We butchered our first raised animal yesterday. We butchered a pig we purchased when he was just a few months old and have fed and raised him for over a year.
The whole purpose of getting the pig was to raise him to be butchered to feed our family. We all knew it but this is the part of homesteading that is not easy.
That pig was ornery. Numerous times he caused us problems. We got angry over him soooo many times but in the end, it was still hard to do. I am not a totally "soft" person. I have worked in the medical field and have seen many things (surgeries, autopsies, death). I did animal rescue for over 10 years and have had to put animals down ourselves for humane reasons. I know that meat comes from animals and the pig will serve its purpose by providing meat for our family but still....
I guess I just got sad because I was so used to seeing that pig every single day. I made sure that I was not the one responsible for its care because I knew I would be the one to be attached and not any of the men folk in the house. But still, every time I went outside or drove up to the house, there was that big pig squealing at us. I didn't get attached...I got used to him. Will I miss him? In a way. Will I enjoy eating the meat? You betcha! Am I not cut out for this type of life? Sure I am. I do not think there is anything wrong with showing compassion or having a heart. I think when one loses their compassion and has no regard for life at all is when there is trouble. All life has value and his value was to feed our family. Thank you Mr. Pig. Well done. Well done!
Another blog you might like:
Six Sister's Stuff
Little House in the Suburbs
The Chicken Chick
Back to Basics
Angel's Homestead
 |
| This is about the size he was when we got him, around 9 weeks old. |
That pig was ornery. Numerous times he caused us problems. We got angry over him soooo many times but in the end, it was still hard to do. I am not a totally "soft" person. I have worked in the medical field and have seen many things (surgeries, autopsies, death). I did animal rescue for over 10 years and have had to put animals down ourselves for humane reasons. I know that meat comes from animals and the pig will serve its purpose by providing meat for our family but still....
I guess I just got sad because I was so used to seeing that pig every single day. I made sure that I was not the one responsible for its care because I knew I would be the one to be attached and not any of the men folk in the house. But still, every time I went outside or drove up to the house, there was that big pig squealing at us. I didn't get attached...I got used to him. Will I miss him? In a way. Will I enjoy eating the meat? You betcha! Am I not cut out for this type of life? Sure I am. I do not think there is anything wrong with showing compassion or having a heart. I think when one loses their compassion and has no regard for life at all is when there is trouble. All life has value and his value was to feed our family. Thank you Mr. Pig. Well done. Well done!
Follow me on Pinterest
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on g+
Follow us on linkedin
Another blog you might like:
Six Sister's Stuff
Little House in the Suburbs
The Chicken Chick
Back to Basics
Angel's Homestead
Our day is coming...not soonish....but that is why we have pigs.
ReplyDeleteExactly. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteKudos to you and your family for this. A lot of people are afraid to do it - and admittedly, I'm one of those.. I will if I need to, otherwise I let my husband handle most of it all. Like you said, it's all a part homesteading, so must be done. It's easy to eat meat when you don't see it processed, quite another when you see the animal daily, just take comfort in the knowledge that the pigs death is helping to keep your family alive.
ReplyDeleteTammy, thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it very much and appreciate you stopping by to read my blog!
DeleteI totally understand...it is hard...We also raise and butcher a pig every year...I miss them when they are gone...this year will be our first year to butcher rabbits, I may find that one a bit harder since I do most of the rabbit care...I think we should treat all animals well even when in the end they are for food...
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and being supportive. I agree about treating the animals well and I truly believe that homesteaders take better care of their animals than the big industrial places do.
DeleteI appreciate your honesty about the emotional side of processing. It is hard. I wonder if our society would be less wasteful if more people were growing and processing their own food? Excellent post. Thank you! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
ReplyDeleteMarci, I think if society did see more of what it takes to get their meat, they would be less wasteful. The amount of money that is wasted all the time is insane. It was hard to write this post and I worried about hurtful comments, but thank goodness that hasn't happened yet. I wrote this for myself mainly and for others who may feel the same way.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI think people would have more respect for their food if they had to grow and harvest it, raise and butcher it. One day I hope to have the opportunity and I hope I have as much courage and compassion as you.
ReplyDeleteThank you SO much for sharing at Tuesdays with a Twist!
Mary, thanks for the comments and for dropping by. Your kind words really mean a lot to me!
Delete