So I just went to the county fair this past Friday with my mom and my two sisters. We went to look at the 4H farm animals, which I knew would depress me since I get to think about how people are taking such good care of them and then are just going to eat them or sell them to someone who will eat them. Well, I didn't know how bad it would be! We got to the goat pens, and there was a goat with no ears! It looked like they had been cut off, not recently though. Is there any logical reason a goat's ears would have been cut off?? There was another goat that had a fat little belly, but her skin was stretched down so that you could see her spine and backbone. I wasn't sure if maybe she was pregnant, and the weight was just stretching her skin like that. I don't know, it was pretty ucky looking though. :spew:

Then we looked at the rabbits, and some of them had "Meat Pen" or something like that on their cages. What the heck does that mean? I don't have a 4H background, so maybe it has some meaning other than the obvious. Anyway, just wanted to share what a *gag* experience I had ...

On the other hand, I loved petting the cows and seeing their sweet faces - until we had to leave of course. :cry:

Meat pen is pretty obvious.

Is there any logical reason a goat's ears would have been cut off?

Infection?

it is possible there was a reason the goat's ears were cut off. i know that one of the rabbit rescues around here had a bunny that had to have at least one ear removed because of infection.

the last time i went to the fair, the rabbits in the "meat pen" were very small and young looking. i was hoping maybe they were there just because somehow they didn't qualify for real "showing." like . . . maybe not old enough? :-/ that's probably too optimistic.

marleah, did the goat look something like this? LaMancha goats--used as diary goats--are born with very, very tiny ears (1-2" long).
5693

Sorrowthepig - It could have been ... But it did look to me like it had ears at one point. Maybe Scratch is right and it was an infection. I'll hope for the best anyway.

ynaffit - I was hoping that too. The rabbits I saw were of all different sizes. I just wouldn't have thought that if people were actually going to eat them, they wouldn't be so blatantly obvious. Eh. It just gave me a nasty feeling for the rest of the evening.

I hate the 4-H. Teaching family values. Of greed, desensitization and murder.

I haven't been to the fair since I became vegan, so I have no idea how I'll react. Funny how when I'd spend hours in those pens that it never occured to me that they're "food" animals.

Those fairs always bother me, I end up getting really weepy and sad seeing all the beautiful (and not so beatiful) animals that were essentially condemned to death. My family went all the time when I was younger and I sometimes go with them when I'm home but I stick to the horse stables.

I just got back from the fair. What got to me the most was the agraculture barn. In there they had three pigs, a calf, and baby chickens along with displays on pork, beef and chicken :cry: I know how you feel.

Last year at the CNE in Toronto, my mom wanted to go inside the agricultural building, which we did. It was so very depressing. They actually had a huge display that was named "From Farm to Fork", where they had about 5 different plexiglass cages showing pigs in various stages. The first had a mother who was prevented from getting up with a metal bar against her side while her babies fed, all the way to the last one that showed the size of the pig that would soon to be slaughtered. After that, I knew that this would be my first and last visit to that building.

Last year at the CNE in Toronto, my mom wanted to go inside the agricultural building, which we did. It was so very depressing. They actually had a huge display that was named "From Farm to Fork", where they had about 5 different plexiglass cages showing pigs in various stages. The first had a mother who was prevented from getting up with a metal bar against her side while her babies fed, all the way to the last one that showed the size of the pig that would soon to be slaughtered. After that, I knew that this would be my first and last visit to that building.

:hug:

Well, since we live minutes from the fairgrounds (fourth-largest Fair in the country - thats our claim to fame) my kids are always asking to go (for the rides mainly)...

But...We always walk through the animal barns because I'm afraid my kids view it as a perverse form of entertainment... (NOT my idea but it is sort funny in a warped way...) understand they can occasionally be hysterically rude and outspoken little "activists"...

...the poor lil' 4-H-ers don't know what to do...

"Boy, I'm glad I don't eat MY pets...how sick - that's like eating your cat or something..."

"Pork makes me VOMIT"

"Ewww... milk - isn't that just cow puss? Let's all go get some cow-puss shakes."

"Cool.. pigs, how come they don't have posters telling us how much cholesterol these things have when you cook 'em?"

"Oh my God - you eat baby calves? That's...that's..that's baby killing..." (dramatically bursts into tears)

Yes... we've been asked to leave the livestock barns before - not to fear, we'll be back.... (Normally I expect my children to behave respectfully - the Fair just seems a great place toget a little outta control...)

<---- lives for getting the annual boot from the LA County Fair with armloads of 5-H propaganda.

Well, since we live minutes from the fairgrounds (fourth-largest Fair in the country - thats our claim to fame) my kids are always asking to go (for the rides mainly)...

But...We always walk through the animal barns because I'm afraid my kids view it as a perverse form of entertainment... (NOT my idea but it is sort funny in a warped way...) understand they can occasionally be hysterically rude and outspoken little "activists"...

...the poor lil' 4-H-ers don't know what to do...

"Boy, I'm glad I don't eat MY pets...how sick - that's like eating your cat or something..."

"Pork makes me VOMIT"

"Ewww... milk - isn't that just cow puss? Let's all go get some cow-puss shakes."

"Cool.. pigs, how come they don't have posters telling us how much cholesterol these things have when you cook 'em?"

"Oh my God - you eat baby calves? That's...that's..that's baby killing..." (dramatically bursts into tears)

Yes... we've been asked to leave the livestock barns before - not to fear, we'll be back.... (Normally I expect my children to behave respectfully - the Fair just seems a great place toget a little outta control...)


I *love* your kids! That's just awesome!
My step-father was a cattle rancher and I got drug to the MATE (Montana Agri-Trade Expedition, the worst acronym ever). Since looking at booths upon booths of baling twine is among the cruelest forms of toruture you can inflict on a pre-teen, I discovered delight in torturing the people at the Beef Council booth with "Real beef for real people? So what does that make me? Am I a fake person? Why does killing animals make you a *real* person?"
I'm obnoxious!:D

I'm obnoxious!:D

Once in a while, in the right circumstances, "obnoxious" is good....

I LOVE IT!!

Hmm ... *gaining courage* If kids can be obnoxious, so can I! I'll start planning for next year ... Maybe take some "Why Vegan" brochures. That'll get me some weird looks!

I haven't been to the fair since I was a kid, but every time I see the words "county fair", I think of Charlotte's Web. :think: Just the memory of that book keeps me away from those things.

It is so wrong to mold a child's mind to accept that an animal which they must develop some degree of affection for is to be killed for food, seems like intentional and premeditated desensitizing to me.

I know a lot of 4H kids and my best friend wanted me to get into it and such, this reminds me of a few weeks ago when my mom asked if we should get some pet pigs, and I was like "aww! thats awesome!" and then she said something about eating them and I threatened to hate her forever. :/

I haven't been to the fair since I was a kid, but every time I see the words "county fair", I think of Charlotte's Web. :think: Just the memory of that book keeps me away from those things.

One of our favorite movies, what can I say...

(Doesn't keep us from the fair however... just adds fuel to the fire, so to speak..)

I'm going to the Ohio State Fair next week. It's only 10 by car from me and the local CBS affiliate is sponsoring the first day so that admission is only $2. This year, I plan on going in the afternoon and meet my husband there in the evening (he couldn't spend all day there like I could). I walked through the animal barns last year. This was when I began transitioning. I felt sorry for the chickens in cages they couldn't move in. I thought the cows were some of the most beautiful creatures I'd ever seen. I did like the veggie-farming barn though. That was interesting. (Apparently soybeans are a big Ohio crop.) However, because my husband just kinda walked through it, I felt as though I had to rush through. Eh.

Funny....
Charlotte's Web is one of my favorite books. I first read it when I was 8. Yet, ironically, it didnt' deter me from eating pig. As I got older, I would look at my neighbors' farm cows and think twisted things like, "You're cute, but you'll be my hamburger someday." Our next door neighbor had beef cows. We used to feed them our corn cobs. I never made the connection of feeding the cute little calves and what I may have had for dinner. My uncle is a talented amateur photographer. On a visit, he took a photo of a mother cow and a calf. My mom gave me a copy of it (this was before I went veg*n). I now wanna put it on my fridge, but I don't think my husband would be crazy about it. (It also represents the many years I spent in the house in IN and the sweet old lady, our "surrogate grandmother" who lived next door. He knows that symbolism, at least.)

Eh.

I know a lot of 4H kids and my best friend wanted me to get into it and such, this reminds me of a few weeks ago when my mom asked if we should get some pet pigs, and I was like "aww! thats awesome!" and then she said something about eating them and I threatened to hate her forever. :/

:eek: :spew: That would have shut me up pretty quick. I would have been shocked. Uhg.

Then we looked at the rabbits, and some of them had "Meat Pen" or something like that on their cages. What the heck does that mean? I don't have a 4H background, so maybe it has some meaning other than the obvious. Anyway, just wanted to share what a *gag* experience I had ...


sadly no,
last year me and my freand went to the fair and I was looking at the rabbits(my favorite animal of all time) and I saw this one that had to be the cutest thing anyone had ever seen it was speckeld black with silver it was so cool I called my mom and begged to let me buy it but she said no and I wasn't aloud to buy him, I go back and look at him and it says on his cage "meat" when before I had only looked and notice "buck 12$" it made me cry thinking that such a cute rabbit would be sold to eat when he had such a wonderful preonality and deserved a good home.

when my mom asked if we should get some pet pigs, and I was like "aww! thats awesome!" and then she said something about eating them and I threatened to hate her forever. :/

if my mom did that to me I would never speak to her again,

On the other hand, I loved petting the cows and seeing their sweet faces - until we had to leave of course

I never did like going to the cows, even when I was little I would look at them and think :cry: your gonna die and I'll eat you:cry: of corse sadly this did stop me just made me feel guilty for a few days

Well, since we live minutes from the fairgrounds (fourth-largest Fair in the country - thats our claim to fame) my kids are always asking to go (for the rides mainly)...

But...We always walk through the animal barns because I'm afraid my kids view it as a perverse form of entertainment... (NOT my idea but it is sort funny in a warped way...) understand they can occasionally be hysterically rude and outspoken little "activists"...

...the poor lil' 4-H-ers don't know what to do...

"Boy, I'm glad I don't eat MY pets...how sick - that's like eating your cat or something..."

"Pork makes me VOMIT"

"Ewww... milk - isn't that just cow puss? Let's all go get some cow-puss shakes."

"Cool.. pigs, how come they don't have posters telling us how much cholesterol these things have when you cook 'em?"

"Oh my God - you eat baby calves? That's...that's..that's baby killing..." (dramatically bursts into tears)

Yes... we've been asked to leave the livestock barns before - not to fear, we'll be back.... (Normally I expect my children to behave respectfully - the Fair just seems a great place toget a little outta control...)

that is so cool, good for them. I've not done something like that since I was little and first found out thats what they do.