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.

I wouldn’t kill a cow for steak, but that’s because I would likely botch it and make it more distressing than needed. I’d be quite happy to watch a cow shot by someone who knows how to do it while it was nose down in its trough with the others in a different field - and have done, to assist afterwards. Likewise, while I don’t kill my pigs myself, I’m happy for the trained homekill butcher to do so.

I do catch / kill / gut / fillet my own fish. DH hunts the occasional deer and I have no problems with gutting it at site and then transporting it to the butcher for hanging and turning into steak and patties.

I grow most of our veg, some of our fruit (my fruit trees misbehaved this year, I will feed them more next year) and we get eggs from our chickens. Which, when too old to lay, will go into the crockpot and be replaced with a new flock.

I don’t buy any supermarket meat. If it’s not been grown on my friend’s farm or in my garden, or caught by me, I don’t eat it. We don’t eat much chicken (I prefer them laying) or much lamb (because I don’t like it enough to buy a whole one to raise; I occasionally have some hogget if my friend is dispatching one). We also try and eat veggie at least every other day.

On the whole though I think you’re going to get reply bias on this thread; people who aren’t fussed about killing their own meat won’t hesitate to reply. People who feel hypocritical about their own life choices are less likely to!

If I was not disabled and therefore doubting my ability to do a quick, minimal suffering job of it I would be raising chickens for that purpose in my back garden. So....yes, I could (if my arm worked properly these days). I think it's healthier for children to be raised seeing and knowing exactly how meat is made

Wouldn’t kill it wouldn’t eat it. I’m against unnecessary violence to animals.

MidnightScribbler I don’t think most people really have examined their conscience or decided they’re ok with unnecessary violence to animals. Maybe you have but most people I’ve spoken to seem to just look the other way and think about something else.

If i knew how and had to i would. As a society we are insulated from this but we would adapt to doing what we needed to if things were different.

Mmmmm roast beef 😁

DairyIsClosed unfortunately there’s no such thing as ethical animal products unless you think violence is ethical.

mehh that’s amazing well done on making that choice despite the ridicule. You’re living in accordance with your own morals and that’s brave. If you’re new to being vegan and need any tips or ideas just say.

Newmanwannabe but it isn’t necessary, for children or anyone else (perhaps those with very rare allergies/ conditions aside). Humans can thrive on a plant based diet.

Graphista milk is not a byproduct of the meat industry. At all. The dairy industry is an entirely separate industry with a different breed of cows and that’s why the male calves are generally shot at birth rather than raised for meat.

But as a vegetarian you’re part way there. I note you reluctantly use milk, is there any help or advice you’d like to help move away from it?

I don’t think the question is if you had to to survive. It’s would it upset you to do it or would you think it’s ok to kill an animal and be happy to pull the knife across the throat.

I'd have no issues slaughtering any animals I wanted/needed to eat, I've had to kill cockerels, rabbits (with mixi) & a duck (broken wing/leg)

I most definitely wouldn't , my parents used to take us to an Abattoir when we were children . I'm working towards being a vegetarian but having been brought up in a very meat eating family and having a dh who likes meat it's a slow process .
There is a film o Netflix called okjra ( sp) which is an eye opener .

scottish I’m on an mn forum on an iPhone. I didn’t realise I would be tested on my lack of fullstops and misspelled words (due to fat fingers)

What's with all the 'It's part of life' sentiment. So is domestic violence, rape, murder, anti-semitism etc. Do we just accept all of this and hope it doesn't infiltrate our (un)comfortable reality?
So it goes.

Your posts need to make sense though Daffoldillia. It helps your argument. Subliminal accusations of weightism are pathetic.

It did make sense

Lol are you offended by my fat fingers? Who’s pathetic now

LRDtheFeministDragon there’s no way to humanely kill (unless in case of extreme suffering). My cat is sat next to me cleaning herself, she’s fed, has water, gets treated incredibly well. If I got a gun out and quickly shot her in the head to eat her it wouldn’t be ok because she died quickly.

himalayansalt you say you’re glad there’s others willing to do it. I’d bet that most slaughterhouse workers do it because it’s the only job they can get. It must be soul destroying killing all day, hearing the cries, the stench of the blood. Probably for minimum wage.

TheScottishPlay I’m totally with you but medicine shouldn’t be a dilemma because if you need it to live then it isn’t unnecessary. I start from a position that humans are more important than animals and am only against unnecessary violence towards animals such as for food, cosmetics, furniture, clothes etc. Hopefully one day medicine will also be vegan though.

sportyfool that’s great you’re transitioning to vegetarian. You’re living by your morals- one of best decisions I made was to do the same and go vegan. If you want any tips, ideas, suggestions of recipes, websites books, documentaries etc let me know. Good luck with it.

I've killed and skinned/plucked the odd rabbit/pigeon and eaten chickens I've watched being killed with no problems.

I've caught gutted and cooked my own fish.

I don't know if I could kill a cow. Cows are lovely and I always feel a pang of guilt eating beef and feel like a massive hypocrite.

I think I'd be OK with pigs. I'm not nearly as fond of pigs as I am of cows.

Agree city people tend to be a bit more removed from the reality of the situation, but having lived on farms and in cities I can sort of see both sides.

I grew up rurally, near the kind of place that rich young men would come up from England to "hunt" on the estate. We were poor and the gamekeeper was very happy for local families to help keep the vermin down. So from an early age I could hunt and humanely kill and prepare stuff like rabbits. We were also allowed to fish in the river.

I never liked doing it but also it was food.
As soon as my parents started getting paid more my mum and I chose not to hunt any more and we are both now vegetarians.

I sometimes find it funny when people are rude at dinner parties, call me childish/squeamish/whatever. I have always been the only person there who can accurately describe how to kill/skin/gut whatever they're eating. Usually shuts them up.

In my opinion a lot of people think they could kill an animal and then find they can't. Plenty of those blokes who paid extortionate sums to come shoot some poor pheasants being chased directly towards them couldn't even touch the bodies of the animals they'd just shot from afar for the "photo opportunity" at the end.

a huge proportion of people wouldn't eat meat if they have to kill it and rear it themselves because of gulf and emotion.

I know a family who stopped raising own pigs for consumption after they got too fond of some of them (but they STILL eat lots of meat, just not as humanely raised as it was). Guilt not that bad.

Suppose a law is passed & you can only eat animal flesh that you slaughtered yourself (does that mean you can't even share it with the neighbours? boy would a black market develop, anyway...). All other types of food are as available in supermarkets as ever.

Would the live animals be sold widely or do we only get to catch & eat wild ones? Would anyone give me training to slaughter the animals or do I make it up as I go along (botch jobs)? (Is anyone else concerned about the terrible hygiene that would develop in the unregulated private slaughterhouses with subsequent meat distributed on black market?) I know a bit about chopping heads off chickens & turkey neck snapping, though I don't have a hook to hang the turkey I bet someone could rig one up for me (is that kind of assistance allowed in the slaughter?) So I could do the fowl but whether I'd want to make time to do all the plucking & prep is another matter. I don't know how to butcher a lamb. Going to butchering classes could become a niche new-age fad, with people sharing pics of their beautiful efforts on Facebook. "can't be arsed" is main disincentive for not eating meat if you have to slaughter your own.

Id struggle but if i had to i reckon i could kill a chicken and eat it.. id struggle with a cow tho, or a lamb... and i love lamb! Didnt eat it for years...

I am another hypocrite