Sheep Farming Q. WARNING: Graphic & disturbing to the sensitive animal lover

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Yes, the theme of this thread has twisted :aww: perhaps some of the reason the internet can be so frustrating. I’ve had that happen to some things that I had posted in a home-schooling forum.

That being said… I agree with you Evona. There was a point where you did raise your own chicken. Or, gathered its eggs.

I know when I did that, gathered my own eggs… I was very careful how I used them. :lol: it meant a big deal if I saved up eggs to make your birthday cake!

We saved our eggs, rarely ate them outside of baking, and only had enough to bake on Saturdays and then when that was gone we ate fruit or apple sauce that I had canned that fall.

When we butchered our cow we had a certain amount of free eating with the meat, but then… started to ration it carefully so that the meat would last us the two years we needed it to last.

Then there was the time that my brother-in-law moved in with us for a bit. I had canned a total of 16 bushels of fruit that fall for my family… and within about 2 weeks he ate about 1/4 of my work. I was livid!

That being said, I’ve found that I can’t sustain that level of food preparation myself. The times when I’ve lived like that were when I lived in the Old Order community and I did the work in partnership. I think, that fall my friend, her mother and two sisters and I “put up” about 80 bushels of fruit. We also processed 3 cows for their families, and since they don’t make it easy to use freezers (they could rent freezer space from me) most of that was boiled and canned.

Anyhow, I don’t know why I journal that stuff here… other than to say that because we don’t spend so much of our time and efforts on just sustaining ourselves… on things like food, clothing and warmth… we are far to presumptuous at to what we can have, on what we think we need, and what we should pay to get it.

If you read that post about the Waldorf educated children learning to knit and how in Grade 5 they had to knit their own pair of socks and that takes them on average the whole year… that is a huge thing for those children to learn and comprehend.

The abuse that our culture creates is huge in any and almost all forms of industrialism, whether it being related to food & farming, housing, or ‘stuff’ stuff, and more ‘stuff!’

I am constantly amazed at how ignorant I am myself and am glad that we are slowly making changes because of the efforts of people to expose things for what they really are!

I get right irritated when people act the way that farmer did on Dirty Jobs. Sensational for television! No kidding… Did it get a lively debate going? Sure did… But was it accurate? Probably as accurate as some of those other shows we see…

Grr!

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Bambi, I did change the channel, but as I said in my original post it was on and I was watching and I could never have imagined in a million years that man was going to do that to that poor animal.

Which is why I started this thread in the first place. To be educated by people who run farms and to find out if this was a normal practice or an inhumane way to castrate an animal. And all it did was get people upset because they voiced their opinions on matters that weren’t part of the original post. I’m sorry I even started this thread in the first place. Lesson learned on my part.

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I hunt my meat (whitetail) and I don’t have a problem needing to ration it.
I had the opposite where I had to get creative to use up that much grinder meat.
From what I remember on sides of beef it would be the same issue with a cow. Too much hamburger.

Then there was the time that my brother-in-law moved in with us for a bit. I had canned a total of 16 bushels of fruit that fall for my family… and within about 2 weeks he ate about 1/4 of my work. I was livid!

And here I am making apple and cherry pies for every family get together begging people to send me home with no pie and they never listen yet I hear how after I left a great niece came in looking for pie.
I am getting sick of pie.
I got sick of apple sauce really quick.
I’m really glad I started pressing cider which can use up apples really fast.

A little help goes a long way, if for nothing else to keep you working. I do most everything with no help. On one particularly large deer I called in some help and just someone there to wrap as I cut got it done in no time.

I get right irritated when people act the way that farmer did on Dirty Jobs. Sensational for television! No kidding… Did it get a lively debate going? Sure did… But was it accurate? Probably as accurate as some of those other shows we see…

Grr!

I found a video where the guy from Dirty Jobs was talking about it.
I think it’s worse than the farmer sensationalizing to get on TV.
The guy from Dirty Jobs knew about banding and when the farmer originally bit them off requested a banding. So the farmer did it wrong to put the lamb down in pain so he could go back to using his teeth. (One of the replies said it must’ve been done wrong because they just banded and none went down.)

Why would a farmer who’s normal practice was to use his teeth have a band and pliers in his pocket?
He used a knife so why finish with his teeth?
I think banding was his normal practice just like it’s the normal practice for the majority of others and he wanted to “green the city slicker” into biting them off.

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Castration of that kind isn’t common, but there are some people who do it this way. They seem to beleive it’s the most humane, as the fallacy of “the human mouth is extremely sanitary” was once widely spread.

As a farmer - or I should say a farmer’s daughter - I can tell you that this isn’t the way we take care of our goats or sheep - but I have the freedom to farm the way I wish - and I like that. Therefore I don’t comment on this other then saying Eww.

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The first time, and only time, I had seen this episode of Dirty Jobs I was so appalled. I can honestly see why people would get so upset over this, because it just seemed a little more inhumane towards the animals than it needed to be, especially whenever banding would have been simpler.

I have never saw this type of practice before, nor has anyone in my family. I was raised on small farm based meat coming from my mothers uncle or the Amish. My father hunted white tail, and we usually gardened or bought enough vegetables to last us until the next growing season.

I know when I did that, gathered my own eggs… I was very careful how I used them. :lol: it meant a big deal if I saved up eggs to make your birthday cake!

I’ve always wanted to gather my own eggs, but with my mom deathly afraid of anything with wings, no fresh eggs in the morning! :teehee: I do give you kudos for explaining the process of raising meat chickens. It’s been over two years since we have switched to going to the Amish for getting our eggs instead of the grocery. I have even been able to see the living conditions at over 30 farms for chickens, and they have it made. We were just there last week when the father was out throwing down grain for the chickens, which freely roamed in and out of their coups.

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Wow…I am learning so much about farming…smiles

Only on KH…smiles

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Okay, I know about farming in as much as we kept cows & steers for meat (sometimes got milk too) and cut and baled hay for the cows. For a short time (a year or three maybe) we had chickens for eggs and meat. I want to thank Songbirdy and Mike for sharing farming practices. That filled in some missing information for me. I’m still a meat-itarian (as a recent commercial coined the “phrase”).

One point that Songbirdy made is that we consumers look for the bargains. What about the cost of importing vegetables, nuts, and fruits? How are we changing our planet to get bananas, brazil nuts, cashews to the grocery stores? Everything has a cost and even plants are alive.

If you don’t eat meat, where do you get your needed protein and fatty acids?

I have never understood vegetarianism since even eating fruit, vegetables, and nuts still involves killing a living thing. I see cows, chickens, deer, sheep, and goats as food and nothing more. Is there a difference between a cow and a head of lettuce? Sure, there is size and audible communication among others, but I still see both as food. Pigs are quite smart and are smarter than dog (or at least most dogs). I’ll still eat pork but I wouldn’t eat a dog.

I guess it is because it is because of how I ate as I grew up. I honestly don’t think it is cruel to kill an animal just to be able to eat it. I do value and respect its life enough to use as much of it as possible and to not waste it.

In the USA and other highly developed nations, cheap energy has made it easier for one to buy food than to raise it oneself. It has also made it easier to be a vegetarian if one so chooses. That is why I ask what variety of food one must eat as a vegetarian to get the needed protein and fatty amino-acids. Would one still be a vegetarian if one could not raise one’s own food?

It really comes down to economics. It takes energy to build homes, transportation, and tools. If we do not find an alternative to oil energy, are we willing to live in a way similar to the Amish? Global oil supplies are projected to last another 50 to 65 years at the current rate of production and usage. I own a 1999 Saturn SL which I find easy to maintain and it averages 34 mpg (6.8 km/L or 2.9 gal/100mi).

But perhaps this is twisting this thread in a new direction that it doesn’t need.

–Jack

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Crycket - Yes - I love this thread for that reason. I know that it seemed to go beyond what bailsmom intended the thread for though. But I’m still grateful for all I’ve learned :aww:

Jack - I am a vegetarian. I don’t eat much cheese and I have never been a milk drinker (I was allergic as a kid), but I do eat eggs. That is only one protein source I have though. I also get protein from nuts, tofu, seitan, tempeh, beans and soy products other than tofu. In actuality, 2 eggs would give the average person enough protein - since I am not a person who works out heavily and I don’t have a job that requires much physical exertion I get plenty of protein easily. If I were very active I would have to watch my intake much more carefully.

I agree about buying all those vegetables and fruits from oversees. Big grocery stores stock vegetables and fruits that are out of season by importing from places like chile. Not only do those fruits taste horrible after traveling so far but imagine the cost and the environmental toll of that shipment. I would rather buy in season produce from a farmer’s market. I was incensed a few months ago when I realized my local Trader Joes was selling garlic bulbs from CHINA!!! WHAT!!! I live in California. Gilroy is only a few hours away and is the Garlic capital. Not to mention the fact that out here in California growing seasons are long!!! It could not have been cheaper to get that garlic from China! Come on!!! We weren’t having a garlic shortage or anything. No other store that I went to was selling Chinese garlic. I put that garlic down and have never bought garlic from Trader Joes again. If I am not buying from my farmer’s market I am also much more diligent at asking where the produce comes from now too. Even at farmer’s markets I ask where there farm is located and tend to frequent the ones closer to me.

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Isn’t television great?

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:roflhard: Mason!

I have to add, though

I used to circumcise babies and, yes, I used PLENTY of local anesthetic but I’m quite sure it still hurt like hell sometimes!!! I’m glad I don’t have to do that anymore.
I agree, Bambi, glad I don’t do that anymore.

I’ve got a lot of respect for the farmers I buy our meats and vegetables from. If I don’t know the provenance, I don’t bring home the food. It’s not hard to find out where your food comes from, where your local farmers markets, etc., are.

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It is not just television, Mason. Haven’t you seen Deliverance?

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I gave up reading on page two… All I have to say is don’t beleave every thing you see on tv. And if you really want animal faber and want to know exactly where it comes from raise and spin it your self…