Animal Killer- Tips on Responsible Butchering

My whole life I have been around farming and raising livestock for food.  I have always enjoyed raising animals, riding horses, and having pets.  But, the one thing I never enjoyed was when it came down to killing them.  I still can't say it's my favorite, but, it is a necessary part of eating an animal.  I would cringe when it came to be my job to cut off the heads of chickens or to shoot a hog or cow. But, I loved the thought of being self-sufficient!  
    I always thought that being able to provide for yourself when it came to food was an awesome thing.  When I was around 9 years old we got our first rabbits.  We had 2 does and a buck and let them loose in an old 10x10 chicken coop we had.  From there those 3 rabbits quickly became 30 and we moved our operation to a much bigger barn.  We had a client come and he would buy every rabbit we had for $3 a piece!  We were rich!  I always wanted to butcher the rabbits but, couldn't bring myself to the killing part.  
    Fast forward about 12 years and I got my first 50 meat chickens.  Now it was apparent that killing these birds was my duty.  I raised them from a young chick to a full-size, 8lb bird in only 8 weeks.  I was proud of my accomplishment.  But, it was time to butcher these things and it was my job to do the deed.  I felt sadness for these birds, yes they stunk.  Yes, they could barely walk, and all they could do is eat, poop, and lay around, but, does that call for a death sentence!  Then I realized I was looking at this entirely wrong.  These animals were born with a purpose and to deny them their purpose would almost be a crime!   
    For if not to be used for our nourishment then what was the purpose of their life?  What would become of them if I were to let them go on and live?  Would they go on to raise a little chicken family of their own?  Get a job pull down a nice 401k, buy a home, and settle down?  No, because that's not a life of a chicken, they are not human.  These breeds of Cornish cross chickens would surely eat themselves to death and suffer for hours before dying a miserable death.  Soon after having their body thrown away to decompose into a compost pile somewhere, being very little good to anything or anyone.  Whereas, if I were to kill them, clean them, and cook them with care, these chickens would have it made.  They would be awarded a quick painless death.  They would be prepared with love and affection in a kitchen and admired when consumed by a family!  They could be immortalized in stories as one of the finest dinners ever to be enjoyed.  
    Does killing animals suck?  Yes, especially if you suck at it.  Keep a sharp knife and take good aim.  Take care when you kill the animal you intend to eat and serve to your loved ones.   There is no sense in making an animal you have put all that work and time into, suffer at the end.  Killing is not the most fun part of butchering but, it's essential. So study videos on YouTube, read articles, and ask questions.  Some places actually offer butchering classes. I plan on posting videos in time but, a good source in the meantime is Bakers Green Acres as they have classes and tutorials available.  
The lesson points we learned today are,
  • Chickens are not people
  • Kill your animal responsibly and respectfully
  • Ask questions, do research, and become a good animal killer.
    Did you enjoy or hate today's topic?  If so please leave a comment or send an email to me, I'd like to hear any feedback.
 

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