I am a vegetarian for health reasons but I now see why some people are vegetarians for other reasons but most importantly I would like to see ranchers raise their lifestock on only grass because 90 to 95% of grains grown in North America are used to feed livestock not people. We could use some of that animal grain feed to feed our cars instead.
Terry Dyck >From: Garth & Kim Travis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >To: Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >Subject: [Biofuel] Killing animals- graphic was Re: New question on oil >seed crops and ley farming >Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 17:42:14 -0500 > >Greetings, > >So far I have not had a steer to kill. We lost our expected calf last >February, so it will be next April before I have calves on the ground. >However, we do kill pigs, lamb, chicken and rabbits, with the occasional >goat. I did put a steer out of it's misery on the highway in front of our >place, but it was not mine. The floor had given way on somebodies trailer >on the way to the sale barn and he lost 3 yearlings. > >I dislike doing the rabbits, but we have been doing them for 1.5 years now. > I do find it much easier with 2 of us. I keep the rabbits in their >normal cages and just pull them out one at a time. It takes a couple of >minutes to walk to our killing area, so I have time to cuddle the rabbit, >and commune with it. I do carefully explain that staying still will >prevent any additional pain and the rabbits do cooperate with us. We use a >5 pound short handled sledge and make sure we hit the rabbit just where the >backbone meets the head. A wooden board over a very firm surface is >required. If done correctly, one hit is all it takes. As far as we have >been able to find out, this is the most humane manner to kill rabbits. If >anyone knows a better way that will not poison the food we eat, I am open >to suggestions. > >We have a problem with using chemicals to kill, since I am already >chemically sensitive. The whole point of having the farm is to have clean, >healthy food. > >A few years ago I read a study from Japan on killing chickens and what was >the most humane way to do so. The study discovered that chopping it's head >off was not the least painful method, but a broken neck was better. Since >then, we have made it a habit to twist the head and break the neck even >though it does not bleed the bird out as well. I assume you are aware >that water at 160 - 165F is the perfect temperature for removing feathers. >Boiling water will set the feathers and make them very difficult to get >out. > >For the pigs, we do use the shotgun from behind the ear. I found out the >hard way that my 380 will not drop a pig in one shot, despite what the gun >salesman said. I was furious with him for that! The 380 works well for >lamb and goat. > >Our animals are always moved away from the others for killing. Most of >them die with their mouths full, chewing contentedly on a treat. > >We can pet all the animals that were born on our farm, and most of the ones >we brought in. They are used to us handling them and moving them around so >we cause no fear when killing time comes. We do talk to them and tell them >what is coming, thank them for their life energies, and spend time with >them first. You can taste the difference in the meat of an animals that go >peacefully into the freezer. > >We do not kill anything that we have no need to kill. If a snake is a >pest, we change our routine to pick up the eggs earlier and the snake goes >and finds other things to eat. We have found that the snakes keep the mice >and rat population down, so we live with the snakes. We have no children >on the premises, ever. We have even found a use for the fire ants, so >unless they are dinning on us, we don't kill them either. The one >exception is cockroaches in the house, and I am sorry, but I can't stand >them. We changed to this standard of not killing anything about 10 years >ago and it has worked well for us. My husband does occasionally forget and >kills a few grasshoppers, but by never killing the spiders, they have not >been as much of a problem as they were. > >I hope you find something in all of this that is helpful. > >Bright Blessings, >Kim > >At 04:48 PM 9/28/2005, you wrote: >>Hi Kim, >> >>A Tibetan Rinpoche visiting Synergia Ranch in Santa Fe once, was told of a >>gopher infestation in the fruit orchard, and asked something about the >>morals of killing, since noisemakers had not worked. >>His reply: Rodent infestations must be dealt with. >>It was pretty clear he had no qualms about exterminating them. He also ate >>meat for the same reasons as the Dalai Lama. >>Yes, rabbits are really hard. So far, i've been copping out by giving them >>away. >>Just how, exactly, do you kill your steers? >>Thanks, >> >>Andres >> >> >>On 9/27/05, Garth & Kim Travis >><<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>Greetings, >>I too kill my own animals, we put their names on the package of meat and >>remember them when we eat them, giving thanks for their life >>energies. Even the Dali Lama is only vegetarian half the time, as the >>stress of traveling weakens him too much on a strict vegetarian diet. >>Many >>of us get sick not eating meat. Now, I am not saying that I need a 16 >>ounce steak for dinner every night, and I do not eat factory farmed meat, >>cause that will make me sick, too. For some of us, we see the spiritual >>connection between the animal and ourselves, when we eat it, and treat the >>whole thing in a spiritual manner. >> >>I talk to my animals and thank them for their life energies before I kill >>them. I wish them a longer and happier life in their next incarnation, >>and >>they stay very calm, stand still and let me kill them. >> >>Chickens are the easiest animal to kill, rabbits the hardest, for me. >> >>Bright Blessings, >>Kim >> >>At 03:15 PM 9/27/2005, you wrote: >> >On Tuesday, September 27, 2005, at 03:32 PM, Mike Weaver wrote: >> > >> > > I can't kill anything anymore, except chickens. I hate chickens. But >>I >> > > live live in the 'burbs so there are no chickens anyhow. My dad >>tells >> > > stories of his chilhood in Arkansas and pig killing, which they did >> > > from >> > > November - January. I'm pretty much a vegetarian anyhow these days. >> > >> >I feel that if i'm to eat meat, i should kill the animal myself. Keeps >> >everything in perspective. I bet that if everyone had to personally >> >kill up close and personal to eat, there would be a lot more >> >vegetarians (which i have been, on and off). >> > >> >andres >> > >> > >> >_______________________________________________ >> >Biofuel mailing list >> ><mailto:Biofuel@sustainablelists.org> Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >> ><http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.or >>g>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >> > >> >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >> ><http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html>http://journeytoforever.org/bio >>fuel.html >> > >> >Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 >>messages): >> > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>Biofuel mailing list >><mailto:Biofuel@sustainablelists.org>Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >> >>Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >><http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >> >>Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 >>messages): >><http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/>http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>Biofuel mailing list >>Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >>http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org >> >>Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >>http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >> >>Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 >>messages): >>http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >_______________________________________________ >Biofuel mailing list >Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > >Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 >messages): >http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
