It would depend I think- I would be worried about botching up killing it and causing the animal to suffer, but if I could do it without that problem then yeah I would. I've always fancied having a go at skinning/preparing an animal to eat from scratch, I don't think that would be a problem.

Not a problem and anyway "needs must when the devil drives"

Very interesting thread guys - thanks for taking part

I wish I could respond to all posts but I'd be here forever but here's a few points I want to make again:

People still eating cheese/milk products

Cheese is full of fat - and made from milk from cows who are given hormones to make them produce around 25 times the amount of milk they normally would! Also, because of the conditions they're kept in they get sick, pus on their udders and bacteria (ecoli) infested diarrhoea ends up in the milk. That's why they have to pasteurise it. But your still eating/drinking it!! Not to mention routine antibiotics etc.

Actually, a number of tests have shown that farmed fish is actually very low in Omega3/6. And... high in mercury and other pollutants such as PCBs!! I was eating fish a number of times a week thinking it's healthy.. how wrong was I!!

You're better off getting your Omega oils from things like linseeds/nuts/beans etc.

Also re your point about poultry - it's probably far worse than red meat. Anitibiotics/steroids/hormones etc etc



Unless the farm belongs to royalty, they almost certainly still use things like organophosphate dips. The thing is farmers are brainwashed like doctors - they think much of this stuff is ok. And remb it's a business - they need to make money and will use whatever shortcuts _they_ think are reasonble/needed.

The only way you'd be sure is if you farmed it yourselves.

Spooky! I have special powers

Re your point about killing to eat - I personally have no probs with that so long it is truly done humanely. My main gripe is the cruelty they endure from birth to death, and the health risks to us because of the way animals are farmed (growth hormones/antibiotics etc).

Actually, our digestive systems are geared more towards eating a plant based diet than a meat based one. We can still digest meat but it's much more difficult for our bodies to do so. (This is based on science comparing digestive systems of carnivores and herbivores - and how food is digested in them.)

They wouldn't disappear but would yes be drastically cut down. They are unnaturally in too high a number anyway (as they are being f a r m e d). And would it be a good idea if the numbers reduced? YES, a big fat YES. Farmed animals produce more carbon dioxide than cars!

So you'd be saving the planet too

I gave up meat for 16 years because of concerns over what the animals were fed to bulk them out. I came back because being anaemic was worse.
I'm with Becks, everything in moderation

They would completely disappear, sorry. If we don't eat meat, or any related products, there would be no reason to farm any of the animals. So, no cows, sheep, pigs or chickens in our fields - there would be no need for them. What would be the point of keeping pigs if you weren't going to eat them? If you didn't eat beef or milk/dairy products, or use leather; there would be no cows.

You coulnd't just have a herd of cows as pets. The cost of keeping them wouldn't be worth it.

Since generally these breeds aren't natural in the wild (in their current state) then we wouldn't have them (we may well have wild boar etc though).

It's a fallacy to say that they would be drastically cut down, rather than disappear altogether.

A huge swathe of UK business would be down the drain. How would farmers who only have land suitable for grazing (as opposed to crop-growing) make a living?

Two wrongs don't make a right IsoChick.

Farmers would get by by finding something else to farm/do - like the rest of the human race when we find ourselves in similar situations. Same argument was given for the barbaric act of fox hunting - should we allow that too now?

If cows/pigs/sheep are drastically cut in numbers then so be it - it would be MUCH better for the environment because they are in such unnaturally high numbers anyway. I doubt there'd be so many if things were left to mother nature either.

I eat meat because it just tastes so damn good! A meal isn't a meal without meat in my opinion.

We also try to buy most of our meat from the local butchers and they generally do the same offers as the supermarket (i.e 3 packs for £10).

I completely understand why people are veggie and respect that not everyone likes to eat meat but I guess you have to think that if they hadn't of starting eating meat all those years ago then we might not even be here today.

I like the idea of becoming vegetarian as I love animals and don't want to see them suffer. But I do like meat although I tend to eat poultry rather than red meat now and only free range.
I guess if I didn't have a family I would probably be veg but it's easier to eat meat to be honest. Plus I'm too lazy to find out what to eat instead!!
I do try to source it as best I can though and won't buy the "value" cuts as I feel certain that the animals are not looked after as they should be so as to cut costs just as I won't buy caged hen eggs. In fact I do my nut when my hubby comes home with the Spar eggs that aren't free range because they're cheaper!!
I think each to their own and I haven't ruled out turning veg yet.

Yes, I do take your point about the fish and it is a worry. The whole food industry is a worry to me; it seems nothing is safe from man's meddling and contamination. I also have concerns about GMO foods, cross crop-contamination, pesticides, etc. etc. We were told to peel carrots because of the pesticides but in doing so, we take away the carotene, other antioxidants and minerals, which are also just under the skin.

Even our water quality worries me.

Where antibiotics, free-range, organic, etc. are concerned with poultry, I can only go on trust in that what the butcher states about the quality of his food is true.

Why do I like meat...because it tastes good!

My sister is a veggie and I have tried various Quorn products. They all tasted like cardboard. Give me the real deal any day. Nothing like a huge burger, steak, rack of ribs, bacon sarnie...om nom nom!