Story idea: free-range fluffies (by zealousbadidea)

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Story idea: farm that raises fluffies as food but it is marketed as humane consumption. Basically the fluffies are raised in an open field and treated fairly well before it is time for slaughter. They are given plenty of toys and quality plants to eat and activly encouraged to have as many babies as they want.

The thing is, they are told from the get-go that when they reach a certain age (I’m thinking 2 years old, they will be killed but it means they get to have a good life prier to that. I’d imagine some may fully grasp the concept and just accept it out of resignation that its the best option they can have but most are probably too stupid to really think long term so it still comes as a surprise to then when their time comes.

Smarties and their supporters are killed on sight before their “retirement” age but aside from that, the fluffies get to live out their provided lifespan. Oh, before you ask, in my headcannon, fluffies can live up to 8 - 12 years if properly cared for and competly stop growing at 1 year old. So yes, their lives are cut short.

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IRL, rabbits could live up to 10 years, but on rabbit farm they got slaughered when the hit a certain body mass on certain age, like 3.5-4 kg(or 8-10 pounds) at age of 2-2.5 months – if they are broiler-type ones, but usual breeds were slaughtered at age of 3.5-4 months, when does have bodymass of 2-2.3 kg and bucks - 2.5-3.

So, we should correct that times accordingly to different headcannons, 'cause in different headcannons fluffies have different aging speed - thus, i think, in general, slaughter age would be more like from 9 months up to 1.5 y.o . But thats my personal opinion.

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I think it would be easier to make up a story for the fluffies about going to a different farm once they reach a certain age. That would cause less crying and screaming.

There was a farmer story like that, but I can’t recall the name of it. The fluffies were kept ignorant of their eventual fate.

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True, that’s why I added the little caveat that it was in my headcannon. Also the 2 years bit was to allow them some time to “live” past adulthood, so I guess that too would change based on other people’s headcannons.

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I have read a few stories too where they lied about the chosen fluffies going to new homes or something like that. I wanted to add in a new twist where the fluffies are told about their ultimate fate since that would allow for a wide range of possible story directions; do they try and resist, fall into depression, accept it and try and make the most out of the time they have, or are they just too dumb to remember and are comply horrified when their time comes.

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Good idea. Ive always been a fan of having a grown fluffy in only a couple of months. Helps sell that they can be thought of as an “eco” disaster to me as well.

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I think there’s a good idea there, I foresee a lot of Fluffies asking if they can be treated different because they’re ‘gud fwuffies’.

Maybe explaining to them that the farm can only support X number of Fluffies so you need to make room for the new foals could open up some interesting doors. Maybe some mares hide foals and the Fluffies freak out, maybe desperate Fluffies start killing foals so the numbers stay low and they can stay.

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Exactly why I think telling them their fate is so interesting, it opens up new avenues of dramatic story telling that keeping them in ignorance doesn’t.

I’d imagine a lot of mares wouldn’t go for other fluffies doing anything to their foals since, as far as they see, the humans let them keep all their foals and have as many foals as they want. Their offspring would really only get hurt when they are adults, which mares never really seam to care about, only babies getting hurt.

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I like the idea of it being weight-based instead of age-based. Suddenly the ‘Mamma’ song takes a dark turn knowing what will happen to their foals when they ‘gwow big an stwong.’ Could lead to some interesting scenes. Mares refusing to feed their ‘bestest babbeh’ and instead giving all the milk to their least favorites in the hopes of offering those up instead—only to accidentally starve their best. Fluffies struggling with their programmed love of spaghetti and the knowledge that the more they eat, the sooner they will be slaughtered. Fluffies trying all sorts of dumb tricks when the time comes for the herd to be weighed, like carrying feathers under the misguided logic that feathers are light, so carrying one will make them lighter. Or pigging out and getting fat but refusing to eat the day before the weigh-in because they think that will magically make them skinny again. A stallion eating enough for two and becoming morbidly obese thinking that if he weighs enough for two, his special friend will be spared. A fluffy starving himself then resorting out of desperation to ‘numming’ his own legs, thinking he won’t gain weight if he does.

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It was differential_sloth’s I gave you a good life

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Not interested in a mass production farm only because it would imply it would be hyper efficient. It would have to be either a long the lines of the “free range” movement or their food is used as an exclusive desert or delicacy.

I like the idea of a group of employees making sure the farm is the best experience possible and once a month, a second group of employees is tasked with collection and slaughter. This occurs at night because the 1st group doesn’t feel comfortable with this and to create less commotion while they work. I’d imagine the first group is similar to young adult girls I see working volunteer shifts at the SPCA, working at kennals and dog day cares, and vet techs. The second group id imagine would be one or two middle aged men who are all business, don’t talk to the fluffies, and are very efficient at what they do.

I love mixing hug and abuse as we all do and this has excellent promise.

I’m not really a fan of the fluffies knowing about their impending doom, because it turns into a Logans Run situation. It would add psychological decomposition to the fluffies if they knew it was coming, but it would be over time, which isn’t something I’d be into for two reasons. First, it creates an idea that the fluffies would be too depressed to enjoy the first 2 years and just become boring crypillows. Secondly, I enjoy a fluffy’s emotions to dart up and down based on changing situations and using surprise, shock, fear, tension, bargaining, acceptance, and other spontaneous emotions.

HOWEVER, the impending doom would be a fantastic plot device if ONE fluffy knew the problem but could not convince his compatriots. Let’s say he found out from someone from the day shift who was on her last day and wanted to tell her least favorite fluffy something that would ruin his life. Now he’s Chicken littling the entire complex, turns into a pariah, and spends his time alone and isolated in paradise. He suffers his existential crisis alone, but the farm doesn’t seem interested, as he’s still eating and therefore will be fine to slaughter. Eventually he makes an incredible personal triumph on the understanding of life and death, accepts his fate, and returns to the herd. The herd is skeptical to see their least favorite friend return, but quickly change their mind when they see that he is only interested in living life to the fullest, playing fun games, being hyper social and altruistic, and being a great teacher to the young fluffies.

He keeps the impending doom to himself until one night he is chosen. He remains calm while he and 9 of the other fluffies are taken with him by the second shift to the slaughter room. He’s accepted his fate, and does not fear death because he lived a full life.

Then he watches the first fluffy get killed.

He’s not a human, he’s not intelligent, and he’s not in control. Everything he’d told himself before was a lie. He does not want to die and is scared to death. He should’ve been focused on escaping instead of accepting his fate. Why did no one listen to him?

The second fluffy is killed.

His screams continue. Why is this actually happening.

The third fluffy is killed.

He is tired from screaming and collapses in a pile of tears and shit, but can’t look away from his impending doom.

A fluffy attempts to run away. He’s caught immediately and puts up a hopeless fight as he’s brought to the mechanism I haven’t even imagined that kills these things.

Finally it’s our heros turn. The remaining fluffies continue to cry as he’s picked up above them and flies to the other side of the room in the arms of his executioner. His crying and staggered breathing turn into an accelerating crescendo of hyperventilating breaths. His eyes are red from crying but he can’t bring himself to blink. He continues to scream between breaths quicker and quicker.

Too tired to think of how he dies

And the story ends. It just ends on a black panel. Maybe he was cut off during a last second bargaining attempt. Maybe he did a final cry for his mummah. Maybe it was just a ghastly scream. It depends on my character development I suppose.

I enjoy a bit of world building after a climax, maybe I drop in some nonchalants occuring between the second shift workers who are treating the night like any other work night and nothing particularly exciting is occuring, after the reader just got done finishing a story where the main character was having the biggest night of his life.

Aaaaaaanyways. I can’t draw until April anyways until I get my new house sooooooo, maybe some other artist beats me to it. I doubt it tho, I’ma prolly draw this.

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I usually expect a foal to be helpless for a week, mobile for the rest of the month, and learning to find food on their own successfully by the 6 week mark, and being of size where they’re definitely not considered a foal anymore.

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