ONE thing every MEAT EATER must DO

Hey everybody, come here, come here kids.

I want everybody to pay attention to what we're about to do.

I want everybody to give it some thought as we do it, okay? Every day something dies so you can live. I spend a lot of time with my animals and most the time give each and every one individual attention. Okay, what were you saying about about these guys?

They seem really lively.

I think so. And not one dead.

Yeah, they seem— you know, I wonder if the last batch, because it took so long to get to us and then it was really cold.

Yeah, it was like too long in the mail. Yeah. You're dipping their beaks in the water.

I didn't make enough cider vinegar. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Visitors and commenters often ask, how do you not get attached to your animals? What's happening, Jonah? Okay, are you working on getting the feed over here? Yeah. Well, I do. Others might say something like, how do you kill something that you've cared for? We've come to the end of our very long electric poultry net. We need to move them and they only got a day left. This is like a 5, 6, 7 day system. But you know, it's better because they're wearing out this grass. I think I'd rather pull birds off of something like this, wouldn't you? So they'll be coming off a nice fresh grass into the harvest. They ask that because they see the care I've given them. That looks like a great last place to spend your last day. Fresh green grass. Clean well water, nice shade. You think they're happy, Jonah? Day 1, I take them individually and give them magic water. That's apple cider vinegar, garlic, honey. It's a mix to keep them healthy.

Dip the beak in the water. Wait, now I can.

Yeah, dip it in there. I ferment their feed. We put these guys on grass at just 3 weeks old. It's amazing how they just jump right in.

Yeah.

They get the water, they find the feed, they get the shade. And then after a crow attack, We put them back in, built them a scarecrow. All right, buddy, it's up to you. And put them back out at 4 weeks old. From then on, 100% access to grass, sunshine, cool air, fresh water every single day. I'd say this is panning out very nicely. Chickens are trained to the fence. The scarecrow is working. It was super easy to move them. They were moved inside the fence every single day. But I can make them even happier by moving their monster shock. And got a new fence every several days. Now they're harvested in the most humane way possible. Put upside down, that sedates them. They're put into a restraining cone which hugs them, gives them a sense of security, comfort, and then with a very sharp knife, slit their throat. They black out. They don't feel a thing. If love is an action, then how do I give them so much love and then kill them? Look at mom jumping in. And you're at like the— is this part better for you than the evisceration?

Yeah, I don't like evisceration.

Really?

That part, the guts.

Folks sometimes ask questions like that from a soft spot in their heart for the animal. But look at the alternative of the way an animal was raised. Dark, crowded, and in a factory. But if we're gonna eat meat and we truly care about the animal, we would support grass-based farming, maybe even do it ourselves. Remember that the animal is making the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live. I think the least I can do is take on the weight of that responsibility, feel it in my hands, and do the deed at least once. Are you actually— are you actually killing them, Beck?

I've never killed one. I might do it today. Grab it, Josiah. I can't. I don't want to get it.

All right, this one be your first one? Did you see how Jonah was doing it? Jonah, come on.

I have no idea how to do it.

And be careful of my fingers. Okay, you're gonna do it, huh, Mom?

Um, I, I don't know if he did. I think he's playing with Gideon on the other side of us.

Okay, here goes, guys. She's doing the deed.

Wait, hold on.

Take your time, take your time.

I'm not gonna cut my finger.

Oh, you're practicing? Yeah, put about 5 pounds of pressure.

Justin, is this where it is?

Yeah, right above their jaw.

I don't know if that's the— Jenna, is that where you do it?

Yes, it is. You're doing great, Mom. You want to do it quick and hard. You did it. That's your first kill. How does it feel to make the ultimate sacrifice, to take part in the ultimate sacrifice? Weird.

And this one's definitely like a weird feeling because I want to eat this chicken. But it's sad. It's sad. So it's like a— it's definitely a weird feeling. Like, I want to eat this, but taking life is a serious thing.

Arthur, what do you owe that chicken? Hmm, I'd say— I think respect is probably the word that comes to mind for me more than any other, and maybe dignity to a certain extent. Which I feel like we're giving it in the way we're treating them, or treating it. In what ways do we treat it to give it dignity? Um, I like to think that chicken is— that the chickens are happy out there, that they're getting what they need to fulfill whatever Um, whatever desires that they have in the earth, they're simple desires. But hey, Joyful, is this hard for you to watch? Yeah. Do you know why it's hard? Why?

I love animals.

Yeah.

This is the last worst part, so I came over here instead of doing all of that to watch, um, thank you for your kind and gentle heart.

That's good, she's helping them. Yeah, she helps, she wants to help. I'm not making her. I know, right? You're not making— is he making you help? No, you want to help, but it's hard, isn't it? I think you probably have one of the healthiest approaches to it than any of us. Joyful. You're solemn, you're respectful, but you're willing to do the work. You're willing to be a part of the ultimate sacrifice. You're willing to take that hit. You're willing to feel the, the life go out of you. Yeah, I can't— Rebecca, you see— yeah, you used usually are kind of doing the inside jobs, but now you're out here getting your hands dirty. What has changed?

I guess I just want to be more connected to my food. I wanna, I wanna like, if I'm gonna eat meat, I want to be a part of it all, from the brooder to the, the grass.

Your quality control.

Yeah, I am quality control. The kids are really helping, and, um, oh boy. I got it, I got it.

Arun, is it hard for you to butcher a chicken?

First time, first chicken was really hard because this is my first time in my life, but I already got this in my fourth one.

Was it hard because of technicality or because it was an animal?

Because I never done— even like my grandmother, she was pretty good actually. She's the one who was too good, and my grandfather At home, and we have like, you know, cutting. We grow chicken like so much at home in India.

Yeah.

And they cut it, but for me, I think some people has a like soft heart, so my heart is like pretty soft.

Okay.

Now I can do it, but still I cannot butcher them.

Okay. You could do this all day, huh, Arun?

Uh, I don't know. I can do a few hours.

Okay. We got a rotisserie chicken for you for lunch.

Oh, that's good.

I like to eat.

I don't like to kill them, but I like to eat them.

You like to eat a rotisserie chicken after this, Arthur?

Yeah.

Do you want to eat? No. That's funny. You guys don't get it. I can't do it. I can't eat chicken after this. Really? Yeah.

Well, I will eat you too.

No, we're having beef. We're having beef for lunch. Uh-oh, what do you have there?

I found a little friend.

He's awake right now. He is.

He's happy. He's hanging out with me.

What's his name?

Wilder.

Are you a wild boy? Are you gonna live up to your name? Say yes. Be a wild adventurer. You want one of those back?

I'm not saying that. I don't know.

It's a yes or no, like the kids say.

The kids will say to me, it's a yes or no question. Yes, because I say that to them. Like, they'll, like, they'll— I'll ask them a question and they won't, they won't, like, come— they won't have an answer, or they'll start talking about something else. I'm like, it's a yes or no, just say yes or no.

Okay, yes or no?

You're funny.

So, so, Brianna, we have 4 kids. You used to have 4 kids. What's it like going from 4 to 5?

Actually, this has been—

this 5th baby may trick me into having a 6th baby.

Nursing's going awesome, so it's like, it's easy. Everything's easy whenever they're happily fed. Yeah, I've never experienced that until Wilder. So Wilder, yeah.

Now we're— we've, we've cooled the birds. Beauty's tanks. How have your tanks worked out, Beauty?

Beautiful.

She bought yesterday. Those are so amazing. Yeah, $130, food grade. You haven't even had to use the second one.

No, I could probably return it if I wanted to.

Yeah, I feel like we could use a food grade.

Yeah, I feel like, I feel like we can use a 55-gallon food grade with a nice lid, nice sealable lid.

Okay, so you've soaked them in here for a couple of hours. Arun, they're drying out here on chicken roasters, and Arun's bagging them up. And let's see if your turkey fryer system is working. You've got this to 180 degrees.

Yep, 180.

Watch, watch.

This is keeping it at 180 degrees perfectly.

It is. It's just working out that way. See the bubbles? And the bubbles go away. Or 3 seconds? Which one do you do?

I do 3 seconds.

It makes a really tight bag. And that looks like something you would buy in the grocery store. How much do you think it weighs, fellas?

Uh, 6-something?

That one's going to be 5.9 pounds.

No, it's 4.10.

4.10! That's nothing for some of these Thanksgiving turkeys, so to speak. What was the biggest one?

I don't know. I, well, I'm gonna—

I saw one that was 6 pounds 5 ounces. You got one that was bigger than that?

Shoot, you know what I should have been doing?

What?

Writing all the weights down.

That'd be good.

I didn't do that though.

We could do that after. Bye-bye, Art. See you later. It's great hanging out. Yeah, we're giving you the Thanksgiving turkey. You're good now, Jonah. You're even soaking the bird, or you're even shrink wrapping the birds. I think it's start— it's time to start cleaning up. Started about 9:00, took an hour break for lunch, 3:30, so not too bad.