Animals are not humans!

What a beautiful Mother's Day morning in Missouri. I owe much to the women in my life. I hope that my wonderful mother and wife have a great day. I love them both and am so grateful for their influence on me.

Male wood duck

I moved my cattle to a new pasture last night. As I walked the few hundred yards to check on them early this morning I was bombarded with a melody of bird calls.  The mournful call of the dove, the chatter of the beautiful male cardinal, the mockingbird with his symphony of calls, the hearty gobble of the wild turkey, the honk of the Canada goose and on and on.  As I walked back I spooked a pair of wood ducks, the male wood duck is one of the most beautiful birds to be found. I was reminded of the simple pleasures of living in the country.

Male cardinal

I enjoy all living creatures.  I believe that God created them all for our enjoyment and use.  We are to treat them with respect and dignity, BUT they are not our equals, they do not have our rights.  Animals are an integral part of any small-scale food production system, they are not pets.  In order to raise and utilize them you have to understand that concept.  Most city dwellers are far removed from the cycle of life.  Creatures are born, live for a period of time and then die--that is how it works.

Many years ago I worked in the mink industry in Utah.  Among other duties, I had to deal with the media.  Most of those I spoke with had a liberal, animal-rights mentality and it made for some interesting discussions (those of you who know me well would understand that!).  Many people who are surrounded by concrete and steel all their lives believe that death in any form is cruel.  In reality it is simply a stage in the cycle of life.

If you decide to raise animals in a food production system you have to understand that at some point they will end up on your dinner table.  That means you will have to butcher them.  I realize that for some that would be impossible to do.  Find a neighbor that can partner with you, someone that would be willing to do the butchering for a share of the meat. 

In future posts I will write about the domestic rabbit. I believe it is the principal animal in any small-scale system.