Organic Wormer for Chickens, geese, goat, lamb and all ..

[Stonehead]

Well so I believe the first animal you slaughter is the hardest one isn't it ? and then you get used to it ...

I'm glad to hear these comments because I would love to have a few chickens on the table .. but thought I would be too much of a softy ... but if you made it ! hopefully I will too ! maybe with a few tears ...

And it's more ethical in a way .. the animal has a nice and happy life .. and ends up in the pot because it's his "purpose" afterall ..

I still don't know how I will react when I'll have the first chicken in my plate and my fork in the other hand .. will see ...

Camile

Some people find killing and butchering animals straightforward from the off, some get used to it over time, some find it difficult but do it, and some find it so offputting they never do it again.

I'm firmly in the first category. I've been killing and eating animals since I was seven, when I shot and skinned my first rabbit. I'd helped/watched my dad and grandfather before that.

Since then, I've always preferred to do it myself, either hunting game or rearing and killing livestock. When I moved to the UK and lived in towns/cities, I went vegetarian for some years until we moved up here and I could raise my own livestock or shoot things like pigeons and rabbits.

I like good quality meat from animals that have lived wild or been properly cared for, but having had my brother work in an abbatoir and seen more factory farms than I care to remember there's no way I'll eat anything less than certified organic meat from a source I trust. And as that costs a lot, it brings me straight back to rearing animals myself.

At the same time, I also enjoy the company of animals (probably more than people sometimes), particularly pigs.

I guess I should have been either a hunter/gatherer or a swineherd - clearly I am a man out of my time...

Stonehead

[Boots]

The poultry is done on the farm and both pigs and goats go to the abbattoir and then straight over to the butchers.

What we collect from the butchers, is no different in appearance than what anyone else would buy... bacon, chops, sausages, roasts, mince etc. The only real difference being that I know what I raised my meat on, and I don't use steroids or hormones of any sort. Even our prepared feeds that we buy are simply crushed naturals (corn, coconut etc.) and I raise everything on as natural a diet as possible, and try to encourage their natural eating behaviours.

You won't see a duck anywhere near the size of mine in a supermarket over here. Actually last Christmas I noticed turkeys weren't even the size of our ducks!

The trip to the abbatoir is always a bit weird. I remind the animals (and myself, and the kids) that they are destined for the butchers all along, and I think that kind of helps keep things in focus, but it is still sad saying goodbye. There is always a weird silence that just kind of lingers.

We spend a lot of time with our animals. I truly believe it leads to improved meat, and research is beginning to support that. I also like to see security in animals. I like building trust and seeing them grow confident in their surroundings and us. They all have distinct personalities and often multiple purposes. Whether that be protection, breeding, produce, composting, fertilising, ploughing, clearing, mowing etc.

As Stoney said, there aren't too many people that can keep a lot of animals if they are not contributing. So, all our animals contribute in one way or another, some more usefully than others though. We have some retirees here (dogs, donks and ponies) who are destined to live out their golden days beside us - but we probably couldn't offer them that, if we didn't have other produce.

My first pig stayed in the freezer for about 4 months, with me opening the door and digging around it, kind of ignoring it. It is difficult to remember at first, that bacon does not have a personality. The pig did, the bacon doesn't. Eventually I had a house full of people and had no option but to pull out a roast. Everyone commented on it and it is just so very different when you eat home raised meat. So yes, the first time was a bit weird, but there was no doubt it was much better than store bought, and there is a strange confidence that comes from that obvious difference.

When I go out in the yards, I still miss certain animals - especially Sir Scoff-a-lot, the last pig who was just a flat out larrakin! I don't miss him when I go to the freezer now though. Somehow I have seperated him from that. That's not how I remember him. Not sure if that makes sense.

[Camile]

Hi again Boots and Stonhead .. .

Thanks for that. . it's really helpful to hear that because my idea of meat, and all produce in general, is the exact same as yours .. home raised is always better .. whatever it is ..

And so far I took the animals for more or less a purpose .. ie eggs, lawn mowing, fertilizer and all .. but since I have some, I can't stop thinking about a nice sunday roast with a nice home reared chicken .. but then I look at the window and think " I can't eat any of them" ... because you see them so happy scratching the earth .. and running to me like mad when I open the door to see if there is anything for them !

And as Boots said, it's a weird and hard to say goodbye and know you will never ever see them again .. except in your plate ...

So I believe it will be really really hard for me to eat the first one ... and I'm sure I actually won't eat it because I'll sad crying in the Goat house with the sheep, goat, dog, hens and all ... but once you get the comment from people saying it's the best they ever had ... I would give it a go and overcome that softiness that's between me and self-sufficiency !

But I defenetly try not to give names to the "table" animal because I couldn't take a mouth full and say "this was Regis' leg .. he use to run so well .. sniff .. sniff. .. " ..

Thanks again for that .. I'll go home tonight looking at my animals differently I think .. .

Camile