To think if you had to kill the animal yourself you wouldn’t eat meat

[Starchime22]

First off I’m not vegetarian, although I’m starting to lean that way, (as in, I eat fish, and occasionally meat if I’m in a restaurant, but never buy or cook meat myself) so it’s not my intention to criticise or goad omnivores.

But I’ve been thinking about how I’d have no problem killing a fish to eat, (and have) but definitely couldn’t kill a cow or a pig, and probably not a chicken. I’m not sure how many people could, really.

Is it right to eat something you couldn’t bear to kill yourself? Or watch being killed? I’m not saying it isn’t, just interested in what people think.

Kiki to be honest just because I make the same tea for everyone and they all like meat! If i could be arsed cooking something different every night most of it would be veggie to be honest!

So the path of least harm is being vegan.

you should read the effect it would have worldwide if the entire omnivore population suddenly decided to go Vegans, it's quite interesting.

I don't think I'd have a problem if I had to kill the meat I ate.

All-you-can-eat Korean barbecue for me tomorrow.

I've only skimmed the thread but I could kill an animal for meat, in fact, I have done.

I'd also have a fair idea of how to butcher it too.

YANBU for yourself, each to their own but YABU to assume everyone else is the same.

kikisparks Because I believe meat is good for the human body and we enjoy it. I do think it’s an important food sorce and so worth the violence, yes. Lots of things we use and enjoy contribute to pain and misery, my phone battery, my leather shoes, my jeans made in a sweat shop in Vietnam. I eat only British meat, where we kill animals as humanly as possible. If I had the money to live on a farm and only eat my own organic animal meat, but had to kill it myself (which I would then know would be free of hormones etc) then yes, I would kill it myself (or have my husband do it ;)

I don't know if that is quite true. My mother (who had me late in life, so going back a bit) grew up on a farm and they killed for meat. The animals lived in good natural conditions, though. No factory farming. People have done this from pre-history.

I think my biggest issue is the conditions animals are kept in and the humane aspect of the slaughter. One hears terrible stories. Oddly, I would prefer to eat game. No horrible conditions and slaughterhouse ending.

Having said that, I would prefer to eat vegetarian meals more days and humanely reared and killed meat for less days. Rather than meat from animals kept in horrible conditions and with a horrible end more often.

Jozxyqk, Did you see the pictures of Theresa May's visit to a farm in Northern Ireland. One picture of her with the children alongside the raised crates with the veal calves.

If there was Armageddon and we survived (plus animals) my husband would have to be the farmer and me the hunter no way could he kill anything. Me I figure if you want to eat meat you shouldn't be squeamish about how it gets to your plate. Still my DU is a butcher. I would give them a lovely life though

I haven’t slaughtered my own meat, but I have gutted and butchered an entire deer before, so I don’t think I’m extremely distanced from my food. I definitely think there are moral concerns around intensive animal rearing for meat, but have many fewer concerns when animals are raised in such a way that they can exhibit their natural behaviour and are exposed to limited stress.

I could not kill an animal and then eat it but, I don't have to, I don't feel like a hypocrite but then I buy grass fed free range meat and wild salmon, just don't eat it after as its costly but, it's worth it. So if it came down to eat I would stop eating meat.

I would happily kill an animal for food. I have read up about the skills and it seems quite straightforward to be honest. I've not had a chance to actually do it though but if I owned a piece of land with wild animals and there was little chance of being caught by the authorities, I'd happily set a few snares and dress/cook/eat what was captured (rabbits, deer etc.). Unfortunately most types of snare are illegal here and I certainly wouldn't recommend setting them on someone else's land.

I would need training on killing bigger animals like pigs and cows. Smaller ones can be taken down with air rifles, crossbows or even catapults, and I'm pretty confident I could win a fight with a chicken.

The real problem is getting (legal) access to the animals so that one can practise (legal) killing. For now it's easier to just buy the meat in a shop, but killing animals is something I would enjoy having a go at in future.

@MidniteScribbler never said people don't have the choice or people can't make their own minds up or examine their own conscious, I have nothing against people eating meat, my partner, family, friends all eat meat... the comment was aimed at the fact people use a response of "lions eat meat, so why shouldn't I" when other people say they don't eat meat because they don't like the animal being killed, so instead of coming back with comments suggesting I'm saying something I'm not why not re read the paragraph In a different light to the way you read it previously.. And also understand that I have the right to have and voice my own opinion on a thread where everyone is voicing their own opinion, which is what I did

I’m exactly the same as you as you OP.

Fish, I’d rather born kill and deal with it’s guts etc but I wouldn’t.

Land animals? Nope. But I do at meat a few days a week.

We also have lots of meat free meals though and could easily be a veggie.

Rather *not kill

I home kill. If I couldn't do it myself I wouldn't eat meat.

Why? I'm not asking to be smart, I just don't get this logic at all. I mean I can't fly a plane but I'll still travel on one :p

I've eaten potatoes I've dug up before, I've eaten rabbits I've shot.

Never killed and eaten a cow or a pig, but I wouldn't rule it out.

I would never be able to kill any living creature. I am fairly certain even if I were actually starving to death I couldn't. I can't even kill spiders, flies, ants etc.

I am vegetarian and have been for over 30 years

I never understood this attitude. We delegate tasks to other professionals all the time. Why is slaughtering and butchering any different? I wouldn't plumb my own toilet or wire my own house, but i still want a flushing loo and lights.

This thread has prompted me to do a search on the psychological effects of working in a slaughterhouse. Interesting reading.

Genderwitched but you are a hypocrite if you pay for animals to be killed but think it’s upsetting to kill them?

kikisparks But I didn't say that though...I didn't say that I thought that it was upsetting to kill animals for food, I said that I didn't want to do it. Why is that hypocritical?

I fully understand that animals have to die to provide food for meat eaters, it's an industry in this country that is totally legal. If it wasn't then I wouldn't eat meat, it's as simple as that.

Ansumpasty it’s a fact meat isn’t necessary for the human body. So basically your view is enjoyment justifies violence. All the other things (clothes, phone) may be ethically problematic but in different ways, and there’s not a clear solution as we need to wear something and in the modern world some technology is necessary. But there is a simple solution to avoiding contributing to violence to animals.

seen it done - rabbit casserole, delicious. Not quite done it myself, I'd want the skills to make sure it was done properly.

not pleasant but I also feel that as I eat meat, that's the deal.

Genderwitched if it’s not upsetting why couldn’t you do it? Assuming you were trained etc and had the skill and in an appropriate location.

Lots of things are legal but not necessarily moral. I live my life based on what I think is right not just if it’s legal I’ll do it.

slookiro what was the result?

MrsKoala that’s not the point of the thread- it’s could you do it or would you find it too upsetting/ gory?