A Question for Meat Eaters ?

[topten]

How many of us " meat eaters" could actually kill and butcher our own meat. I for one could not put a gun to a living animals head and do the deed, and I don't condemn those that can. I hate most veg but love meat, this point came to me when a lorry laden with sheep was heading to the abattoir.

[tomsteel]

How many of us could put living sea-food into boiling water? How many of us could catch fish with a hook into the mouth or via a harpoon? Why do we deprive young chicks the chance of life by eating eggs? If you and your children are hungry enough, the deed has to be done. Survival is a tough route and nature can be cruel in the eyes of many. Halal butchering is a Muslim practice and the TRNC is a Muslim country. I wonder what method of butchering is used in the abattoirs here??

[sophie]

There are times (after watching 2 documentaries - fly on the wall type) where hidden cameras have shown the abject cruelty perpetrated on animals - particularly Halal butchering carried out incorrectly, which has made me very apprehensive.

[Ragged Robin]

I have to admit I am squeamish and pefer meat and fish as far removed visually from a living creature as it can be! I compromise by only eating smallquantities of meat consistent with my health (not to mention finances) needs, avoiding things like veal and pate de foie grasse which involved cruelty to the animals when alive, buy free range poultry and eggs whenI can, and I gave up buying cream of chicken soup in tins when learnt how the chickens were kept. I was glad to notice recently that Supreme are selling "village" eggs in plalstic bags, slightly cheaper and less environmentally unfriendly than the packaged ones.

We have had this discussion before re Halal - if it is carried out correctly it is quick and less cruel than transporting the animals large distances cross counries and keeping them in terror in abatoirs watching their fellows being ""humanely" killed.

[JBA]

I couldn't agree more Ragged Robin.

Because of EU regulations many UK abattoirs went out of business and animals now have to travel huge distances for slaughter. My friend's farm is in Aylesbury and, after Banbury, Bicester, Thame and others closed his beef now travels to Cornwall to be killed.

[starlitdragstar]

tomsteel absolutely spot on!!!

[Soner]

I can. Well, I was put in a position many years ago where by my mother who had raised chicken for eggs and meat, it was time for them to be slaughtered and I (being the only male around) was asked to do the deed. On refusing to do so, she then told me that she would ask a local girl in the village (much younger than I) to help her. I had no choice but to take hold of the knife and behead around 20 chicken - it was either that or be the laughing stock of the village. The first one was very difficult, after which it did not matter as I now had blood on my hands.

It's like riding a bike, once you know how you always will, so if asked again, then yes, I would do it although it has been 20 odd years since the last time, the main aim is to make it quick, so that there is no prolonged suffering.

[topten]

When I was a young lad in the 50s turkeys were hard to come by, so most families kept chickens for eggs and also Christmas lunch. We lived in "north, terraced" houses "south cottages" my dad was a collier and on Christmas eve kill two or three chickens for our family lunch and my grans, his method of dispatching the chickens was to wring their neck, and then we would pluck them while still warm " feathers come out "easier" and then he would give us a chicken foot which we used to chase the girls with it because it had a guider which you could pull and make the claws move.

[Kavenkoy]

As a youth we used to family holiday in places like devon.
I would like most people catch mackerel on the boats .

My gran was a fishmonger so taught me when I had caught them to kill ,scales ,gut and head the fish .
We then on fried and ate them .

Could I do it with sheep ,if I had to or pig yes again if really had to .

I am glad really that I don't though

Kav