I don't think it would be the same thing at all. I wouldn't go out of my way to create an emotional bond with a critter I raised to be food. In fact im pretty sure I would intentionally not do that.
Im not saying that it might not accidentally happen, I am a softie and an animal lover. If it did I probably wouldn't be capable of eating it.
You seem to feel pretty strongly about this, don't you think its at least a little hypocritical to be ok with killing and eating an animal, as long as you personally aren't delivering the killing blow? You are every bit as responsible for the deaths of the animals you eat as the person at the slaughter house.
I have no issues with people refusing to kill an animal on ethical grounds (reducing the harm from factory farming was a big consideration for the change in my diet) but you aren't doing that.
It just seems like a weird stance to judge me for doing something you are also doing, but by proxy. If you hire someone to kill someone else, you would still get charged with murder. The same logic applies here.