Former Vegetarian Question?

billsica
billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was a vegetarian for over a decade, so I really do not know a lot when it comes to preparing meaty food (in addition to the endless chewing)

My question is that my friend has some chickens and He wants me to come over and help slaughter some of them. My son really likes to come over and play with the chickens. I'm a little worried that since my friend just got these chickens recently he is going to kill them inhumanly in front of my 3 year old. I know chickens will run around crazy spurting blood from all my cartoon watching. I don't know if my little guy is ready for that level of carnage, We are having nightmares about the dinosaurs in his bedroom as it is. I usually have to sit with him until he falls asleep, then he will wake up at 4:00am and come find me. The thought of having now to tell him there are no headless chickens is a bit much for me to handle at 4:00am and keep a strait face.
Is there a better way to either restrain the chicken when we chop off his head with an axe or some other method? I'm also a little worried that my friend doesn't really know how to de-feather a chicken or cut the meat from the carcass. I have to admit I don't know either, so it may be trial and error. I'm just hopping my son can see the proper way to butcher "chickies" as he calls them.

Replies

  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
    I wouldn't take your son over to watch that. It's one thing when children are raised around farms etc, but this doesn't sound like it's a part of his life. And it sounds like he sees them as pets.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    It would be a good learning experience for the child, it's about time he learn about life and death. I would also explain to him that Santa isn't real, fairy tales only hurt the child's development IMO!
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    My grandmother used to clothes pin their feet to a clothes line, put a bucket under them and slit their throats. They bleed out fast that way. It is much more humane.

    I remember when she cooked up Cluckie. Was a sad day. :sad:
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    You don't need to use an axe to kill a chicken. You can snap its neck pretty easily with your fingers. Yes, it's not a pleasant thought, but far less cleanup.
  • TAMayorga
    TAMayorga Posts: 341 Member
    My mom tells me her dad used to snap the chickens' necks by placing them over the clothesline and pulling down sharply.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Use a cone.

    Incidentally, you will probably never eat corn again. Slaughter a few chickens and you will understand why....
  • sockoholic
    sockoholic Posts: 52
    I think you should let your son decide how he wants to kill the chicken himself.
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,871 Member
    I grew up next door to a family that butchered animals. I have vivid memories of chickens running around with their heads cut off. We would dress our Barbie's with bloody rabbit skins. Your son will be morbidly fascinated and probably will feel empowered.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    I think you should let your son decide how he wants to kill the chicken himself.

    Now that's good parenting!
  • Dragn77
    Dragn77 Posts: 810 Member
    I agree with ncmedic.. it's one thing if a child grows up in that environment and used to seeing it. Quite another if it's a one time experience, especially considering this whole thing is going to be trial and error and not swift and the hands of someone who knows what they are doing.

    I was a city kid and loved bunnies. My mother's bf had one and I remember just thinking it was so cute not realizing it was not a pet. I didn't even see him kill it. .. just one day invited us over for dinner and the bunny was on the menu. I freaked out. .. he was a killer as far as my little mind could put together because the whole concept was new to me.

    I'm 36 now and I still can't eat or even look at a rabbit. I want nothing to do with them. Your average adult wouldn't want or need to see a cow get slaughtered before eating it to learn about life and death. Stuff like that would turn anyone not used to it into a vegetarian. This is a little kid still tying to form impressions of the world.

    Like I said though, beyond all that. .. it would be one thing if you knew what you were doing, but neither of you even know how to humanely kill a chicken, I'm here imagining lots of blood and screaming. You may all end up being pescatarians by the end of the day. Lol
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Yes, you need a chicken slaughter cone - you stick them upside down into a cone - the head and neck stick out and you can then chop off the head
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    I wouldn't take your child with you. Especially if he's played with these chickens and doesn't think of them as food. I know I'm bias (about 17 years a vegetarian) but I wouldn't let my daughter watch animals be slaughtered even now when she's 11.
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    I was a vegetarian for over a decade, so I really do not know a lot when it comes to preparing meaty food (in addition to the endless chewing)

    My question is that my friend has some chickens and He wants me to come over and help slaughter some of them. My son really likes to come over and play with the chickens. I'm a little worried that since my friend just got these chickens recently he is going to kill them inhumanly in front of my 3 year old. I know chickens will run around crazy spurting blood from all my cartoon watching. I don't know if my little guy is ready for that level of carnage, We are having nightmares about the dinosaurs in his bedroom as it is. I usually have to sit with him until he falls asleep, then he will wake up at 4:00am and come find me. The thought of having now to tell him there are no headless chickens is a bit much for me to handle at 4:00am and keep a strait face.
    Is there a better way to either restrain the chicken when we chop off his head with an axe or some other method? I'm also a little worried that my friend doesn't really know how to de-feather a chicken or cut the meat from the carcass. I have to admit I don't know either, so it may be trial and error. I'm just hopping my son can see the proper way to butcher "chickies" as he calls them.

    I agree with the previous Posters who'd stated that you'll need to control the chicken using a cone and merely snapping the neck.

    As stated by others, it is entirely different if you hail from a culture where live-slaughters are common and part of everyday life. I was raised vegan (Mon - Fri) and primarily vegetarian (Sat- Sun) Pesci-Polo.

    The first time I'd slaughtered chickens was when I was 5 by myself. The hardest part is catching the bird. Many children get frustrated and violent. The boys enjoy the chase and the kills. Girls are more practical.

    What was the practice? (i) You catch the bird. (ii) Restrain legs using a chord/string/rubber band. (iii) Hold it up by the legs with one hand and in one motion with your other hand, snap the neck with your lead hand. A quick turning movement ~ bhoowph. (iv) You should have a pot of boiling water going. Dunk the bird for no more than 5 seconds, then proceed with the de-feathering, quick movements. Once that is done, open up the cavity, remove the innards, reserve. * You may choose to cut the head and feet off for stock.

    ETA: My brother started when he was 2 and a half. He had a combination of instructors between my late maternal grandfather and my late father. By the time when he was 4, he was more apt than men, at hunting, restraining, killing, skinning and cutting(game animals), whereas many even in 3rd world countries where this is a normal practice, are inhumane or rather ~ unskilled, for they DO NOT practice the old ways. A good thing to do if you are going to pursue this with your son, is to prep a dish using 'the kill' with him. Same day is advisable. Something he likes. You need to psyche him out of seeing it as a pet, but rather as food. I didn't confuse the 2 ~ Pet Animal vs Food Animal.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    I guess it's none of my business but you speak so candidly about going over to help slaughter chickens...why were you vegetarian in the first place and why did that stop? I know some vegetarians do go back to living non-vegetarian but I haven't heard of any actually go and kill the animals themselves. Of course I don't expect you to answer, just thinking outloud.
  • d6black
    d6black Posts: 3 Member
    Does anyone really think a child watching someone kill an animal is a good thing? My grandmother had a chicken ranch and I never wanted to watch the chickens being killed.

    Reading the various methods would turn most into vegetarians.
  • SarahSmilesCA
    SarahSmilesCA Posts: 261 Member
    This is the most unusual surreal post for a former vegetarian...

    Do not take your 3 yr old to see the butchering...that is really not appropriate for children(especially 3 yrs old) who are not raise on a farm. I was raised on a farm and I still have memories of squealing pigs and headless chickens.But I have a city raised friend who was playing on a play ground at school and a man across the street came out and shot his pig right there in his front yard, he was just across the street from the school! It still really bothers him today and he is 56.

    I understand that some people feel we all should get up close and personal with where our food comes from. Whatever. Screw that, he is three and that is why we have butchers. Keep your kid home and go enjoy your butchering experience with your friend.

    Grab the neck and twist fast and hard in a big circle motion, then hang it upside down and slit its throat to let it bleed out. You will then soak it in HOT water to help make getting the feathers off easier then you will gut it just below the breast bone and pull the internal organs out.

    Once all the feathers are off, rinse it well, then rub carcass with sea salt afterwards for good measure, then rinse it again well with water. It is actually a pretty easy and fast process. But there really is nothing "humane" with death, kinda mutually exclusive when you think about it. Only fast or slow. The goal is to go fast.

    Don't be surprised if you return to vegetarianism.
  • potatocar
    potatocar Posts: 250 Member
    3 years old?! What are you waiting for? Waste no time draining every drop of empathy and kindness he was born with out of your boy, or he'll grow up to be a tofu-loving, boy-kissing sissy who only wears red lipstick that isn't tested on animals! Every REAL man should know how to hold down a weaker creature and cut off its head. Every real man should be aware that love and brotherhood is reserved only for humanity. Hell, why stop there? The more exclusive your kindness, the stronger your manhood! No mercy to the weaker, the coloured, the poorer, the foreign. Love only the akin, for surely anyone different than you is less worthy.

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