livestock to feed myself and to eat better than what I'd find on the shelves of the local grocery store. If she was down for any lenght of time at all, the muscles atrophy, blood pools and their systems start to shut down (essentially poisoning themself). The fact that she was found dead only serves to convince me that my decision to eat only healthy livestock is wise.

ozark_jewels · #26 05/24/06, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wr

I wouldn't have eaten her. Firstly, she was ill or unwell, a healthy animal does not just go down and I only eat healthy animals. I raise livestock to feed myself and to eat better than what I'd find on the shelves of the local grocery store. If she was down for any lenght of time at all, the muscles atrophy, blood pools and their systems start to shut down (essentially poisoning themself). The fact that she was found dead only serves to convince me that my decision to eat only healthy livestock is wise.

Normally, I agree with you. But in Honey's case, the diagnosis was a back injury. She was 10 years old, in her last trimester, and we have very rocky, hilly ground. A back injury would be very probable. She has been with us for 8 years and she was healthy to the end. If we had put her down right after she went down, I would have no problem eating the meat. But we didn'tfor the sake of the calf....much good it did any of us. She finally died from getting in an awkward position, on her chest, laying downhill, and couldn't get up. A cow that is "down" for no apparent reason, and I don't know her history....or a cow that has been down for any time, nope, won't be eating the meat. But a cow that just went down from an injury or some such, I have no problem using the meat.

jnap31 · #27 05/25/06, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wr

I wouldn't have eaten her. Firstly, she was ill or unwell, a healthy animal does not just go down and I only eat healthy animals. I raise livestock to feed myself and to eat better than what I'd find on the shelves of the local grocery store. If she was down for any lenght of time at all, the muscles atrophy, blood pools and their systems start to shut down (essentially poisoning themself). The fact that she was found dead only serves to convince me that my decision to eat only healthy livestock is wise.

I was not talking about Ozrkjewels cow,I was writing in regards to RLMS cow that died giving birth, Even Carla emery would eat a cow that died giving birth who wouldn't and for what sane reason?

jnap31 · #28 05/25/06, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RLMS

Jnap:
We have cattle here for the sake of the children. They like to help with them. Chickens the same thing.

We don't eat any of them. Our choice-our business-and none of yours or anyone elses. What do you do with them?
Do they get buired in the pet cemetary with nice purchased grave markers when they die of old age or natural causes to?LOL
Go play Little House on the Prairie on your little corner of the world.
I am not "playing" anything I am living my life as real as I can be.
We have-our own version-for our own reasons-and are quite content.

It is nice being content most people never attain it.

RLMS · #29 05/25/06, 05:14 AM

While you are giving your brain a serious workout consider I said we don't eat our chickens--then go to www.gamerooster.com. Then think about it.

Part of our national heritage.

Then think about it again but throw in the economics.

Not real hard-Your barnyard crower @$5.00 on a good day or a performance rooster bringing $50 to $100 unproven. Or $750 and up for a multiple winner?

Your eggs @$1.50 a dozen versus a performance hen's eggs @$40 dozen and up.

Your roosters damaging, maybe killing each other in your driveway as part of the natural order of things, or performance birds in a five cock tounament, winner-take-all, $1,000 entry fee with 150 participants. I'll make it easy--That's $150,000.

In 40 States of this Great Country.

By golly, I'll take grandma's Rhode Island Reds anytime. They can roost in that scrap pickup I got out back.

jnap31 · #30 05/25/06, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RLMS

While you are giving your brain a serious workout consider I said we don't eat our chickens--then go to www.gamerooster.com. Then think about it. YES you did say it see here
(quote RLMS We have cattle here for the sake of the children. They like to help with them. Chickens the same thing.
We don't eat any of them. Our choice-our business-and none of yours or anyone elses.quote)

Part of our national heritage.

Then think about it again but throw in the economics.

Not real hard-Your barnyard crower @$5.00 on a good day or a performance rooster bringing $50 to $100 unproven. Or $750 and up for a multiple winner?
I did not know chickens could be worth so much.
Your eggs @$1.50 a dozen versus a performance hen's eggs @$40 dozen and up.
People pay $40 a doz for eggs?
Your roosters damaging, maybe killing each other in your driveway as part of the natural order of things, or performance birds in a five cock tounament, winner-take-all, $1,000 entry fee with 150 participants. I'll make it easy--That's $150,000.

In 40 States of this Great Country. I thought that cock fighting was illeagal?

By golly, I'll take grandma's Rhode Island Reds anytime. They can roost in that scrap pickup I got out back.

Are you making fun of me facetiously for keeping some chickens in an old vehicle out back?
They have cockfighting back in the marshall islands it is mostly a phillopeno thing there though there is a local sea bird that the locals use to trap and fight, It is hard to find them doing it now days though still goes on. If cockfighting is still legal in 40 states then I must have been gone to long I thought that PETA and such would have shut that down ages ago.

RLMS · #31 05/25/06, 06:27 AM

Didn't say cockfighting was legal. I said it still goes on.

Birds worth that much--and then some. You have no idea. Last year I saw a rooster change hands for $4,500.

Take the time to go completely through the GameRooster website. I have a friend with a place in the south, bigger than anything I have ever seen outside of the west--All paid for by performance chickens. Raises upwards of 5,000 roosters a year.

You said you didn't know birds could be worth that much. If you think about it you may come to the conclusion that there are a lot of things we/all collectively don't know about a lot of things.

As far as you keeping chickens in an old truck! How in the world would I know that.

Besides, how each of us lead our lives is our own business. If any of us choose to share our views or lifestyles doesn't mean it is anyone else's right to criticize or make fun of. Sharing is a form of caring, my own opinion.

Our horses and cattle, including the racehorses, when they are at the farm in upstate NY, live outside all year round with a run-in shelter. Some consider that incorrect. Don't care what anyone thinks about it.

But if someone draws first, meaning starts the poking, then the rules change.

jnap31 · #32 05/25/06, 08:01 AM

I will check out the gamerooster site sometime. I am glad that it still goes on just about everything is illegal now days. Sounds like we lead really different lives I know nothing of race horses county fairs or Cockfighting. Glad your successful at what you do.

Goat Freak · #33 05/25/06, 12:37 PM

No offense to anyone, but we should be mourning the lose of two great cows, what happens to the bodies doesn't matter, the fact remains that they are gone. I personally wouldn't eat anything that was a pet, or any of the animals we have now, with the exception of the creepy bull that follows me around the pasture and snorts at me. RLMS and Ozark, I am sorry about your losses. Now if you don't mind, the fighting is really pointless, jnap31 eats their animals and RLMS doesn't, who cares. Their animals are their animals to do with what they want, it IS a free country, so it doesn't matter. No one needs to be trying to bite the others head off, nothing is funny about this post, and what people do with their animals is really no one elses business, this forum is for advice and for opinions, but if you don't mind, let's keep this forum a "friendly" place. O.k. By the way, I would like to say thank you to jnap31 and RLMS for settling their differences. But please, don't start it up again, it really bites when people keep going at it.See ya guys. Bye.

RLMS · #34 05/26/06, 06:18 AM

Goatfreak,

What part of any of this thread strikes you as funny?

You yourself said this forum is about advice and opinions.

???????????????????????

jnap31 · #35 05/26/06, 01:02 PM

GEE I was not trying to be funny. Guess It comes naturally

FlipFlopFarmer · #36 05/30/06, 03:38 PM

Emily -

So sorry to hear about your cow and calf. I'm as close to our jersey as I am my dog & cats. Our cow is 13 and although she's healthy, I know her time is running out. If she is bred, we are hoping for a heifer so she can retire. She's only given us bulls too. I can't imagine the loss you're feeling.

Carla

ozark_jewels · #37 05/30/06, 04:00 PM

Thank you, Carla. Hope your 13 year old Jersey gives you many more years. That was the strange thing. We have a 15 year old Jersey who is still going strong and due in a couple weeks. We wouldn't have been too surprised to lose her, but it was the 10 year old whom we lost. Hoping we have Blossom for many more years..........

Suzanne · #38 06/01/06, 11:28 AM

I am SO sorry...what a sad thing...especially a special one! We have a 14 year old, and a 6 year old. That has always been a fear is to have one die right before freshening. It happened to my folks when I was about 8, Bossie was due in 2 weeks, got in the grain, couldn't save either. That was the last family milk cow we had when we were kids at home...broke my Mom's heart, and Dad's too. Took me years to get a Jersey of my own, now I have afew family cows...Love them to pieces.

Tessynae · #39 06/05/06, 07:22 PM

So RLMS let me get this right. You'll bury your cow but yet you support cock fighting??? Did I misunderstand what you said?

Ozark, I am also sorry for your loss.

RLMS · #40 06/05/06, 07:46 PM

Tess-

You didn't misunderstand.

Break high!