Never in a million years did I think that I would be raising our food rather than getting it at a Grocery Store. Don't get me wrong we also buy food from the grocery store (yes even meat) but in this last couple years it means more for me to raise our food.
To some it may seem mean because I get animals that are abandoned by their mothers or their mothers have died.
I have a bottle fed calf from last year named Princess. She will not be food as she will be a breeder. I love this cow! She is my baby even though she is fat and funny. Its nice when you bottle fed an animal from when they are really young. We got her at 5 weeks and bottle fed her every day many bottles, grain and hay till she was 7 months old. Then she was weaned to just eat grass and grain. When they are bottle fed they are so friendly. She will come running when I call her name. I cant eat her, probably because she was my first but she is for breeding anyways.
We have raised bottle fed lambs last year and again this year. I love them and would feed them four times a day. I put a lot of love and time into these animals. I know eventually they will become food but this way I know what they ate, what shots were given to them and that they had an amazing, loving life. When you buy lamb at the store you honestly don't know what has gone on with those lambs or if they are adding dyes etc to the meat to make it look more fresh.
I know so many people think its mean to raise your animals and then use them for food. I feel that I would rather have my kids eat food that is raised right. I cant butcher them as that would make me sad. My husband or friends take them in for me so when we get meat back I can kind of imagine it wasn't them. I have these animals for that. To feed my family of 6 and to feed them well.
We have four bottle fed calves right now. Minnie was saved by C-section as her mother was dying, Ryan Jr is a bull that its mother died also. Tulu was kicked to the side and Quinny mother didn't want him either. Ryan Jr will grow up to be our baby maker, Tulu and Minnie will have babies and Quinny will probably be our food. I love each of these animals but I have to remember what they are for. It would be silly of me to raise them, feed them 22 bottles a day, grain and hay, put all this money into them just for them to grow old and die as pets. They are surely cute now, I could NEVER do anything to them while they were young of course. They are loved and well taken care of so I know that their lives were good too.
We also have pigs each year. And Chickens that lay eggs. I like that all the stuff is Organic and that my kids will have less hormones in their bodies. This to me if very important.
We also have a big garden with eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, kale, squash, zucchini, potatoes, onions, carrots, bell peppers etc that we eat and also can to have more organic foods in the house.
We do have animals that we don't eat. Our goats (kids since they are babies still) are going to be weed eaters. Our chickens we wont eat either. We also have horses and they are just for riding and ranching.
Then we have our precious dogs. All six of them that I love dearly! All six of us has our own dog. Seems like a lot but they have thousands of acreage to run and have fun. We wont ever get rid of them. They will grow old with us. I think its important for a child to have an animal that is theirs to take care of and to love.
In the end I think its an amazing opportunity for us to be able to raise our own food. To be able to know where it came from and know it had a good life yet give our kids nutrients that are good for them. We are truly blessed.
