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Started By
Message
How young is too young to see turkeys be slaughtered?
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:19 pm
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:19 pm
We’re going to slaughter and harvest our turkeys on Saturday and I want to bring my five year old along. My wife says too young.
What say you, OB? I’m not sure I want to make a stand over this, but five seems like an appropriate age to me for a child to find out where their food comes from.
What say you, OB? I’m not sure I want to make a stand over this, but five seems like an appropriate age to me for a child to find out where their food comes from.
22
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:23 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
I killed my first deer at 6
Let them understand life early
Let them understand life early
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:24 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
Guess it depends on the kid and their upbringing. Mine has been with me at the camp since he was on the bottle. He’ll stand at the skinning rack while eating a snack watching me skin and break down a animal all the while asking questions. He’s about to be 4yo and when we eat sometimes he’ll ask if it’s hog, deer, squirrel etc etc. My son has already seen it all, been on hunts and watched me kill. 
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:26 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
Did the child have a hand in raising them? Like petting, feeding, and naming. If so, that will be traumatic.
My brothers used to give me baby chickens or ducks at Easter. They would let me raise them, feed them, and become attached to them. Then they would slaughter them. I was horrified. I still have not forgiven them after 60 years. It was a betrayal to me and I will never forget it.
My brothers used to give me baby chickens or ducks at Easter. They would let me raise them, feed them, and become attached to them. Then they would slaughter them. I was horrified. I still have not forgiven them after 60 years. It was a betrayal to me and I will never forget it.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:42 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
quote:
I’m not sure I want to make a stand over this,
You’ve answered your own question.
Bring em next year.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:43 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
Like the others have said - it depends on the kid. My son watched me kill and dress all sorts of game from the time he was potty trained. We never had livestock as "pets" so we didn't have to have that experience.
My wife and I never talked about it, but I knew when he was ready. He killed his first deer at age 7 if that helps.
My wife and I never talked about it, but I knew when he was ready. He killed his first deer at age 7 if that helps.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:45 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
Never too young imo makes th more comfortable around slaughter and butchering to be exposed early
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:48 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
Unless these were some kind of pet and you weren't clear with the kid from the get go that this was the end game, then your wife is wrong. Now whether you want to make a stand is an entirely different conversation.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 1:59 pm to ccard257
quote:
then your wife is wrong
Like that ever matters.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 2:06 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
Kids are pretty resilient when it comes to this kind of stuff. If you explain in pretty basic terms that this is what you have to do in order to have a turkey sandwich or a Thanksgiving spread, then they typically accept it fairly easily (an sometimes become even more interested).
However - happy wife, happy life.
However - happy wife, happy life.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 2:30 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
I'll paraphrase something I read the other day that may be true for a lot of folks, and society in general, "The problem with boys these days is their mothers."
It probably holds true for most girls, too.
Take that for what it's worth.
It probably holds true for most girls, too.
Take that for what it's worth.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 2:50 pm to ChenierauTigre
quote:
Did the child have a hand in raising them? Like petting, feeding, and naming. If so, that will be traumatic.
I remember when I was real young, my grand parents had chickens that we named after people in our family and we became attached to. I'll never forget when my 80lb sweet Grandma came out of the house, grabbed the chicken with my name and wrang (sp?) It's neck.
Then plucked and processed. I think I grew up a bit that day, especially at the dinner table. 
Posted on 7/23/21 at 3:12 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
It's probably pretty damn traumatic, if you're a young turkey.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 3:29 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
Democratic turkeys or Republican turkeys?
Posted on 7/23/21 at 3:42 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
I was around that age when first exposed to wild game butchering. My nephew is 4 and he likes to pluck chickens.
Off topic: Do you raise your turkeys in a coop/pen or on pasture?
Off topic: Do you raise your turkeys in a coop/pen or on pasture?
Posted on 7/23/21 at 4:43 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
I’ve exposed mine to dead animals and processing them at home from day one so they don’t really know better. Deer and hogs hanging on their swing set. We also talk about where our food comes from and I make a bigger point if it’s something we caught or they watched me clean, etc.
Never been to a mass slaughter though - i think I’d bring them.
Never been to a mass slaughter though - i think I’d bring them.
This post was edited on 7/23/21 at 4:46 pm
Posted on 7/23/21 at 4:46 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
Posted on 7/23/21 at 5:04 pm to TigerOnTheMountain
quote:
What say you, OB?
It's too hot to slaughter anything right now without a climate controlled room.
Needs another 6 months... The turkeys and the 5 year old.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 5:16 pm to ozktgr
quote:
Do you raise your turkeys in a coop/pen or on pasture?
Both. They’re in a converted cow pen with about 45 chickens, but have access to one of our pastures.
Posted on 7/23/21 at 5:18 pm to Clyde Tipton
quote:
Needs another 6 months... The turkeys and the 5 year old.
Those bastards are getting the chop tomorrow. They’re a nuisance
As far as the five year old goes, I took him down there shortly after posting this thread and told them that’s where our turkey sandwiches come from. I don’t think he cared, but he was distracted by the new chicks. I’m going to hold off and take a deer with him in the fall instead.
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