To ask if you had to kill the animal yourself, would you still eat meat?

[WhatDoYouThink2017]

To ask if you had to kill the animal yourself, would you still eat meat?

It seems that a lot of people say no, but that does confuse me, as if less people ate meat, there would be a less of a demand.

This isn’t me saying eating meat is wrong btw, I absolutely believe there is a food chain, but the food chain is slightly unfair. Animals are bred and kept in awful conditions for their meat, etc. which is where I believe it’s unfair. Other people seem to agree.

So, if you could humanely keep your own animals and kill them, would you? Or would you go without meat?

I lived on a farm and have slaughtered and butchered my own stock, which I bred and raised free range. Its a lot easier on the human (and the animal) if you use a gun.

TwattyCatty hmm, ok then. So what is it?

People will shout if I describe how to kill a turkey. I imagine there are Youtube videos. That activity is seared in my memory & I think would only mean about 30 seconds of distress to the animal.

I can see how bolting would be by far best for a cow, as long as you know the right place to apply the gun. Problem is, barring lots of modern hoisting equipment, the cow is so big, you've got to slaughter it where it falls, and that place will probably stink of blood of other animals. Not so good.

People on this thread are being very deliberately obtuse. Unless they really are that thick.

Been there, done that, enjoyed the result.

Yes, I would not have a problem with that. It's important to take responsibility for what you eat. I have killed animals before (when run over and dying, for instance).

I dunno. I wouldn't have any moral qualms about it but I think it would be quite hard physically and I dunno if I could be bothered!

I think quick is ok. In nature it is not necessarily even that.

Nope I couldn't! I know its somewhat paradoxical or even hypocritical but that's where I am with it. I try to eat meat only a few times a week for environmental reasons but I don't want to stop altogether.

I've strangled and plucked chickens and shot rabbits. (I nearly got a sheep with my incompetent archery onc,e but that's another story.)

I made myself visit the abattoir that my OH was doing some engineering in.

I was a vegetarian for 17 years. Now I eat meat.

I gave up meat at the start of this year for exactly that reason..,I'd got to the point where I figured if I couldn't kill it I shouldn't eat it. I do eat fish though, on the basis I think I could kill one if I had to. I'm not ruling out giving that up at some point too though.

Yep, killed chickens with my bare hands before and a pig prior to cooking it underground. Was delicious

I'm vegetarian and under your conditions, I'd eat the meat!

(Not veggie for 'cute animal/dead flesh ugh' reasons)

Yup id do it. I would love to have my own small holding to breed enough meat to substain our family. For now we have eggs and veg from home. Next year we shall be breeding our own table birds 🐔🐔

No. But then if I had to knit my own jumpers I wouldn't bother, either. Or make my own furniture. I might fix my car. Wouldn't drill for the petrol myself, though.

We’ve a freezer full of pig we reared as part of a village co-op and lamb from the field across the road. I didn’t personally kill them but I had known the pig since it was a piglet. I’ve eaten road kill venison that I saw run over.Great pity for it to die in vain.

The last thing I killed was a wild boar (farmed but running freely in fenced woodland)

It dropped on the spot and never knew what hit it, no herding to abattoir or bolt gun to stun, happily minding its own business and then laid peacefully in the woodland, took a long time and a lot of effort to gut and butcher and every piece that was useable is in the freezer or has already made a meal

OP interesting question

I don't eat meat
but I'd be happier eating an animal I'd shot or something, than going and working in a slaughterhouse.

I actually wonder how slaughterhouse staff feel about eating meat - does it get weird when you're surrounded by the smell all day etc.

Yes, otherwise I would have a reason not to.

DP hunts in his home country for a sustainable food source which is shared amongst the whole village and every single part usable is used.

I have no problem with it.

I have a problem with people who shy away from what they are eating when they eat meat and don't know how it gets into the pack on the shelf in the supermarket.

Nope!

My dad had a turkey that his family raised when he was young, the intention was always to kill it and eat it. So Christmas Day arrives, the kill it, pluck it, cook it -it’s looking lovely on the table but no one can bring themselves to actually eat it!

No I wouldn't! I can't even kill spiders, and I hate those!

If I had to, yes. I wouldn't like it, and would struggle emotionally, but I would if it meant I could feed my family away from starvation.

I don't like seeing trees cut down, but I I still write on paper, burn wood in the fire, have wooden doors/windows and a wooden frame to the house.

I would find growing and harvesting vegetables/fruit too labourious, but I still eat vegetables & fruit.

I don't have the means to keep chickens, but I still eat eggs.

I don't have the knowledge or skill set to create the end product out of any of the above, but I still eat/use them. I like to think I source my produce from reputable companies, and am keeping certain businesses (who can do these things to a larger market than one families needs). It's the evolution of trading from bartering your needs and wares through differing skill sets. I am not ashamed of where I buy things from, as long as I know it is done as ethically as I personally deem acceptable.

Completely depends on the circumstances.

Mind you, if people had to kill their own meat, there would be less demand for meat, so less animals killed, but as a result less animals bred, so more would become endangered too....

Absolutely yes.
I don't understand the squeamishness around meat.
It comes from an animal that was killed so I can eat it.
I do draw the line at eating veal unless I know it was reared humanely. I also buy free-range eggs, although that's another discussion.
I'm in the camp of I was designed to be an omnivore... And I bloody love a good rare steak!