Why I don't eat meat anymore

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QuietH3art

QuietH3art

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
Joined
Aug 6, 2013
Messages
822
Location
North Carolina
Is it bad enough that the chicken, pork and beef we buy at the grocery store or eat in restaurants was raised on genetically modified corn and pumped full of antibiotics and hormones? When I buy my chicken's laying mash and my goat's sweet feed, I specifically purchase food that does not contain hormones or antibiotics and they only receive a small amount of that per day anyway. They all eat from my yard which is completely free of all chemicals.
Here's something new I am only just learning about. Makes me so glad I can walk into my yard and on any given day collect more than enough food for the day that contains no chemicals, no hormones, no antibiotics and no gmos. I just wish I had known of these things when I was raising my children.
http://sfglobe.com/?id=3099&src=share_fb_new_3099
 
So happy we have our own! What are they going to think of next
 
I eat the cows from where I work and it's the best meat I've ever had as far as taste. No hormones but they DO get an antibiotic as a calf which is pretty much a mandatory thing evidently. If one had just a few cows it's possible to probably avoid that one too.
The most difficult challenge is to find non-GMO grains/corn for feed.
 
bigpaul said:
we haven't eaten supermarket meat for nearly 15 years, we get all our meat from reputable farms and farm shops.
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I keep hearing that they don't use steroids on the commercially raised chickens, but my birds are a year old before mature and are still 1/2 the size of them. They get full sized birds in 6 to 7 weeks. I still buy turkeys and beef, but am slowly working towards being self sufficent. Between the rabbits and chickens I am producing most of the meat I eat now. This winter or spring I'm planning to try raising a couple goats or a pig. My holy grail is a cow, but I really don't have enough pasture area. I'll let you know what I decide.
 
So QuietH3art, you don't eat meat, or you don't eat store bought meat?

I have always enjoyed eating venison, squirrel, and other wild caught goodies(Including fish!), but I've not made a move to raising my own. I feel very rewarded when I hunt, trap, and fish my own food, so I imagine it's a good psychological lift when you raise your own, too.
 
In our five year plan we will be relying on self caught fish. Self hunted deer, turkey, rabbit and squirrel. Bees for honey and wax. Self raised meat chickens. Our veggie garden. Grapes for wine, jam and juice. Fruit trees.
Everything will be grown organic and GMO free.
Our trips to the store are going to become fewer and fewer.
 
Brent S said:
I keep hearing that they don't use steroids on the commercially raised chickens, but my birds are a year old before mature and are still 1/2 the size of them. They get full sized birds in 6 to 7 weeks. I still buy turkeys and beef, but am slowly working towards being self sufficent. Between the rabbits and chickens I am producing most of the meat I eat now. This winter or spring I'm planning to try raising a couple goats or a pig. My holy grail is a cow, but I really don't have enough pasture area. I'll let you know what I decide.
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The reason the commercial chickens grow so big so fast is because they never turn the lights off. If you leave the lights on your chickens 24 hours a day, they will eat 24 hours a day. The hormones in their feed help - equivalent to steroids.
Brent, I looked very seriously into getting a miniature jersey cow. They don't require near the space of a full-size cow and still produce a gallon to gallon and a half of milk a day.
Or, just hang out and wait on me. I am probably going to be selling my goats in the next 3 to 6 months. I am pretty sure Diana is pregnant now, which means she'll probably deliver in about 3 months. And my goats are already spoiled, I mean, trained, to stand still and eat sweet feed while I milk them.
 
QuietH3art said:
The reason the commercial chickens grow so big so fast is because they never turn the lights off. If you leave the lights on your chickens 24 hours a day, they will eat 24 hours a day. The hormones in their feed help - equivalent to steroids.
Brent, I looked very seriously into getting a miniature jersey cow. They don't require near the space of a full-size cow and still produce a gallon to gallon and a half of milk a day.
Or, just hang out and wait on me. I am probably going to be selling my goats in the next 3 to 6 months. I am pretty sure Diana is pregnant now, which means she'll probably deliver in about 3 months. And my goats are already spoiled, I mean, trained, to stand still and eat sweet feed while I milk them.
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I think the minature cows would be awesome, but were really pricey! I'm not sure I want to eat a cow that cost 16bucks a pound. Why would you want to sell your goats? Sounded like they were your friends as well as milk.
 
Marv.Schmitz87 said:
In our five year plan we will be relying on self caught fish. Self hunted deer, turkey, rabbit and squirrel. Bees for honey and wax. Self raised meat chickens. Our veggie garden. Grapes for wine, jam and juice. Fruit trees.
Everything will be grown organic and GMO free.
Our trips to the store are going to become fewer and fewer.
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I never even thought about the wax from the bees. That's another plus, candles! I really want to get them, but need to get caught up on other things first..
 
Brent S said:
I think the minature cows would be awesome, but were really pricey! I'm not sure I want to eat a cow that cost 16bucks a pound. Why would you want to sell your goats? Sounded like they were your friends as well as milk.
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Noooo, the miniature cows aren't for meat, they are for milk, cheese, yogurt and butter! But mini steers sell pretty cheap up here if you really wanted it for meat. It's only the dairy cows that are expensive.
The reason I'm selling my goats is because I am selling everything so I can sell this property. The degree of insecurity that I feel here should SHTF is beyond what I can live with. My goats are wonderful and I will miss them even though I've only had them a short time. But all the reasons that I love them will make them an even better deal for whoever buys them. Both girls stand beautifully for milking without having to lock them into a stand - as long as I talk to them while I'm milking. They know their names and they are very people-social. Diana is pregnant and Dixie may even be again, too, since I discovered too late that they come in heat every 3 weeks, even right after delivering young. And Denver is probably the coolest little critter I've ever had on top of being a show quality specimen of his breed.
I am going to hit the road in an RV for a year or so once I sell this place. It will take me some time to remodel probably, so all my preps will fit. Last night, I canned 16 jars of beans and potatoes and my bean plants haven't even started producing well yet - they still have lots of flowers on them. And tonight, I got an excellent deal on organic whole chickens so I'm canning chicken, broth and vegetable soup.
And speaking of chickens, those are for sale, as well. No, I can't eat them. I would rather buy the plump organic ones from the market for eating. I couldn't handle the whole beheading, plucking, gutting thing of my pets unless I was desperate. Besides, they are good layers which means they won't have much meat on them. Except for the pioneer hen - that breed is intended for eating, not laying. She's plump as can be but has only laid a few eggs for me. I still can't eat her.
 
QuietH3art said:
Noooo, the miniature cows aren't for meat, they are for milk, cheese, yogurt and butter! But mini steers sell pretty cheap up here if you really wanted it for meat. It's only the dairy cows that are expensive.
The reason I'm selling my goats is because I am selling everything so I can sell this property. The degree of insecurity that I feel here should SHTF is beyond what I can live with. My goats are wonderful and I will miss them even though I've only had them a short time. But all the reasons that I love them will make them an even better deal for whoever buys them. Both girls stand beautifully for milking without having to lock them into a stand - as long as I talk to them while I'm milking. They know their names and they are very people-social. Diana is pregnant and Dixie may even be again, too, since I discovered too late that they come in heat every 3 weeks, even right after delivering young. And Denver is probably the coolest little critter I've ever had on top of being a show quality specimen of his breed.
I am going to hit the road in an RV for a year or so once I sell this place. It will take me some time to remodel probably, so all my preps will fit. Last night, I canned 16 jars of beans and potatoes and my bean plants haven't even started producing well yet - they still have lots of flowers on them. And tonight, I got an excellent deal on organic whole chickens so I'm canning chicken, broth and vegetable soup.
And speaking of chickens, those are for sale, as well. No, I can't eat them. I would rather buy the plump organic ones from the market for eating. I couldn't handle the whole beheading, plucking, gutting thing of my pets unless I was desperate. Besides, they are good layers which means they won't have much meat on them. Except for the pioneer hen - that breed is intended for eating, not laying. She's plump as can be but has only laid a few eggs for me. I still can't eat her.
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I was just playing with eating the cow. Now, a full size one, I'm not playing! It is tough to raise something and then eat it, but I have been trying to toughen myself up for when I have to. I have to admit, when I clean the bunnies I freeze it and thaw it out later as I kind of loose my appetite after the job is done. The chickens aren't near as traumatic, but they are pretty scrawny compared to the grocery store.
I'm so jealouse of the RV idea! I'm so ready for an adventure. I've done so much work here that I will probably stay till the day I die, but an adventure sounds romantic and exciting. I will try to content myself with an occasional weekend away. I like the idea of being mobile and see where the winds blow you to.
 
Brent S said:
I was just playing with eating the cow. Now, a full size one, I'm not playing! It is tough to raise something and then eat it, but I have been trying to toughen myself up for when I have to. I have to admit, when I clean the bunnies I freeze it and thaw it out later as I kind of loose my appetite after the job is done. The chickens aren't near as traumatic, but they are pretty scrawny compared to the grocery store.
I'm so jealouse of the RV idea! I'm so ready for an adventure. I've done so much work here that I will probably stay till the day I die, but an adventure sounds romantic and exciting. I will try to content myself with an occasional weekend away. I like the idea of being mobile and see where the winds blow you to.
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I'm assuming my property will sell. It will be easier on me if it does, although I could always rent it out and still hit the road. I'd just rather have that cash nest egg just in case I find myself in trouble - or in a paradise that I don't want to leave.
I know the first trip I take will be to drive my son to Alabama to get him settled there, which means I'll be passing very near to you. I would love to be able to travel around meeting my DPF friends.
 
jontte said:
and you can show your kids where the meat comes from...
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It amazes me when I tell a city friend how we slaughtered a pig or cow and see their reaction. I know these people eat meat, . . . surely they realize that it does not just magically appear in grocery stores. Besides, I know what they are eating and I know that they are healthy (and meat is not being glued ;)). We also give them the best life possible while they are with us because they are giving up their life to feed me and my family. Yes, I do get attached to them and sometimes it is difficult but you do what you have to do. Now when T-bone (bull) got cut, didn't even shed a tear. That big 1800 lb bull chased my butt before and I was not happy about that:mad:. . . even showed up at my front door right at dinner time. How he learned to open that cattle gate is beyond me but that turned out to be a little over 1100 lbs. of really good beef for us.
 
Danil54grl said:
Now when T-bone (bull) got cut, didn't even shed a tear. That big 1800 lb bull chased my butt before and I was not happy about that:mad:. . . even showed up at my front door right at dinner time. How he learned to open that cattle gate is beyond me but that turned out to be a little over 1100 lbs. of really good beef for us.
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Did u ever do a benefit-cost analysis? And would you mind sharing? Estimates are good enough for me, I would just like to get an idea. Im really curious and interested in getting into raising a meat bull.
 
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let's see if I get this right; another by-product from bees besides wax to candles, that hard resin what you find in the bee-hive, mostly on the top, don't loose it, collect it, take a small bottle fill it with pure alcohool , take that hard resin and let it dissolve, what ever itchy bugbite you get, spray that liquid on and itch is gone, you get a small cut or bruise spray it on, works like magic.
that liquid contains all the good anti-bacterial compounds you find in that resin.
 
Friends sister said " our meat comes from Mcdonalds" !! that made me laugh, we were having a conversation about meat and she couldn't care less where it comes from as long as she didn't have to butcher it, I suppose that goes for most people.
 
that's so bloody sad...if you don't care where it comes from,then you don't care how those animals are treated, treat them good and the meat tastes good
 
jontte said:
that's so bloody sad...if you don't care where it comes from,then you don't care how those animals are treated, treat them good and the meat tastes good
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yes I agree, I like to now where my meat comes from and how its produced, but I think I'm in the minority, I don't think most people care, the general excuse is " I don't have the time"!!
 
that's why I'm gonna buy that half pig to fill my freezer, know where it comes from,know how they live,know how they are treated and fed...
ok,I'll have to drive for 450km to get it but it's worth it
 
yeah, we can buy a half a sheep(known locally as a Hoggit not a lamb but not old enough to be mutton) for about £65-it can be bought cheaper but in my mind not as good, that's about 10 miles away at a local farm shop, or we can buy smaller joints of pork, lamb or beef at our weekly market which is literally within 1 mile. I'm quite partial to some goat meat myself, but that is rarer to find down our way and is only available at certain time of the year....usually when we haven't got room in the freezer for it!!!
 
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