interesting discussions...

I am on a rare breed turkey list and I was asked a particular question about how I can "harvest and eat" the birds I raise. The person asking the question raises turkeys and chickens, eats meat but did so from the grocery store because she couldn't stand the idea of eating something resembling an animal, let alone an animal she knew. Also, as a heritage breeder, she asked, why wouldn't we keep the heritage as pets only and eat the more popular birds instead. It started a very interesting discussion and I thought I would share my response here because it explains a lot about what I do and why. Most of the people that replied on the list did so in a similar vein or just agreed with my post,which made me feel good and gives me hope for a change some day in our way of eating as a society.

Here is the post:
I was a vegetarian for 20 years. I worked in animal shelters for a living, volunteered for other shelters, including rabbit rescue, wildlife rehab, etc. So, I have seen the worst of the worst to the most wonderful happy ending stories.

My problem has always been about people who "wear blinders". People go to the store and buy food, never thinking about where it comes from, what the animal went through to get from the point of being born to finally on our table. I abhor the animal "food" industry. CAFO farms are some of the worst places in the world for animal suffering and environmental damage.
(I am an environmental scientist - or will be soon - working in that world
and in school now...so I see that side of things too).
There are two reasons I raise my own animals and why I raise heritage breeds:
1. I know the animal was raised kindly, treated with respect, allowed to "live" and enjoy life and I know that animal was killed with respect and honor and I know how that animal was treated after that moment, as well.
When I started into homesteading I talked to some friends of mine, ones that were spiritual like me. I asked them how they did it. They raise chickens and Icelandic Sheep. They told me that it is sad when it is time for an animal to be butchered and yes, tears are shed but they think ifyou felt nothing for that animal, then you didn't raise it right...it didn't have the life it should.

The very first meat I ate after 20 years was that Royal Palm turkey I spoke of in my last post. I had raised chickens before but only for eggs. I raised that bird from a day old poult...and he had a good life...ran around the yard, did turkey things....and I killed him, cleaned him and cooked him (with help). You can bet I had tears in my eyes...but I thanked him and knew his life was better than all the ones in the grocery store.

2. I raise heritage for food. I do this with the chickens, turkeys and rabbits. I do this because the breeds we are raising were raised for food. Part of my philosophy extends to the "diversity" idea. We (as a people) are going to get into severe trouble because most of our food, meat and vegetables, has been
bred to just a few breeds being the ones raised on big farms, feeding most people. I live in southern Delaware, chicken capital of the world, trust me, I see this on a daily basis. One of these days that common breed...bred down to specific characteristics that makes it so they can not live naturally, breed naturally, etc will be wiped out by one single virus, bug, something. Heritage breeds will have a much better chance, the same idea and reason for "seed banks" and the SeedSaver organization.

If we raised heritage breeds just for pets, there wouldn't be that many of them. The lines would not grow and continue and be refined as much, the lines would stagnate. These breeds were the breeds our grandparents knew...these breeds were (are) dying out because they are no longer the popular breeds on farms and many of the lines HAVE stagnated. I totallybelieve in the SlowFood movement.
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/

I do have my pets, they are generally my breeders and the rest are
destined to be food, but are treated just as well as my "pets". They are raised
with respect and honor.

I hope I explained it okay...and didn't ramble too much. It is a subject I am passionate about, the idea of eating whole good food...the back to the land/eating local movement. I do eat meat now after 20years and I believe that raising animals for meat can and should be humane and is environmentally friendly and beneficial when done well. I only eat meat I raise or are raised on farms I can visit and I know the animals are raised well - so in most restaurants...I am still a vegetarian, but there are a few restaurants here in Rehoboth Beach that buy primarily or only from local small farms.

And back to turkeys in general, Black Spanish and Royal Palm are some of
the rarer breeds, and Black Spanish, in particular, is one of the oldest. They are not popular, which is why I want to raise them. I like their characteristics and if I can share the breed with others (even if just on the Thanksgiving table), maybe more people will think about what they are eating and where it comes from.

Blessings,

Kitty
Little Rooster Croft