Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Chicken Nuggets come from Chickens

Miss B. made a startling discovery yesterday. Our neighbors have chickens, and the coop is at the back of their property which butts up to the back of ours. Ever since she was little, Miss B. has loved running up to the back fence and watching the chickens clucking around. Yesterday we were outside and one of the roosters was crowing. Out of nowhere she said "Mommy what are chicken nuggets?" Since she was looking at the chickens when she said this I knew she had made the connection. I believe in being as honest as possible with her so I told her the truth. She thought about it for a minute than ran off to pick flowers. She hasn't said anything else, so I don't know how she feels about it, but chicken is on the menu for dinner to night, so I guess I will find out!

5 comments:

  1. Oh, I so dread this day! Our daughter loves turkey, and I told my husband I hate to think of the day she figures out the turkey stuffed animal and the turkey on her plate are the same thing!

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  2. My kids have worked this out. I spent a little while explaining that farmers wouldn't bother to keep the animals if no one ate them. They shouldn't feel bad though because good farmers will make sure the animals have good lives before they are used for meat. We eat meat from the local butcher who can vouch for the quality farming, no battery farmed meat in this house. I have also been round a slaughter house and have said to the kids that the end is indeed quick and relatively painless. They still eat meat, and know what meat comes from which animal.

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    1. That's about what I told her. It's okay to eat meat as long as you are respectful to the animals you're going to eat.

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  3. Oh my gosh, when I was 9 or 10 I was at a friends house who had chickens (which was all I would eat at the time). His dad goes to the barn, cuts the head off and the mom proceeds to pluck it. That's for dinner. I swear I was a vegetarian for about 1 week afterwards!!

    My point? She will recover. :)

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  4. Being farmers, our kids were raised with the whole 'animals-are-food' scenario. They cared for them. Loaded them up to take to market. Watched their father slaughter the chickens. It was all a part of the rhythm of life. I was actually surprised at their ability to take it all in. Kids are so adaptable.

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