It is a method that recognizes that stress can affect the health of animals as well as the quality of their meat and is based on respect for the natural behaviors and social structures of livestock. Regular butchery, on the other hand, usually entails bringing each animal separately to processing plants, which can be strange and uncomfortable. While traditional methods focus on efficiency and scale, herd butchery leans into intentionality – balancing practicality with mindfulness.
Until the very end, this approach keeps the animals in familiar surroundings with their herdmates in an effort to reduce their stress levels. The focus of herd butchery is on processing animals collectively as opposed to singly, frequently in the same setting in which they were raised. Additionally, it improves your ability to care for the land you live on. It is a sign of deference. Those who favor hunting and farming as an industry are pushing back because these activities impact all people on the planet.
They are in favor of hunting because it increases your appreciation for the food you eat. Both large and small species have generally been successful with us; some need more attention than others, but nothing to be unduly alarmed about. Processing varies greatly among species. We want to learn as we go along because we have no prior experience with pigs and lambs. Cattle and sheep will be used first because they are both simple species for a beginner to start with. We are navigating the diversity by beginning with two species at a time.
This indicates that animals are raised on pasture, where they have access to a variety of grasses and forages to graze. This approach not only promotes animal health but also sequesters carbon, improves soil health, and supports biodiversity. Regenerative and grass-fed farming methods are frequently used in herd butchery. Since we were raising three kids and couldn’t afford meat, we began cultivating our own.
Our family bonded through it as well. We purchased a farm in 1972; when did you discover hunting? We simultaneously became hunters and farmers. We were raising a family of three children and we couldn’t afford meat, so we started growing our own. Farmers used to raise livestock and then have it processed so that their extended family could eat it all year long. When engaging herd butchery services, you can specify exactly how you want your meat cut and packaged.
This method encouraged self-sufficiency and decreased waste because almost all of the animal’s parts would be used. The natural tenderness, superior marbling, and deeper flavor of meat from well-raised animals are often difficult to find in conventionally processed meats. This level of transparency is rare in conventional butchery, where meat often comes from anonymous sources with little information about its origins.
