Pingping. I'm sorry mate, but your description of dressing a deer is a bit on the dramatic side. In the UK we pride ourselves on doing the job with a single shot without the beast knowing what is going on. They are wild animals, have enjoyed a good life, but the herd needs managing so it's our responsibility to cull them. Single shot to heart, neck or head, whatever is safest. Beast is dead before it knows what's going on, no stress and no adrenalin charging through the body. Meat always tastes better that way. When it has passed away we remove the green offal quickly ensuring that nothing is spilt (a process that involves no blood if you do it correctly) and take it back to the larder where it is dressed and skinned. Skinning while the carcass is warm is far quicker that waiting for it to cool. Butt plugs are for raving amateurs, you should never need one. Yes, we leave the gralloch out for the local wildlife, why shouldn't we use the whole beast. The head and legs from the larder are usually used as fox bait, the heart/liver/kidneys go to the dogs unless you fancy them yourself. There is nothing dirty or violent about the process, it's just a management job that has to be done by someone to protect the flora and fauna of this country and we honour the beast by ensuring death is fast and stress free and every last part of it is put to good use. For those who prefer not to do their own dirty work and shop at Tesco's for their meat, each to their own, but I know the provenance of all th venison that hits my table, steak, burger, mince or sausage, and I'm very happy with it. Rant over.
Do you want to raise chickens in your garden and the associated work and costs? Vet bills? Feeds and vaccines ect? Do you want everyone else to keep chickens at home and increase the parasites, fecal matter, and pests that your family will be exposed to? I have previously worked in a battery chicken farm, over 15 years ago, and whilst it's not pleasant it's necessary for the population to have enough eggs and chicken mcnuggets. It's easy to apply human emotions on to animals incapable of emotion. Chickens get sad that they're in a cage? How would we know? I know that chickens like to eat and to not be eaten by predators as that behaviour is visible and objective. They get plenty of that in their cage. I don't see flocks of wild chickens roaming free outside of free-roaming farms either. Maybe they dislike hanging out with loads of other chickens and whether in a cage or on a farm it's just as crap.
I read a story once that featured animals (on a game reserve) which had been genetically engineered to enable them to use weapons. Evened up the odds, I'll tell you. One day. One day.
I was making a point that the food on the table is processed in a manner abhorrent to those who like their food to magically appear in the fridge. Whilst I'm not an avid hunter, having only participated a few times, I do have some experience to draw upon. I agree with you that the process is humane (as humane as killing can be) and that a properly done job is to be valued. I was merely presenting the rougher version for those who have never considered how their food appears. No offence was intended and no disrespect was meant for a hobby/profession/life skill, what ever it should be called, that I would like to be better at.
Caused by spirochaete type bacteria.... same group responsible for Weil's disease, Syphillis and Yaws.... all rather unpleasant!
There was an interesting Jimmy Doherty (Jamie Oliver's mate the pig farmer) programme on Channel 4 a couple of years ago, looking at whether there was a way that mass market supermarket food could be made more compatible with higher welfare standard meat, rather than free range etc just being for many people an unaffordable luxury. One of his arguments was that given that the dairy industry (in the UK or anywhere else) produces unwanted bull calves that would just be killed anyway, wouldn't it be better instead to use them for higher welfare rose veal, rather than them going to waste. (See Jimmy and the Giant Supermarket - Articles - Why Buy Rosé Veal? - Channel 4 and Jimmy Doherty Tackles Veal Issue on New Channel 4 Documentary Series | Jimmy's Farm I found it very interesting - food for thought in particular for any lacto-vegetarians. (Never did I think I'd find any inherent logic in the vegan stance, but I could respect where they are coming from a little more after seeing this.) I eat meat, mainly because my other half is resolutely carnivorous. I can happily live on vegetarian food, although I've always eaten a lot of dairy. Since watching the Jimmy veal programme, I have occasionally bought the British veal mince or meatballs from supermarkets when I can find it.
As it goes yes I do have chickens, and ducks, so yes I`m happy with the costs to get delicious eggs. On a more important note, I am convinced that animals have emotions and feelings , maybe not the same or as strongly as humans but to point blank say animals are incapable of emotion is I think just incorrect. Of course you dont see flocks of wild chickens any more than wild sheep or cows. They are farmed for us to eat, I`m just saying treat other life forms with respect even if you are going to eat them.
I think how we feel about how we treat animals is more important to our own well-being than it is for the animals we eat. Have a think about that.
They are taken from their mother shortly after they are born causing distress to both, is that not cruel ?
That is entirely dependent upon how we treat them. Are we civilised or are we no better than animals ?
We are of the animals. There are many variations of social interaction and development in many species.
