Does anyone else eat fish and poultry but not bigger animals?

[WhatTheHalleBerry]

So in my youth I was vegetarian for a good few years, that was a long time ago. I've never felt comfortable with eating meat but struggled to be veggie long term.

For about 8 years I haven't eaten pork. I just don't like it, the taste or the thought of eating a pig. I've never eaten lamb or goat.

I did eat beef (though not mince because again, just don't like it, use quorn substitute)

But lately I've been in contact with baby and adult cows and I just can't eat beef anymore.

So I don't eat pork, lamb or goat and want to give up beef.

I just don't feel as strongly about fish and chickens (I don't like turkey or duck, I only eat chicken)

Does anyone else feel like this?

Do people eat parrot?

I eat meat. The welfare issue for me is universal in that I dont care how intelligent or interesting the animal- if it suffered I feel bad. Doesnt matter how dim the animal may appear. But the welfare issue is not enough for me not to eat meat.

So peoples choices are eat absolutely all meat or be vegan? Otherwise youre a hypocrit?

Probably the two worst ones to eat in terms of animal welfare. Fishes deaths are horrendous especially if it is from the large fishing ships and their is a whole thing about a lot fish being imported from China well at least processed. So unless you buying small catch locally fished then it’s pretty cruel. Same with chickens probably the worst kept of all the meat we consume. But I think from your posts you’re not about the ethics more about if you find it cute and fluffy. For what it’s worth im not veggie or vegan, I don’t however eat fish mainly due to the taste but now I’ve learnt about the dark side i gave up trying to like it! I personally don’t like the taste of game, or lamb but I don’t eat it become I don’t like the taste; not because it is cute.

Veganism is the ideal, although I am only vegetarian. Cows produce milk and hens produce eggs without human intervention. It is actually possible to get cheese from the milk of cows who are also still suckling their calves and hens will still produce eggs without them being fertilised by a cockerel. It is not necessary to kill animals for food, and to rank the sentience of other animals due to size / furriness / perceived intelligence is ridiculous. If you want to eat other animals, own it. Don’t pick and choose. You’re a GF and I’m out.

I think the bit I'm not clear on is why the size of the animal affects whether you would want to eat it or not. You dont want to eat something bigger than a chicken. What's the size issue about? Obviously you can eat what you want but you've posted on here for opinions.

I said its not size, my title/op was badly worded.

Its more my own experience with them seeming to be sentient.

Ive been around chickens a fair bit and all the do is eat and run away. Lambs, cows, pigs wants cuddles and attention in the way pets do.

Nope! Whether its a baby lamb or chicken both have the right to live and not be killed for simply the taste - goes for all living creatures- veggie for over 40 years

Probably, somewhere.

The point being that birds are as sentient.

Would you be prepared to kill animals including fish in order to eat them? I couldn't, so that's why I'm vegetarian, and don't eat eggs. I think it makes anyone a hypocrite if they would eat an animal but not have the balls to kill them themselves

No that's not being a hypocrite. If I had a farm with the machinery and staff then of course. But we rely on abattoir workers to do their job. They are trained to do that job. It's just the practicalities of life. It wouldn't be practical to suggest that anyone who eats meat has to kill the animal themselves. I'd probably cause the animal to suffer more trying to kill it myself.

I think I could probably kill a fish or a chicken to eat if I needed to, yes. I couldn't kill a pig, cow, goat, lamb.

Of course they're as sentient. Chickens have been shown by research to have intelligence and empathy. I keep chickens as pets. Every single one has it's own character, food preferences, activity preferences, friendships with other hens, and bonds with their humans. We've had some that have been very much "mine" and others that like my daughter best.

Twice, our hens have drawn our attention to a bird trapped in the greenhouse and only relaxed when it was freed. We've had hens trying to protect and comfort another hen that had been attacked.

They communicate with their human owners - they ask for treats, tell us when they want to go back to their run, even go and stand by the spade when they want us to dig for worms.

People have convinced themselves that chickens are stupid, unlikeable or as you say "less sentient" to allow themselves to ignore the huge scale of their abuse and suffering. It makes me very sad.

Absolutely agree @FictionalCharacter
"My" chickens were originally got for my middle son, and even though he's been at University for 3 years they are still very attached to him. He gets home on Monday and I will guarantee that as soon as they hear his voice they will come running from wherever they are in the garden. They definitely remember him, even when he has been away for months. They recognise DH and I as humans who belong to them and they do things like tap on the patio doors if they see me sitting on the sofa when I haven't taken their food out yet, and they will happily come to me any time I do have food. But they'll go to DS when he doesn't have food, just for a cuddle. One of the funniest things I have ever seen was DS driving the lawn tractor with a chicken perched on his shoulder flapping and squawking every time he got to the end of the garden and had to turn round. They see me as a food provider, and they'll let me stroke them if they're in the mood, but I think they have genuine affection for DS.
Since we got them I have stopped eating poultry and commercially produced eggs as the thought of the way chickens in either industry are treated absolutely revolts me.

I just don't have those experiences personally so I guess that relieves any guilt I may feel for the other animals I've listed.

Yes, lots of people, and many of them call themselves vegetarians which is annoying for actual vegetarians.

It’s fine to limit animal products in whatever way you choose. You’re not obliged to eat pigs because you eat chickens.

So basically you feel guilt eating certain animals and not others is what it comes down to. Which is fine that's up to you, nobody will force you to eat beef if you feel bad about it.

This is how I feel.

This - total hypocrite.

So vegans don't think its better to not eat the majority of animals rather than eating them all?
If I was vegan and someone said they were cutting down on animal consumption I would say 'good for you' rather than calling them a hypocrit.
So according to vegans to avoid being a hypocrit I should eat the whole spectrum of animals?
I find that a bit baffling!

I’m pretty sure farmed salmon get a rough time and are treated pretty brutally.

Yeah all of this.
Fishes deaths are horrific. I eat fish, I don’t want to like fish, but I do. It’s hard.

I feel like this, was vegetarian for years but then started eating fish occasionally and now I also eat chicken, although not very often maybe once or twice a month I’ll have chicken or fish. Like you I just don’t see fish and chickens as being as sentient as mammals, although I understand why others believe otherwise. I feel like I shouldn’t eat anything I couldn’t kill, I know I couldn’t kill a pig/ sheep/ cow etc but I have gone fishing and killed fish and I am fairly sure I could kill a chicken without feeling guilty. That said I think chicken and maybe pigeon are the only birds I would eat, I wouldn’t eat duck for example as I don’t think I could kill one.

Read Animal Farm. Then you’ll be able to treat pigs with the disdain they deserve.

Why do you think you could kill a chicken but not a duck?