tortoise
Wild Hare
Depends on the species for me. In general, mommas are pets and babies are food.
Cecilia's Journal
- Thread starter Cecilia's-life
- Start date
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
That can't work around here even if I wish it could. The one thing I won't do is sell a problem animal. We either fix the problem, or eat the problem or learn to live with the problem. Any animal that leaves here leaves in the best physical shape that they can be in. I won't pass a problem on to someone else who is likely less prepared to deal with it. I sell to a lot of newbies and I couldn't deal with setting them up for a bad first experience.
My goats are multi-use. Milk is one use, sale of offspring is another, and occasionally meat. Pigs are food. Quail are for eggs and food - same with ducks and chickens.
The animals we eat have a really good life with just one tiny millisecond of not so good life. With a well placed shot I honestly don't think they "experience" even a millisecond of any negative. Bullets are very quick. There's no stress for the animal when we harvest. They die with their head in a feed bucket - for pigs and goats there's nothing better. We respect the animal at every step and do our best not to waste anything.
My goats are multi-use. Milk is one use, sale of offspring is another, and occasionally meat. Pigs are food. Quail are for eggs and food - same with ducks and chickens.
The animals we eat have a really good life with just one tiny millisecond of not so good life. With a well placed shot I honestly don't think they "experience" even a millisecond of any negative. Bullets are very quick. There's no stress for the animal when we harvest. They die with their head in a feed bucket - for pigs and goats there's nothing better. We respect the animal at every step and do our best not to waste anything.
- Thread starter
- #83
Cecilia's-life
Almost Self-Reliant
Same here. I know the little call ducks aren't friendly and don't truly fit our lifestyle, but they bring me so much joy I could never let them go. I'm going to try to hatch some more this year, first time hatching ever...
tortoise
Wild Hare
Same here. DH harvests them from pasture while they are grazing. There is no indication to them that the day is any different from any other day. We don't artificially wean, we don't transport, sort, or move the lambs we harvest for ourselves. They live a species-appropriate low-stress life, until they don't. DH is such a good shot that I doubt there is any awareness or sensation, it's as close to instant as possible.
I feel bad for the ones we sell at auction.
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Absolutely! Farm raised and farm harvested works for us!
Alaskan
Almost Self-Reliant
Eh....
I sold the horses we had... actually I TRIED to sell them, wasn't sure the potential owners would care for them properly, so gave them all away for free to homes that I knew would be good for them.
I see nothing wrong with that. Needs change, money changes. You might have started out as a good home, but no longer be a good home.
Same with our goats... I ended up selling them when we got out of goats.
Lives shift.
- Thread starter
- #87
Cecilia's-life
Almost Self-Reliant
And that’s ok too! It just doesn’t sit well with me.
flowerbug
Sustainability Master
Same here. I know the little call ducks aren't friendly and don't truly fit our lifestyle, but they bring me so much joy I could never let them go. I'm going to try to hatch some more this year, first time hatching ever...
they may be friendlier if they imprint some on people? just a-wondrin'...
- Thread starter
- #89
Cecilia's-life
Almost Self-Reliant
Imprint happens at birth/hatch if I’m not mistaken. These two were a gift from my friend, who never bonds with them. So I’m hoping to bond with some of their offspring! I’m very excited.they may be friendlier if they imprint some on people? just a-wondrin'...
baymule
Sustainability Master
I have my favorites. They stay. I will sell sheep that I am proud of to individuals. Not proud of goes to slaughter. Nice, but I already have better sheep go to auction.
I had to sell my horses.
There won't be room for them. but they got great homes, so I am happy for that. I never did a lot of horse trading. I've had quite a few, but I never did have the Horse of the Week and next week had a different one. I knew people like that.
I raised a steer last winter, he went to freezer camp. I have raised pigs every year since we moved here, they went to that fabulous pig resort, Camp Maytag.
I've raised meat chickens. I raised animals for us to eat, sell the meat and give to my DD and family.
If an animal doesn't fit in, I give them every chance. But sometimes they just gotta go. I had a nice Paint mare. BUT she was jealous of Joe and went out of her way to pick on him. He was terrified of her, she was that mean to him. A man visiting neighbors admired her one day and I sold her to him. Cardinal Sin-beating up on my Joe.
I had to sell my horses.
There won't be room for them. but they got great homes, so I am happy for that. I never did a lot of horse trading. I've had quite a few, but I never did have the Horse of the Week and next week had a different one. I knew people like that.I raised a steer last winter, he went to freezer camp. I have raised pigs every year since we moved here, they went to that fabulous pig resort, Camp Maytag.
I've raised meat chickens. I raised animals for us to eat, sell the meat and give to my DD and family.
If an animal doesn't fit in, I give them every chance. But sometimes they just gotta go. I had a nice Paint mare. BUT she was jealous of Joe and went out of her way to pick on him. He was terrified of her, she was that mean to him. A man visiting neighbors admired her one day and I sold her to him. Cardinal Sin-beating up on my Joe.
