The Deal

The White Rock chickens are growing nicely.

It has been a few years (more like four)

since I have purchased chickens with the intent of butchering.

Somewhere along the line

I lost my kill.

I couldn't wouldn't chose not to butcher chickens.

The only problem was

I didn't stop eating chicken.

Walmart chicken,

the Colonel's chicken,

Campbell's chicken

you name it.

I ate chicken.

I couldn't keep shoving it out of my mind;

thoughts of how those birds were raised

and what they were fed

and how they died.

My job puts me a little too closely in contact

with  the realities of confined animal feeding operations

to blind myself to the facts.

So, I am trying it again.

I didn't purchase the Cornish Rock cross this year.

I needed a slower growing bird.

I needed more time.

I needed to know that if 

I couldn't bring myself to the task,

 my birds weren't going to 

eat themselves to death.

I am thankful for that time.

As I care for them, enjoy them, 

sit with them and respect them

I am searching my soul.

If I can't do this.

I will become a vegetarian.

That's the deal.

(good thing I planted all those beans)

.