how can I get over my fear?

[TyrannosaurusChix]

I have a weird fear of touching dead animals. I don't have a weak stomach at ALL, but for some reason dead ANIMALS just get to me. Maybe it is because i love them?


I had a meatie i found dead today( im thinking i may have killed it with the tractor!

).. every time i have an incident or whatever i have to use a shovel or a hay rake to retrieve it out of the way. however wounds really don't bother me.

I find this very strange and perplexing. i don't know how to get over it. I know i will have to. I am hoping on butcher day i will.. but does anyone have any ideas other than to touch the dead animals?

 

[shareverwonder]

I have the same problem with dead chickens. I can butcher them, pluck them but when I find a dead one, I freak. I just started raising chickens this spring. Boy what a learning experience. We are small, only 4 hens, a rooster and 6 meats at a time. we've butchered about 20 meats this summer. Messy job but not too bad. Wish I had some advice.

 

[chicmom]

What if you wore gloves? Then you would not actually "touch" them? Maybe that would be a good way to start......You touch meat when you're cooking dinner, right? Think of them as unprocessed meat?

 

[TyrannosaurusChix]

Quote:
uggghhh... im not so sure about that

but it is a good idea. I am SOOOO not even a girly girl, i can't explain it. My only fears are irrational weird ones. dead animals, maggots and losing my teeth

Maybe its the mystery of why why why and how did you die, little animal?

like it's going to come back to life and have maggots all in its mouth and start talking to me.

As much as i don't like it i might have to start. I mean i have before, but i was very jerky and unsure.. and did a full body jerk ( elaine style) afterwards

 

[shareverwonder]

How many is a bazillion chickens?
I wear gloves when I have to handle dead chickens and when I butcher the meats. Makes it a little easier for me. After the heat we had this summer and the maggot problem in the meat chicken's coop, I'm a little squeemish when it comes to dead things too.

 

[NellaBean]

I'm the same way.....not a girly girl by any stretch of the imagination........but theres just something about dead animals. When I lose a chick, I have to use a dust pan and actually scoop it up only watching out of the corner of my eye. Just something about the stiff body and dead head.

 

[PineappleMama]

I don't like picking up dead things either... for the same reason I don't like picking up dog poo, it's GROSS. Not telling what kind of cooties are in it, etc. NOT the same as a chicken, turkey, steak... those you KNOW what cooties are possible... but with dead ones you don't.

I've never had to process a bird or mammal, only fish. Never had any problem with fish, hope I won't with others, but we'll see.

I don't think being hesitant to pick up something like that is a bad thing... you gotta do what ya gotta do. Just do like I do and cover your hands... for poo it's a paper towel or TP... for scrubbing the toilet it's rubber gloves... I can do just about anything if I'm gloved.

Doesn't make you freaky, just prudent.

 

[ChickenToes]

To me, there's a difference between 'I just found a dead animal' and 'I have just butchered an animal.' If I find a dead animal or bird, I will not touch it. I pick it up with gloves or a shovel. I don't know how it died, or if it has some sort of contagious disease or something. If it's an animal that's been butchered and I'm helping to clean it, that's different - I know it's healthy, and I'm doing it to feed my family.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I've got an iron stomach when it comes to animals...I can handle dead bodies, pus, rumen fluid, blood, poop, etc. But human stuff? Vomit, YUCK. Snot, YUCK!

 

[TyrannosaurusChix]

Quote:
I am the opposite, save for eggy vomit.


A bazillion chickens right now just means an ever changing number! In total i probably have almost 250. This is including about 94 meat chickens, 61 chicks i just ordered, chicks i hatched out, 50 free cockerels, about 26 in the main house and probably 23 in the other house.. come the middle of october that number will be cut in half because of butchering and auction.


the animal in question im not sure if i killed it or if it wedged itself under the tractor frame...



I also think the butchered meat is going to be totally different. Touching poultry doesnt eek me out like it does a lot of people. So far ive asked hubby to have the head removed before i even touch it. I dont know how yanking guts out is going to go, but i think ill be fine.