I butchered a Bottle-baby PICS

poultryprincess · #41 04/09/07, 07:33 PM

I have to admit something to all of you - I thought the Same thing "OMG, I'm going to throw up!" ........but let me explain the series of events, first - OK?

*I "was" a City gal & never saw a Real chicken until 6 years ago. I started my luv of poultry then with a flock of White Rock meat birds. The day we drove those Clean,glistening, spoiled Fat chickens to "Freezer Camp" we were Totally distraught. We had never come that close to the actual killing of poultry for food. Yes we had gone to the store & bought a chicken, but didn't ALL poultry come on a white syrofoam dish?

When it is Absolutely necessary, I will do "the deed" - otherwise I will take them to the Gov. Approved Slaughter house. It is not that I am any less guilty by passing on the duty, but I have not grown accustomed to raising a cute little chick & then slitting it's throat. BUT - I luv the chicken dinner I get from it!!!! When I do the deed, I Always expect the chicken to run screaming from my hand & point @ me - How could You?!? I "NOW" understand that as long as I Eat chicken, then a bird has to die - I accept that & I Always raise my birds with kindness & gentleness. I am Grateful to them.
* Now, I have always wanted goats. In the back of my mind & am bracing myself to the fact that "some" will find their way to my Freezer. I am always on the Poultry link - so when you said you had done your goat......well, I thought I "should" look - it's the Responsible thing to do ----but Honestly, when I looked, I was like "OMG, I'm going to be sick

. Of course if I was @ your house watching, I would still study "How" you did everything-just incase I find myself in a position where I HAD to "do it".....but I would STILL think "OMG, I'm going to Throw up"

No Offense meant, just my belly is not accustomed to the sight. You did good, & trust me - I would be the 1st one to cook it for you.....I LUV Goat! Good Job BUT I COULDN'T DO IT

Idahoe · #42 04/09/07, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Goats

BOY, I am glad that I can not do that. I would NEVER eat one of my goats, muchless a bottle baby. I guess you have to be a very special person or a heartless one to do it. Please don't get me wrong, I know poeple raise them for that and I do understand. I tell my husband that he is heartless when he shoots a goose or a duck, muchless a baby that I raised. NO WAY! I can not raise a steer to be butchared if I ever look in their eyes. I look at it as they trust you as their caretaker. I know, most people think that is really dumb, but hey that is me.

Well, dumb or not

I bought geese for the table last June and fell in love with them. I couldn't eat them, ever.

There's no shame in how you feel and you don't have to change if you don't want to!

chris30523 · #43 04/09/07, 08:10 PM

I am glad people raise and eat their livestock.Wish I could .I can't get past the fact that I raised the animal.I also was raised in the city and never had to get used to the idea that an animal I raised was food. I don't mind selling mine for someone else to eat (out of sight out of mind).I would probably eat goat someone else cooked. But I cannot do it. All I could think of is those big brown eyes greeting me happily at the gate wanting me to scratch their head and give them a bottle. Just cause I can't do it doesn't mean I mind if others do.

Idahoe · #44 04/09/07, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feral Nature

My good friend Roseanna here understands me well. This animal never had a sad moment in his life. I shudder when i think of the way animals die in the processing plants, still alive sometimes when butchering begins. And before that, they are taken from there farms and run through auctions, then loaded on trucks and then to feedlots. I try my best to stay out of that loop. I tend not to think of myelf as especially heartless!

There you go, that's what makes it easier for me, tho at this early point in my farming career, it was not easy to go from Shrek the wether to that big juicy hindquarter making the house smell like heaven

.

What does make it easier for me is that I make sure my goats etc DON'T have a single bad day, and they are killed in such a manner they don't know they are dead. Animals only live in the moment, and don't "think" too much like people do. WE are the ones that feel bad, not them. And that's OK too.

ozark_jewels · #45 04/09/07, 08:20 PM

Great thread. This is a very responsible and practical way to humanely take care of all those excess bucklings.

collegeboundgal · #46 04/09/07, 10:38 PM

Emily, for those that want to learn, maybe you should post a link to your article on the butchering of a goat. Not to take away Diane's accomplishment!

-Melissa

Feral Nature · #47 04/09/07, 10:49 PM

Emily should post her butchering article again. It is great! This time of year there are so many excess bucklings and people could sure use an informative butchering post like yours.

I just took a few shots, Emily has a real nice series.

Post it girl!

Spinner · #48 04/09/07, 11:42 PM

That looks yummy. I have one that needs to go to freezer camp soon. I guess I should get it done before the weather warms up. Thanks for reminding me to get busy.

glidergurl03 · #49 04/10/07, 12:03 AM

Wow, that does look quite large...and it DOES look like a pair of small hands hanging it from the upper branches *Giggles* Looks very yummy though, hope it tastes good! I've never had goat, though, I intend to try it someday.

Lay off of Hazy too, they've explained themselves enough (when they shouldnt' have had to in the first place), they've explained they know about culling, etc. There was one comment that was very uncalled for, I thought. Just my 2 cents.

Sbrock · #50 04/10/07, 12:03 AM

He kind of dressed out looking like my bunny... I have Flemish Giant's though... That could be part of it.

white eagle · #51 04/10/07, 12:07 AM

I have never killed a goat but I have butchered other animals. Only thing I got to say on this subject is a person has to eat and plus make a living. Like us we have all types of animals here some are goats others are fowl and lots of our fowl is going to go in freezer, for eggs or be sold later. My goats that I have right now are for milking not for meat. But if it came right down to having to have meat I would butcher a goat. Have to make a living somehow in this cruel, crazy but loving world.

Heck the other night on foodnetwork they showed goatmeat and boy did it look good..

GL to whoever killed a goat. The meat will be great..

ozark_jewels · #52 04/10/07, 07:15 AM

Ok, if you gals insist....

I'll post it in another thread.

susanne · #53 04/10/07, 07:44 AM

emily you and your article were the reason we tried to butcher our first buckling last year

and after that method a lot of others followed. we were city folks three years ago.
thank you

CountryHaven · #54 04/10/07, 09:13 AM

I was born and raised in the city. I'd owned animals all my young life, but never livestock of the food variety... I liked to eat it though. I realized when we moved to the country and decided to homestead that it would be 'for me' hypocritical to condem slaughtering when I went to the store and bought meat.... and a little stupid when I did so much work to make sure I raised quality animals and gave them a loving home and a great life while they were here.

It made me laugh when PoultryPrincess said

Quote:

but didn't ALL poultry come on a white syrofoam dish?

because I remember a friend of mine's daughter who REFUSED to eat her home grown eggs (yes eggs, not even meat, eggs) but loved store bought eggs. When asked where she thought the 'store' eggs came from she calmly replied... the back of the store. This was a teenaged girl, not a toddler. LOL

I hold no grudge on anyone who does not wish to slaughter their own animals whether they are vegetarian, or just would prefer to buy their meat, but I would get up in arms if they called me heartless. I'm not heartless, I love my animals, and like the American Indians I appeciate each animals sacrifice for my sustinance.

homebirtha · #55 04/10/07, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris30523

I would probably eat goat someone else cooked. But I cannot do it. All I could think of is those big brown eyes greeting me happily at the gate wanting me to scratch their head and give them a bottle.

Chris, what you need is meaner goats. LOL. Just kidding. ;-)

Steve L. · #56 04/10/07, 10:12 AM

They think that I’m heartless –
A cold-blooded killer,
A thing without feelings.

But, my friend,
Our lives are intertwined -
We are bound together in a way
That they can never understand.

I need you.
You are far more than
Just a part of me.
You are my very life.

How could I love you more?

susieM · #57 04/10/07, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebirtha

Chris, what you need is meaner goats. LOL. Just kidding. ;-)

Yeah....wait til they've gotten into the garden and eaten all of the raspberries. Or into the house and trashed the kitchen. Or danced on the new car with their sharp little hooves.

HomesteadBaker · #58 04/10/07, 11:08 AM

Soooooo.... how was the BBQ? Nice and tender?

I prefer to grow (and butcher) my own critters because I know exactly how they were raised and what they were fed.

Kitty

HazyDay · #59 04/10/07, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glider_gurl03

Lay off of Hazy too, they've explained themselves enough (when they shouldnt' have had to in the first place), they've explained they know about culling, etc. There was one comment that was very uncalled for, I thought. Just my 2 cents.

What cimment was that? Im sorry if it made you mad. It's just around here people are getting into goats because they can make a fast buck, and if I know I have a good buckling I will sell. I only keep a buck a buck if 4 breeders look at him and he gets the ok. Now I only have been into goats for 2 years, so I rely on other breeders to help me pick the best from the worst.

The answer to the qestion a good cross bred kid around 3 months will go for about 60.00 at our sale barn. But if you sent them to me I could get around 90.00 each as meat weathers. Oh cousre you would get a better deal from me and then they get to go to a guys place 1 hour away then he sends them 10 or 20 hours away to be sold for 2 times the money! But he grows them till about 7 months. He is not a feed lot, he just makes a living from selling and showing goats.

chris30523 · #60 04/10/07, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susieM

Yeah....wait til they've gotten into the garden and eaten all of the raspberries. Or into the house and trashed the kitchen. Or danced on the new car with their sharp little hooves.

My dogs have done worse and I couldn't eat them (of course I know what they eat yuck) My husband was raised on a farm and he said if you knew the animals would be meat you didn't get attached. I have not mastered the art. I can eat Bambi cause I didn't raise it.(Not to mention he ate all the buds off of my flowers)