What's there to say about my chicken processing morning. I get invited to a lot of quirky food "events." This one ranks right up there. It was the 6:45 AM-11:00 AM shift, "processing" Pete and Jen's backyard hens--that's the euphemism used for killing. There's no other way to tell it. I took part in a kill--dozens and dozens of young, healthy chickens were killed to fill pending orders for fresh chicken.
Many of the volunteers were customers of the farm. There's a general string that says that if you're going to eat meat then you should not only know how it got to your plate but you should be able to put it there yourself--anything less is hypocrisy. And the "kill" I participated in was as humane as it is possible to be and still result in a dead, edible bird. So I am closer to understanding what's involved in order to put meat (chicken) on my plate, but the jury is still out (as far as I'm concerned) about how I feel about it.
I have a lot more photos that document the last live seconds of many of the chickens, even a video showing the process; but it wouldn't accomplish anything here to show them other than to provoke a lot of anger and disgust. But it happens--birds, cows, sheep, fish--they are all killed, in various ways, so we can eat them. It's been going on forever. But to see it, to be a part of it, changes things. Makes you question.
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2 comments:
Let me put this as gently as possible. We humans are omnivores. We have the digestive tract, from teeth on down, for the consumption of the omnivore's array of edibles. To eat, we have to kill. Yes, seeing the killing of healthy young chickens to feed people should make us question. But the questions should be more like these: Why are we disgusted?...or, How have we come to this point at which the ancient practice of preparing food for our consumption provokes anger and disgust?
Now, as omnivores, we do have the choice to eat anything we want from the omnivore's array. So if eating meat doesn't suit you, you are perfectly within your rights to choose a vegitarian diet. Its not that hard to get all the right nutrients that way. But those of us who enjoy a well-cooked piece of meat, and are at peace with how it got to our plate, are getting disgusted (but not, in my case, angry) with the whinny, city-bread, talk of those like yourself who are to one degree or another detached from reality. Wake up Rosie! All things kill to eat. Its the rule of life. And until such time as The Lord's return, it will continue to be the rule of life!
Now, go think about this over a nice piece of fried chicken, or maybe some pasture-raised beef.
p.s. Sorry for writing as "anonymous" I'm technologically inept, or what I like to call "low tech, high touch".
Jeff o' County O'Regon
Hi Jeff,
Wow--it's good to know someone out there is listening (I mean, reading..). I actually agree with you, with most of it. I don't really know why it hurts me to hurt animals but that's where the ambivalence comes in--I eat, and love to eat, meat and poultry and fish; but I still feel bad. Call me flaky, go ahead. Are you sure you're not just trying to rationalize your own ambivalence? Even Jen who coordinates the MPPU admitted to me that she once experienced a little ambivalence.
Thanks for your comments.
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