Great point about trying to do it all. Just from my work expereince there is no way one person can learn and retain, let alone be good at that many things as we will need if things go bad.
Great point about trying to do it all. Just from my work expereince there is no way one person can learn and retain, let alone be good at that many things as we will need if things go bad.
I tell ya what though, Ravensgrove is the woman of the month! She rocks!!!
I understand your sentiment. I was a vegetarian for over 12 years, ... starting at the very young age of 11 in protest to the animal abuse which is the common methodology of factory farming. But what you have to remember is this:Originally Posted by ladyhk13
Hunting, and raising your own animals for food - and giving the animals in each case a swift and humane death - is not cruel or abuse in any way.
If anything, think of how LUCKY the animals you care for are - to be cared for by you and not having a short, horrible life and death at a factory farm. When you think about your farm animals in that way, your conscience is clear when the time for their death comes - and a healthy meal for your family is made.
Raven in a way is my hero, she is amazing in her treatment of her animals, and everything else she does as well.
This is going to sound so stupid....a few years ago there was a young buck in our yard that had been badly hurt by another buck and had to be put down. My DH shot him and I cried and cried. Before he took him down to our creek for nature to take it's course I had to go and put my hands on him and say a prayer for him. I feel like if I had to kill an animal for my food I would have to touch it and thank it for it's life and cry. Just writing this and thinking about it makes me want to cry. See? I'm such a sap.
I have killed an animal only once, it is not easy. Women by nature are more sensitive when doing this, after-all men have 1000s of years behind them being the primary hunter in human history (women gatherers).
Some might scoff and say: no, no women are equal as killers now-a-days. But as a women, I feel this isn't so ... and I am probably in the top 10 % of women who have an ability to kill.
People who are spiritual, like you, will find comfort in respecting the animals life and thankful for their meat. Which in a perfect world, everyone would feel this way - and not just have a disdain for everything and a sense of entitlement accompanied with no respect.
On a side note: I am part of the horse community that is petitioning the Canadian Government to close the horse slaughter plants here in Canada. There is no respect in the actions of those who brutally slaughter working animals/ companion animals for meat and huge profits.
As a spiritual person I would have said a prayer as well.
I am very reserved in what I harvest for meat. I have passed on game and been insulted by others for it. It isnt that I'm "weak kneed" or soft hearted, quite the opposite. But I've been raised with a respect for the animals that I use for food. In the same manner I wouldnt arbitrarily destroy a source of vegitarian nutrition either. I would have a hard time raising hogs and rabbits for food in a situation where it wasn't a matter of necessity, where as beef are less personable and wouldnt be an issue, just as fowl are. Hunting rabbit, no problem... It's ironic how when we deal with the animals in different situations it jades our view points. The Fat Rabbit that lives in my front room insists on sitting in my lap, and laying on it's back and getting it's belly rubbed while watching tv, a stunt my oldest daughter taught it. I've had piglets try to play tag with me. We have a couple goats that live at the horse ranch as pets. It's ironic that these are prime sources of protien...
As for saying a prayer, well, even though it was "just an animal" God DID put it here to serve a purpose, one way or another, so saying a prayer is always apropriate, to thank God for the food and the life that was given to help sustain those that take partin the meal it serves. It is only right.
It is totally appropriate to give thanks to God andthe animal. I do it every time I take game. Brother deer made it possible for me to eat.
I like this thread. I'm very encouraged when I see all the gals with the RTFU attitude, especially when it comes to doing the gruesome stuff.
WARNING: This post may contain material offensive to those who lack wit, humor, common sense and/or supporting factual or anecdotal evidence. All statements and assertions contained herein may be subject to but not limited to: irony, metaphor, allusion and dripping sarcasm.
I also give gratitude to every animal that is harvested on our farm. We were taught to do this, by my father who is Native American (Sihasapa, Lakota). I actually oddly enough have a harder time hunting...which doesn't that seem odd? I have no problem at this point with harvesting anything on our place...and they all have names, many of them were hand reared in the house or tended to in the house after some ailment or another during the course of their lives. I have very intimate relationships with all of my livestock. I have a harder time killing a wild thing, which is out and about in its own world living its life. Than I do harvesting stock, which have been raised and bred specifically for this purpose and wouldn't exist at all had they not been bred to eat. For me I think its the death of the freedom they possess as wild things. If that makes any sense to anyone but me.
I wanted to add: I just harvested two cows that thought they were dogs. So...species really doesn't matter to how personable a critter is, it has more to do with how much socialization they are given and what we project on them as humans as their "nature". I have known rabbits that had zero personality, I have known others that are personality plus. Same with goats. We have quite a few goats. Some have very distinct personalities, some have next to none.
Last edited by ravensgrove; 10-13-2011 at 11:41 PM.
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