Anyone Interested

[asal]

Oh I love this thread LOL

Me too. Good for those moments when you're just bored.

I'd still like to see an abbatoir first hand.

I've done the grow and kill your own. Cept I'm a wuss and got someone who knows what they are doing to do it quick. Took me awhile to overcome the fact that I was eating an animal I had cared for...and named.

I'm fascinated with the whole ferreting thing.

And not unaware that when someone posted about letting their dog kill a rat, that I recomended not to. But that was less about that actual killing bit, and more to do with my worry about whether or not the dog was gonna be quick enough and not end up injured itself.

know what u mean. my yeti (rag doll cat) faced up to a mouse.. got bitten on the nose.

was she ticked off...sulked for weeks

as for the grow n kill... anyone destined for the freezer was named......... ? freezer.

far better

even kid could cope with that

although we didnt do the deed, took em to wilbeforce. chicken.. yep

[asal]

I am not in the feeble habit of making "gross generalisations".....and I do know quite a fair few greyhound breeders/trainers hence my comments about this "sport." How many do you know? and are you in a position of assuring everyone that I am indeed blowing things out of all proportions??? There is always the exception to the rule and I am the first to admit that there may be a few individuals that are doing the right thing but they are the exception and not the rule.

Actually I know many greyhound trainers.

None of whom blood their dogs, even my crazy old uncle. I work with greyhound people. I teach greyhound people's children. I'm related to greyhound people. The exception in my experience would be those doing the wrong thing and I have never met one.

Don't know about blowing things out of proportion, but you seem to be doing a good job of blowing a lot of stuff out an orifice.

who gets the idea mozelle hasnt met too many good ones?

i havent met any bad ones. daugher in law's brother had greyhounds n his stay with the family even the winners arnt automatically bred from either, which i thought he would.

amazing family dogs greyhounds... honey has converted so many people to wanting the ultimate lounge lizard. lol

she was one weird dog on the track, she won races even when the hare stopped. because unlike most greyhounds she knew it was a race, n would go hammer n tongs to be in front, n yep even finished ahead of the hare once when it slowed down, think that race was cancelled because theother dogs stopped running? she didnt, not sure, everyone telling me about it were laughing so much, trouble was she pushed herself too hard, even if it meant she collapsed with exhaustion at the end of the race. had to be retired because she raced so hard to win,

Edited October 9, 2010 by asal

[asal]

n met an awful lot of others over the years,, fantastic dogs greyhounds

[Staranais]

The stunning that is done (reversible or irreversible, usually bolt gun or electric shock, sometimes gas) renders the animal unconscious and the animal must be bled out before it can regain consciousness (if it's a reversible stun). Therefore, the last thing the animal knows is the actual stun - there is no pain while it is bled out.

Unless you're doing Kosher killing. They still do that here, not sure if they do it in Aussie? They slit the throat, then stun the animal "within 10 seconds". Definitely not very humane.

On the other hand, I've seen sheep killed with the captive bolt/throat cut method before (eta, actually, I've done it myself to get a sheep), and it looked pretty humane to me. Our sheep wasn't aware of anything after we captive bolted it.

I've got to say, it's not only the actual killing that worries me though, it's what they go through to arrive at the works. I've seen some nasty things on farms, but to this day, one of the worst was an old dairy cow being loaded into a double decker truck for transport to the works. I've honestly never seen such a panicked & terrified animal in my life. The bobby calves & induced babies really get to me too, although that's more of an issue with the dairy rather than the meat industry.

Edited October 9, 2010 by Staranais

[raz]

... but the fact remains that I cannot get my head around women who hunt, it simply does not agree with me.

My issue is..... how can one be certain that animals killed in their backyard are killed humanely? surely there are individuals out there that have no idea on how to conduct such an act as painlessly as is possible????

So only men can shoot and fish?

Ofcourse, Souffle. In this day and age women can be rocket scientists, brain surgeons...they can even run countries but god forbid they should do what women have been doing across the globe since time immemorial and catch food for the table. That would make them rough around the edges.

I think maybe Moselle is stuck in some really bizarre fold in the space-time continuum.

Back to the topic, do ferreters (if that's a word) ever lose their ferrets down the burrows? How do you get them back out?

Edited October 9, 2010 by raz

[Polecatty]

Back to the topic, do ferreters (if that's a word) ever lose their ferrets down the burrows? How do you get them back out?

Some ferreters do lose ferrets- usually dodgy people who don't care. Unfortunately some just don't respect their working weasels.

But losing ferrets can be avoided. All it takes is an understanding of ferret behaviour and realistic expectations. I Never work a hungry ferret, as they are more likely to catch, kill and sleep. I'm always very quiet when setting up as too much noise will make rabbits hesitant to bolt. I also fit my ferrets with electronic collars so they can be tracked underground- so if someone gets stuck or catches a rabbit I can locate and dig to them. I'm also aware of what I can and can't expect from them- if worked for too long they will become tired and need to sleep. They can go hard for up to six hours on a good cold day. Less in the warmer weather as they are cold climate animals and don't deal with the heat very well. It also depends on the fitness of the animal- some leave their ferrets caged all summer and then expect a full day of work once the season starts. These same people are then suprised when their ferrets sleep after a few hours or don't perform well.

Working ferrets in the warmer months is risky due to snakes- I know of a number of people who have lost ferrets to snakes down rabbit warrens.

I've never lost a ferret and really, with modern technology and an understanding of the animals and the environment there is no need to.

Once the warren is empty the ferrets will come back out. They know their job and won't mess about in an empty warren- they'll come up and mill around waiting to be picked up and boxed.

Dory- I personally won't hunt with a biting ferret and I expect to be able to handle them in any situation in the field. Even if they are on a rabbit and super jacked up at their highest drive I will not be bitten. I'm no more keen to hunt with a biting ferret than I am to hunt with a biting dog. A careful check for hidden holes will usually be enough to ensure you have them all, and making sure that the entire warren can be watched effectively. Most warrens can be watched by one or two people- some need a lot more!

Souff- no wheat bags here. I use a wooden carry box with multiple compartments that I carry over my shoulder. No risk of squishing ferrets should I take a stumble and fall on them! Also much more comfortable for the ferrets.

[raz]

Thanks polecatty. That's really interesting.

[Souff]

Yes, it is interesting. I must have lived as a gamekeeper in another century, this stuff always draws me to it like a magnet. Always has done, and probably always will do.

Hey Moselle, wanna come ferreting sometime?

Souff

[Moselle]

Yes, it is interesting. I must have lived as a gamekeeper in another century, this stuff always draws me to it like a magnet. Always has done, and probably always will do.

Hey Moselle, wanna come ferreting sometime?

Souff

Oh thanks for the invite Souff, lol...I'll have to have a look at my diary to see if I have a spare weekend sometime soon....and providing that you promise that I won't get my acrylic nails dirty or worse still....broken

[Beth.]

Polecatty - what a great explanation!! And wow, it sounds so interesting, I would LOVE to go and watch it sometime!!! What amazing little animals!!!! Oh, and I love the photo!!

[Moselle]

blah blah blah

Edited October 11, 2010 by Moselle

[Moselle]

Does anyone else think someone might be trolling this thread? Especially in light of another thread by that same person. Certainly seems to know how to hit a few buttons

Aidan2 dear, I am not a troll....I just express my views openly....this isn't a popularity contest....this is a forum designed for people to express their views fully....or at least I thought so.

[Moselle]

We went on an abattoir tour in junior school, then again in high school. Certainly wasn't the most fun I've ever had on an excursion but at least we had a crystal clear understanding of where meat comes from.

I couldn't personally judge the more humane of private hunting or commercial slaughter without seeing both first hand. There will always be variations - some abattoirs are better than others and no doubt some hunting methods/hunters are better than others - but I wouldn't assume commercial slaughter is consistent just because it is somewhat regulated. Vets/doctors/hospitals/schools are also regulated - do you really think they all deliver the best standard of care and expertise to every patient/student?

I agree with all that you've said Sydoo.

[Flick_Mac]

Staranais - we mainly saw the inside of the works, not heaps of the yards, or offloading. I do know that the yards were designed for minimum stress, all animals were vet checked on arrival, and like I said before, any downer cows or severe injuries were emergency culls with a rifle. Those cows were then loaded onto a truck and put onto the production line.

Oh - and I 100% agree that there are issues with all of the industries that need pressure from the public etc to change. Especially the dairy industry - I find it so distasteful that cows that give so much and are so valuable for much of their lives can be sold for a couple of hundred dollars just because their milk yield drops.

Polecatty and Nekhbet - I'm SO curious about ferreting now! Sounds fascinating!

LL - you're a Qlder - no ferrets (legally) in Qld... I almost had a pet one when I was a kid.

[raz]

A few more questions - do you have to dig the dead bunnies out or can you teach a ferret to bring them out of the burrow for you?

And

Are males or females better at this or does gender not really play a part?

[Moselle]

We live on a small rural property and my OH has been saying for years that we should grow some meat in our top paddock as we have nothing on it. I would always say no as I have an aversion to raising something then killing it for the table.

I have to say that recently I have been starting to rethink my stance on this. Considering the appalling conditions that commercially raised meat animals are kept in and the entire abbatoir scenario, I think I could give a couple of calves, lambs or pigs a great life. They have plenty of feed and room to roam, will have all of their needs met and will live a pain free, stress free and comfortable life.

After reading this thread, I've just told me OH that I think it might be a good idea as long as when the animals are ready to go, they are sent directly and killed humanely and when they get there. We are in a good position where their is a Butcher in a nearby town that kills and dresses your meat. No mucking around, it is done properly and humanely.

No more plastic wrapped, miserably raised, tortured steaks for us.....

It is very sad at first, however if when you compare the lifestyle of animals its a far better option for them, whilst it may not be as guilt free as picking up the shrink wrapped parcel from the supermarket you are making a small difference in the end.

Oh comeon....so people who kill their own meat are simply doing it from the goodness of their own heart? Nonsense. IT is purely for selfish reasons and none other than....

[Moselle]

A few more questions - do you have to dig the dead bunnies out or can you teach a ferret to bring them out of the burrow for you?

And

Are males or females better at this or does gender not really play a part?

OMG....so the ferrets actually kill the poor bunnies?

[raz]

Not the females ferrets - that would just make them rough around the edges.

Go away, Moselle.

[Moselle]

Not the females ferrets - that would just make them rough around the edges.

Go away, Moselle.

:D If you want me to go away then don't bait me.....gotta say though, I love your sense of humour

[Ruffles]

FFS Moselle, if you arent interested in Ferreting why are you in this thread!?

Its like going into the pregnancy thread and spouting about how much you hate babies... its just stupid. You say you arent trolling, then why are you here? This was in an invite from Nekhbet to accompany her Ferreting if you were interested, which you clearly arent. It wasnt a thread inviting comments or opinions of Women who hunt.

Edited October 10, 2010 by Ruffles