Whoops, I ate what??

About 9 years ago, I stopped eating meat of the land-living variety. I still eat seafood. My cutoff in deciding what to eat and what not to was this: if I'd be willing to kill it myself, I'll eat it.

When I got into balls just 6 months ago, I had a moment's hesitation over the carnivorous habits of our scaly friends. I applied the same question, am I willing to kill it? I concluded yes, I'll toss that cute rat pup in there. No conflict. Most of my balls are on F/T now, with the exception of the newest two.

Here's the funny thing: today I made a batch of pasta sauce with sausage and prosciutto for a lasagna I'm making for others. And then, wouldn't you know it, I boiled up some spaghetti and am gobbling it up with that sauce right now. It's a slippery slope......and such a delicious one!

But I don't think I could look that pig in the eye and kill it. So now I'm just a morally compromised person who's really enjoying her dinner.

Bon appetit, everyone!

I'll often think of a similar analogy when people can't quite wrap their heads around feeding rodents to my snakes. It's much easier to take the moral high ground when looking at a rat or mouse about to be fed to a snake. That same person usually doesn't give a second thought about the hamburger they're wolfing down at lunch or the leather shoes they wear to work.

I deplore the standards that exist in much of the meat industry and am 100% for its betterment. But if done humanely, I have nothing against eating meat. My wife is a vegetarian and I often eat more of a Paleo diet rich in meats. It definitely makes for an interesting environment. =)

I definitely agree. If I had to do the slaughter of most of my food, I would probably eat less meat over all.

Bon appetit!

I grew up helping butcher farm animals. I've never thought of it as a morally wrong thing the animals were always very well taken care of on the farm (it's my dads cousins farm) and they never suffered and went to feed my family (the whole extended family ha) so I guess I see it as if they were raised as food animals and given good lives until their final days then we can thank them for helping our families especially when money was tight.

Mmm... If you aren't supposed to eat animals, how come they are made of meat???;) I'm sorry, I'm a die hard meat/animal eater. Cows in particular, steak, hamburger, roast, meatballs, cheese, ice cream, milk...yum....:p. Pigs are good too, pulled pork, roast, bacon...

I know its supposed to be healthier for you, but I can't do it. I'm not a fish/seafood/poultry person.

Oh, I forgot one... PETA= People Eating Tasty Animals :eek::D

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I keep a mental tally of all the animals I've eaten, and while I fully encourage humane slaughter methods and don't enjoy hurting other living creatures, I do thoroughly enjoy eating them. I should really make a real list... starting to become cloudy just trying to think of it. Point is, I enjoy meat.

I'm a vegetarian and I've never thought twice about feeding my animals rats and mice...

I feed F/T though, and I don't think I could feed live/pre-killed... but I don't think that has anything to do with being a vegetarian... I'm just a softie.

Yeah, there's the thing: I enjoy it too. I don't think it's wrong to eat meat, I just think most animals raised for meat in the U.S. are kept in deplorable conditions and have miserable lives, and I don't want to support that. That said, I have more leather boots and handbags than you could shake a stick at. I can't claim to be on any moral high ground or to be an animal rights activist. I guess we all draw the line where it's comfortable for us.

But to reiterate the original point.....did I mention how good that pork-laden sauce was? Mmmmmmmm........:)

Sometimes I still crave meat... one of my roommates is really fond of making bacon and that smell....

UGh!

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Originally Posted by CatandDiallo

I feed F/T though, and I don't think I could feed live/pre-killed... but I don't think that has anything to do with being a vegetarian... I'm just a softie.

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I know what you mean....it's easier when you don't hear 'em squeak ;)

My girlfriends a 4th generation vegetarian, shes never ate meat (knowingly) got her to eat a taco drunk one time and she almost broke up with me when she found out :rolleyes: Anyway my first ball took F/T and hasn't stopped but my new pinstripe is a butt. I finally came to the realization I had to feed Live and I literally couldn't do it... She stepped up and did it with out even thinking about it so crazy... Since I started dating her I restrict my meat eating to just chicken. Still can't feed live tho...

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Originally Posted by Fidget

Yeah, there's the thing: I enjoy it too. I don't think it's wrong to eat meat, I just think most animals raised for meat in the U.S. are kept in deplorable conditions and have miserable lives, and I don't want to support that. That said, I have more leather boots and handbags than you could shake a stick at. I can't claim to be on any moral high ground or to be an animal rights activist. I guess we all draw the line where it's comfortable for us.

But to reiterate the original point.....did I mention how good that pork-laden sauce was? Mmmmmmmm........:)

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Agree completely!

My boyfriend wanted chickens this spring, just for eggs. I love anything mini, so I was totally down with getting some chicks. Wait. That didn't come out right.
Anyway, I didn't want to eat the eggs when the time came. Purely psychological, but the thought grossed me out.

He said if I can watch these two specific videos of big chicken egg production farms and still support it, he'd go to Safeway and buy me as many eggs as I could eat.

I officially LOVE farm fresh eggs! And if I didn't, I'd just give up eggs entirely. You can't save the world, but every little bit helps.

Love me some meat! I've been hunting since I was 6 years old and always eat what I kill. Most of the meat that I eat comes from an animal that I have killed and butchered myself, from deer, antelope and squirrels to my dad's cows. I will be getting sheep this spring to raise for meat and I am also getting two baby American alligators in january to raise for meat and their hide.

While it is minor amongst all of the other reasons that I am not religious, I would never be a Muslim or a Jew because then I couldn't eat bacon!

I am a member of PETA - People for the Eating of Tasty Animals.

I am willing to kill the animals I commonly eat if I had to. I just lazy and would rather pay someone else to do all that for me.

Bottom line for me is, if it taste good, I'll eat it.

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Originally Posted by FoxReptiles

I'll often think of a similar analogy when people can't quite wrap their heads around feeding rodents to my snakes. It's much easier to take the moral high ground when looking at a rat or mouse about to be fed to a snake. That same person usually doesn't give a second thought about the hamburger they're wolfing down at lunch or the leather shoes they wear to work.

I deplore the standards that exist in much of the meat industry and am 100% for its betterment. But if done humanely, I have nothing against eating meat. My wife is a vegetarian and I often eat more of a Paleo diet rich in meats. It definitely makes for an interesting environment. =)

I definitely agree. If I had to do the slaughter of most of my food, I would probably eat less meat over all.

Bon appetit!

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+1 for Paleo! I love that diet, can't wait to get back on it. (It's expensive, and right now, we just can't swing it :( ) I was more of a sudo-paleo, I didn't exclude dairy / cheeses etc. I went 100% dairy + paleo for 2 months, and I swear I've never felt better. It was AWESOME! Also, I love that the diet introduced me to the difference between regular meat and grass-fed, raw honey, bacon-wrapped asparagus (I had never eaten / liked asparagus), etc.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

Mmm... If you aren't supposed to eat animals, how come they are made of meat???;) I'm sorry, I'm a die hard meat/animal eater. Cows in particular, steak, hamburger, roast, meatballs, cheese, ice cream, milk...yum....:p. Pigs are good too, pulled pork, roast, bacon...

I know its supposed to be healthier for you, but I can't do it. I'm not a fish/seafood/poultry person.

Oh, I forgot one... PETA= People Eating Tasty Animals :eek::D

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

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Lol, we often use the statement : If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why do they taste so good? I wouldn't want to kill my own meat, but if I couldn't go to the store and get it, you better believe that's not stopping me from having bacon, steaks, chops, etc. I is carnivore. RAWER. Sorry tasty animals!


If you have the $$, Grass-fed is the way to go! Oh my goodness...regular burgers just don't hold a candle to the beefyness of grass-fed. I had no idea their diet could change their tastyness so much! Also, they actually get to see the light of day, roam and graze. Happy thoughts for tasty's!

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

If you have the $$, Grass-fed is the way to go! Oh my goodness...regular burgers just don't hold a candle to the beefyness of grass-fed. I had no idea their diet could change their tastyness so much! Also, they actually get to see the light of day, roam and graze. Happy thoughts for tasty's!

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Farm fresh all day! I love my farm meets and eggs I refuse to buy store eggs not nearly as good in my opinion and as far as grass feed cows and natural grazing pigs (the pigs have slop too) is the best meat you'll eat nothing tastes better then a healthy happy animal. Where I grew up I had never met a vegetarian then I moved to a bigger city and now know tons and they hate my small town farm raised views on what I eat but I'm not cooking for them I'm cooking me me and fellow meat eaters lol so invents to everyone if you are in Minnesota come over well cook up some good food and have a grand ol time like country folk lol

Fresh eggs from free range chickens are the best! I'm planning to get some birds this spring for both meat and egg production.

This is the reason I raise my own rats. I know they have lived good lives with treats, fresh food, water, meds when needed, and treated with respect. Just because I have snakes doesn't mean I hate rats, you have to like rats to some degree if you are breeding them because you spend more time with them than the snakes.

I know I could raise my own chickens for slaughter, but I would just buy a cut from a neighbor who was slaughtering their cow/pig. I would get too attached.

Bottom line, I love animals, and I love meat. Our livestock should be treated much much better.

Oh...and for you milk lovers like myself...
Raw milk is freaking awesome. Big glass of that post work out is amazing!

...ugh...that reminds me, I need to start doing that again too. Hmmm...new years resolution sounds good. Who wants to work out during the holidays anyways :P

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

Fresh eggs from free range chickens are the best! I'm planning to get some birds this spring for both meat and egg production.

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When it comes time to butcher the meat birds it's not the best job in the world my family only keeps a couple full birds the rest we cut the meat off in strips it saves time with defeathering them since their pin feathers are hard to get out at times and you don't want to eat one of them they hurt your mouth. My cousin has a flock of 140 egg birds right now it's a sight to see when their all roaming around eatting among the cows and goats. I just noticed goats this morning when the lil male came and said hello with a head bump to the leg ha little guy thinks he's big

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Originally Posted by aldebono

This is the reason I raise my own rats. I know they have lived good lives with treats, fresh food, water, meds when needed, and treated with respect. Just because I have snakes doesn't mean I hate rats, you have to like rats to some degree if you are breeding them because you spend more time with them than the snakes.

Bottom line, I love animals, and I love meat. Our livestock should be treated much much better.

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X bunches for both points, I just started with my rat breeding but their so cute and fun I could never be mean to one but feeding off babies is same as eatting a animal you raised for you just provide it with everything and make it happy and your snake gets a healthy food. And ya I hate seeing farms that treat their meat live stock as disposable their still animals that enjoy some loving and good food might as well treat them good cuz they will treat you good with their last gift :)

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

Love me some meat! I've been hunting since I was 6 years old and always eat what I kill. Most of the meat that I eat comes from an animal that I have killed and butchered myself, from deer, antelope and squirrels to my dad's cows. I will be getting sheep this spring to raise for meat and I am also getting two baby American alligators in january to raise for meat and their hide.

While it is minor amongst all of the other reasons that I am not religious, I would never be a Muslim or a Jew because then I couldn't eat bacon!

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I've never really heard of anyone eating squirrel.

How's it taste?


Ps: for the guy who tricked his gf into eating meat unknowingly, that's incredibly rude and disrespectful and I would have thrown your butt out onto the curb.

Squirrels taste great :) my favorite is stew with them just because their smaller so takes less to make the meal but its good. First bite is the hard part cuz you can't believe it will be good but after that your pleased with it. I've made squirrel stew for a few of my buddies who never had it cuz they grew up in cities and now they want to hunt in the city for them. I told them that's a no no lol.

Haha see I'm a city dweller so all I can think about is people going around trapping some city squirrels and stewin them up haha.

I support hunting for food (not for sport). Good on you guys who do it!!

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Originally Posted by CatandDiallo

Haha see I'm a city dweller so all I can think about is people going around trapping some city squirrels and stewin them up haha.

I support hunting for food (not for sport). Good on you guys who do it!!

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I hunt a lot of game but anything I take I use all the meat I tan the small game hides and donate the deer ones. I love hunting living in a city now has limited me to the amount I can do. I don't kill something if I'm not going to eat it and use everything I can, I love animals just love to hunt too :)

I hunt for the sport of it and I think that anyone that does hunt, save for a very select few who literally hunt so that they will have something to eat, enjoys the sport of it. It is incredibly expensive and time consuming! That said, I do eat what I kill, from squirrels to geese to deer. Nothin' like some wild game cooked right! I must have made literally gallons of pronghorn antelope chili last fall/winter with meat from a pronghorn that I took in WY in October and some roasted chilis from Hatch, NM. Great stuff!

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

I hunt for the sport of it and I think that anyone that does hunt, save for a very select few who literally hunt so that they will have something to eat, enjoys the sport of it. It is incredibly expensive and time consuming! That said, I do eat what I kill, from squirrels to geese to deer. Nothin' like some wild game cooked right! I must have made literally gallons of pronghorn antelope chili last fall/winter with meat from a pronghorn that I took in WY in October and some roasted chilis from Hatch, NM. Great stuff!

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I want to go pronghorn hunting one year it seems like a good time. An I suppose with all the time, money and energy that goes into hunting and setting up you gotta enjoy the sport or your not gonna go out there mornings when it's super cold and the blankets are so nice haha. All I know is any time I'm hunting I'm relaxed and having fun it's my ultimate me time.

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

Most of the meat that I eat comes from an animal that I have killed and butchered myself, from deer, antelope and squirrels to my dad's cows. I will be getting sheep this spring to raise for meat and I am also getting two baby American alligators in january to raise for meat and their hide.

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This, IMO, is the way to do it. Not feasible for most of us, I'd wager, but my theoretical ideal. Good on you!

I just like knowing where the food that I'm eating came from but, most importantly, I like know what is in it. I know that the only thing that goes into vegetables from my garden are water and sunshine, and that my dad's cows are 100% grass fed. He doesn't supplement ANYTHING to their diet and they have free range of our 700 acres in the Ozarks in central MO. I will only feed my sheep grain very sparingly as a treat, that way if I need them to come to something I'll be abe to put some grains in a can, shake it around so that they hear it, and they'll follow me likes goslings/ducklings follow their mothers!