A Word of Warning: This is a graphic video. If you do not eat meat and think killing animals to do so is bad, you should not watch this video.
We live at The San Mateo Eco-Village, where we know our neighbors, garden together and learn how to live more sustainably. Part of living sustainably is eating local foods. Harvesting food from the garden and raising hens for eggs is about as local as you can get. When our neighbors Amy and Malaki arrived at the Eco-Village, they noticed a lack of eggs coming from the hens. Both have an agricultural background from years of working on a farm in Kenya. What do they do in Kenya when a bird gets too old to lay? They eat it. The whole damn thing! So we, as a community, decided to do just that. Most of us had never experienced living with chickens, let alone killing them for dinner. Growing up in the United States allows us to be vastly ignorant of where our food comes from- meat and vegetables alike. We thought this would be a good education for us city kids.
The interesting part to me was the difference in methods between Brian, co-founder of The Eco-Village and Bay Area Native, and Malaki who grew up on a farm in Kenya. Also I thought it would be way more physically dramatic- you’ve heard the saying “running around like a chicken with its head cut-off”. Well, it’s true. Even after the chicken has died, the body still moves around and spasms. Though it was not the most pleasant experience to watch an animal die at human hands, I do know that these birds had a peaceful life full of good food and loving owners. That’s saying a heck of a lot more than all the meat that is factory farmed and trucked to our grocery stores.
Runtime- 8:30
Technorati Tags: local food, sustainable, chickens, hens, permaculture, garden, san mateo ecovillage, ecovillage, co-housing, san mateo, ryanishungry
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Why couldn’t you have just let them live out their rest of their natural lives? I hope when I’m no longer “useful” I get to stay around anyway.
Ryan was HUNGRY!
I really see no difference in raising animals for food and raising plants for food. Some things gotta die so people can live. I think to really respect that, to respect your own life and the food that lets you hang onto it, you have to really comprehend what it takes to raise your own food. To nurture and care for plants and animals until harvest time, and to participate in the harvest, and to learn how to preserve the ability to produce and survive.
I do feel sorry for animals when they die, especially when I am a participant. Though both techniques were different, it looks like care was taken to be gentle and prevent fear. The one thing I didn’t see you do (and maybe you did it off-camera) was thank these plants and animals for giving their lives for you. I know that sounds hippy dippy and new age, but it’s a tradition in many cultures. I always find that an extra moment of thanks helps me connect and preserves my understanding that things die so I can live, and reminds me how amazing and humbling that is.
I’m glad you guys made this video.
Verdi, I guess I look at other cultures that don’t have industrialized food production. You won’t find many vegetarians. Eating animals that are treated humanely is good in my book. For me, it was great to see the process from beginning to end.
I dont kill the cows or chickens or pigs that I eat. I do catch and kill the fish I eat though.
As Cheryl mentioned about traditions in other cultures, I participate in thanking every fish that gives it’s life to me so that I may be nourished by it’s body and soul. Just my way and my peoples way of showing respect to the being.
I’d be interested in seeing how the chicken was butchered. I’ve always had problems with that step when I bought a fryer from the store and wanted to BBQ it.
@verdi When I go, I’d like to be eaten–It’d be an honor.
After pulling the feathers off, cut off the legs and wings, gut it, and slice up the body. We didn’t show all that because it would have made the video too long. Also, we tried to keep the video from being too gory.
At least this is very humane method of killing a chicken. Better than cutting it’s throat with a knife while it fights in panic.
Here in Croatia I’ve never seen such cones to be used, though. We do chickens with a hachet on a stump. Like we did kings during medieval times, so I guess it’s a legacy thing.
I’m vegetarian turned pescetarian and fully support what you are doing. I think if you are going to eat meat (I don’t because I don’t think there’s much nutritional value in meat that I can’t get elsewhere) then you should fully accept what happens to turn animal into meat. I became vegetarian because I started connecting the meat to the fact that it was muscle, that it did a job in an animal’s body. Meat in supermarkets has become just another object (I am sure Kristeva would have something to say about this) - almost like it has been produced in a star-trek replicator. It’s cool that you are doing this. Did you stuff a pillow with the feathers?
Jay, you were born to make these types of videos:)
Now, show us some close-ups of bugs!
Seriously though, I agree with you: the chickens were raised to help feed a community. When they can produce that way, they become food themselves.
It’s great to see the process from beginning to end, in community. We bought six started chicks back in June and one of them turned out to be a rooster. If I ever slaughter a chicken again, I’ll definately pluck it with the wet method. With the dry method, I was picking feathers for what seemed like *forever.* Rabbits are so easy to skin by comparison.
FYI, the resources I’ve read on chickens caution against introducing new chickens into an existing flock. It can cause extreme pecking-order behaviors that can lead to cannibalism, or so saieth the Storey’s guide.
What we plan to do is let an existing hen sit with the new chicks when they are a little older. Then when we put the new birds with the flock, the older hen will be the mediator.
I found it teeth-gritting to watch the killing, but it’s a great film.
Informative, inspiring, challenging and example-setting as ever.
In the UK, our biggest supermarket chain Tesco recently made a big announcement about how they weren’t going to continue their price war with Asda-Walmart any longer because A-W launched a £2 chicken.
So. A whole 4lb chicken at Tesco is now… gasp… £2.19. Asda-Walmart’s is now £1.70. That’s less than a 5lb bag of potatoes. I found that shocking even before watching your video. I mean, talk about sustainability…
My own half-assed principles lead me to only buy free-range & organic meat, and to avoid meat sandwiches, salads, etc. I think I manage it most of the time.
Hurray for the Eco-village
Fascinating video, so glad you made it. Interesting to watch the 2 styles, both humane, considering what is being done.
I thought I heard Brian give a quiet thanks, or at least he acknowledged its life. I agree, to give thanks to something that provided you food is respectful and keeps you in touch with where your food comes from.
Your Eco-Village is so cool! Great place. Thanks for sharing the video. Very educational.
I love you guys!
Great video, thanks again for brining the realness, I haven’t seen that done since I was a wee lad. My family in Michigan used to slaughter our own chickens, as well as pigs, cows, fish, etc.. Cold killahs I suppose. We also kept a giant garden and did a great deal of canning and preserving each fall, still do. Hark, don’t think me too provincial though; this is still the state that invented the automobile, motown, techno, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, the White Stripes, and let us not forget Tom Selleck of course.
I’m roughly a pescatarian these days, for health reasons… and after watching your video will probably continue to stick to just fish. I really think you’re doing a service by putting this video together though… and this coming from a green, mostly vegetarian, mostly raw foodist.
Beautifully done.
Oscar
Director, Freshtopia.net
Jay and Ryan, I really enjoyed the piece. It’s pretty straight ahead. I thought that the black guy - who’s name I can’t remember - I thought his technique was actually more humane. I don’t know why exactly - it just seemed like there was more a connection with the chicken as she died. As I write this, I find myself getting very sad. I know it’s the chicken’s karma to be a chicken, and to be eaten, and I eat a lot of chickens. But I also get sad when anything has to die.
I do think it’s really important that people be connected to their food; to know where it came from, and how it came from there is something that connects you in a way that makes you appreciate your place in this world.
Thanks for doing this. And thanks for having the courage to risk the wrath of many people.
Milt
Hey! When I was a little girl, maybe 6 years or so, we lived for about a year with my grandparents in Virginia on a farm. Chickens just ran around in the yard–when my grandmother wanted to cook one, she just grabbed it from the yard and wrung its’ neck. She had the touch! Then she would put it down on the ground and let it run around, with the head bobbling, until it stopped. After she plucked it–don’t remember if it was the dry or wet method–she would cut off the feet and give them to me to play with. My cousin and I would make “tracks” in the dirt! Aah, the good life!
I have to admit it was a bit hard to watch, I kept thinking…it looks cute…I don’t think that way when I buy it in the store though…I thought you did a good job with the video, It was interesting…
That was an amazingly awesome video! Keep up the good work.
I photographed a battery farm years ago. Now that was depressing. The smell, the illness, the pathetic existence and miserable deaths.
EU countries have banned battery farming to come into effect 2009, I think. Not sure the same is true in the US. The process continues on a huge scale it seems:
A beautiful, powerful and necessary film you’ve made here.
Great video. If you haven’t you should look at the chapter in “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Polan about Polyface farm in Virginia where the farmer discusses his methods (complete free range beef/chicken). He refers to himself as a grass farmer. Quite interesting. They do have something similar to the cones as well.
You do have to be okay with how you get your food. And when teh oil runs out, we’re all going to have to go back to this style of living anyway
agreed. whatever your view of the world, being closer to your food is important. What happens if the trucks stop rolling in from hundreds/thousands of miles away? They call it food security. It’s a first step to not being helpless.
I would like to say that I knew this would shake the PETA freaks loose. I find it totally awesome that they are able to supplement there food supply with items grown by thier community. And this, I hope; will bring in to contrast that in order to live… you must kill… directly or in directly… plant or animal. it’s all the same. In fact… it was not until our progenitors where able to bring down game and eat meat that civilization as we know it developed. I wish Ryan and all in her community continued success with this bold vision.
I feel really sad for the chickens.
It’s odd to me that the people in this video, and the ones commenting, all seem interested in throwing off the traditions of their fathers with regard to living greener, simpler, and more responsibly. These types of endeavors often require us to make uncomfortable choices, embrace the unfamiliar, and blaze new trails, often inviting criticism and ridicule. Unfortunately, no one seems willing to consider that there is a similar opportunity to make new choices, based in compassion, with regard to dietary habits.
The lack of empathy for the animals that we share the planet with is not about an absolute need of their flesh in order to survive. In fact, it seems we’ve all been conditioned to accept selective compassion (http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0228-29.htm) as a way of avoiding denying our taste buds that which they have become accustomed to. Killing other living beings that do in fact have feelings (including fear and pain) is only (here in America, for certain) about taste, only about desire, and not at all about needs. (Oh and the idea that peak oil is going to force us all to rely on our chickens for food is pretty far fetched. Peak oil will spur innovation in alternative fuels and power NOT be the end of all transport ever. Americans have a hard enough time giving up meat, they’re sure as heck not going to give up driving all together.)
As a peaceful, non-violent, permie, enviromentalist, vegan I am hopeful that others working toward greener tomorrows will awaken to the unnecessary violence they insist on embracing each time they choose to eat animal flesh. We can survive (quite well) without their torture and we can use our voices (as this blog does) to enlighten others about more responsible and compassionate ways to live.
If we can evolve beyond our needs for SUVs, unnecessary packaging, green grass lawns, lots of new stuff from Ikea every year, then we can also evolve beyond our belief that animals are here simply to be our food.
I know some folks like the idea that if you’re going to eat animal flesh, you should be able to kill and prepare it. I would like to suggest a different process. For those that can eat and kill their food, I challenge you to visit Farm Sanctuary in Chico (http://www.farmsanctuary.org/) and spend the day getting to know the animals. After spending time with them, witnessing their loving relationships with each other and their affection for you, then decide if you could chop one of their heads off, skin them, and prepare them for dinner. The idea that chickens, pigs, cows, and goats are so remarkably different from your favorite dog or cat is a silly one…one that enables the continued and unneeded torturous killing of millions of animals each year.
I think Flynn has totally distorted what has been said in the video, associated show notes, and comments. I don’t think anyone has said they have no empathy for the animals, nor that eating animals is necessary for survival, nor that an oil crisis will force reliance on chickens for food, nor that chickens (etc) are remarkably different from pets.
I feel compassion not only for animals but for plants. I think killing plants is violent, too. It may seem and feel less violent because there isn’t actual blood involved, but we still rip and shred plants, kill them to survive, and literally chew their flesh.
Things die so we can live. That’s the reality. Life is a huge transformation of matter/energy from one state into another. The death of stars provided the atoms of our bodies. I am grateful for all the things that have allowed me to be both alive and conscious.
Hmmm…so fascinating! Well, I gotta come down on Cheryl’s side on this one. So if we are going to get into truth - or not truth, then it’s pretty clear that it is the chicken’s karma to be a chicken - at least this time around. Who knows what her next life might bring? Probably not a chicken, although one never knows. It’s for sure that once the chicken’s head is cut off, then she is off to something new, and maybe since she was in such close proximity to humans - maybe the next time she will come back in human form, and then have a chance to meet the guru, and then, it’s only one more time around, and viola! She’s realized! Or maybe it’s not even one more time. Maybe the suffering that she went through in this last life was so intense that she has already burned a huge amount of karma. This of course, leads to her meeting the guru, and because she has learning so much about pain and suffering, she devotes her life to becoming one with all things - so much so that she is realized in her next life.
Seen is this light, it’s pretty clear that the best thing that could have happened to her was being slaughtered, and eaten. The only thing better would have been to have been torn limb from limb and left to die a slow and painful death.
Or maybe not.
Milt
opps I meant “seen in this light” not “seen is this light”
I think we have such a huge issue with industrialized animal production, I’m glad there are people who fight encourage vegetarianism. This meat we buy in stores in unhealthy and is raised unsustainably.
As far as never eating meat, I say go for it.
If you can grow enough vegetables and grains to live throughout the entire year, I would love to see your documentation of this. We should spread this knowledge.
The reality is that meat eating has traditionally been a survival mechanism. Slaughtering a full grown pig or cow can feed a family through a winter. Eggs and milk are extra benefits.
To make meat-eating into a purely moral issue creates a situation where its like debating abortion. The arguments stop being practical and become “what’s right”. We must live, we have certain needs, and the best strategies will win.
Honestly Revlogged @ United Vloggers (with personal intro).
Thank you so much and have a nice trip to the mountains!
love
Michael
WOW! What an awesome experience! Great video. The grassroots process was not at all what I’d expected. Very cool…
That was great. Even more great was reading peoples comments on the whole process. I’m use to reading tech blogs and stuff like that, but these remarks are very human. I’ll see what I can do with fixing commenting on the Egg.
As for my own reaction, I love it. I was a boy scout and also did a lot of camping a fishing with my uncle. Knowing and caring for your food is human.
I agree, the conversation around video is super important. It’s also important to be exploring stories and issues that don’t have clear answers.