if you would see the process through which enimals go before they are on our table as a meat, we would think about this.
i mean the cattle for example .
is shechita practice of killing enimals banned or acceptable ?
Perhaps you know the process, but a lot of people only think they do, but don’t.
The area in which I live is ranching country, “cow/calf” operations almost exclusively. The cattle and calves are raised on grass. They are allowed to roam pastures and drink either well water or stream water. They are regularly vaccinated for disease and treated by veterinarians when ill. Cattle are bred as they would be in the wild, by bulls that are allowed access to the herd, either all the time or in seasons. No rancher with any sense mistreats his animals because the buyers can tell it, it affects quality, and the price goes down correspondingly. Ranchers studiously avoid stressing cattle for the same reason. Stress shows in a number of ways, not the least of which is a wild or panicky nature that can get a cattleman killed in an instant.
Calves are weaned at around six months. The cow is going dry by that time anyway, and the calf has already learned how to eat grass for most of its diet. Weaning is important for the health of the cow and to avoid having two nursing calves when the cow next delivers. Cow and calf immediately forget each other’s existence after weaning. From that point, calves are “backgrounded”, usually on rich grass pasture or on wheat fields. Those destined as “grass fed” beef remain on pastures until they are about 1 1/2 to 2 years old. Those that will be grain fed go to feed lots at about 1 to 1 1/2 years old. They are fed grain (the “grain fed” ones are) for 80-120 days. When slaughtered, they are rendered unconscious electrically, then immediately bled out completely. It’s not terribly different from Kosher requirements. Some processing plants have “Kosher lines”.
That’s how it is. I am aware that in some places that really aren’t suited for raising cattle, (like Japan and some parts of California or the Northeast) they are kept indoors all the time, and so on. But that’s not the way it is in “cattle country”. Most cattle in the U.S. are raised in three states; Tx, Ok and Mo., and in those places, are raised as I described. Most “backgrounding” takes place either in the same area where the calves are born or go to wheat fields in the “wheat belt”. Feed lots are chiefly in “corn states” like Ks, Ia, Ne.
As humans, none of the above would be acceptable to us as a way of life. For animals, it’s a lot better than life in the wild. By my observation, cattle are generally treated better than most domestic pets (given the nature of both) because ranchers have a keener sense of what cattle really need and what they should not be subjected to. Many, if not most, pet owners are “amateurs” when it comes to treatment of animals. Ranchers, to be successful, must become professionals.
