Chronicles of Raising Meat Birds - Modern Broilers, Heritage and Hybrids

[Mosey2003]

Very good advice. The first time we butchered we had 8 separated out in a holding pen, got through 4, and then stopped, and returned the other 4 to the chicken yard. We did feel overwhelmed and, although we are not wailers or weepers, it is emotional process and we weren't quite prepared for that.

Yeah, I'm not a frou-frou huggy/feely/emotional type about my birds, but it's emotionally draining in a way. I have to be in the right mood to process, because if I'm not, things just don't go well at all and I get frustrated.

 

[Morrigan]

But that was something I really didn't like about the Cornish X, is that I had a deadline that I really needed to meet to get them done. Life doesn't work out like that for me much of the time.

Very true. One of the other reasons why I'm getting away from the CX this year. The one thing I did like about raising them, however, was when you finally got through all the butchering, you were done for year, save the odd cockerel to be processed.

 

[Molpet]

Yeah, I'm not a frou-frou huggy/feely/emotional type about my birds, but it's emotionally draining in a way. I have to be in the right mood to process, because if I'm not, things just don't go well at all and I get frustrated.

This is how I am too. Some days I just don't feel like killing anything.
It's satisfying to supply your own meat, but it takes a toll on my back and emotions
I'm down to 2 chickens or one turkey at a time. Enough meat for 2 weeks either way. So it works for me.

 

[Mosey2003]

This is how I am too. Some days I just don't feel like killing anything.
It's satisfying to supply your own meat, but it takes a toll on my back and emotions.

Yes, that's exactly it. I have to tap into the excitement of doing a job well and being responsible for my animals and providing food to get into that headspace. Because nobody (normal) really enjoys killing things.

I had 4 Black Sexlink cockerels that really needed to be done a few years ago, long story on why, not really germane. I had them in a crate, fasted, ready for me to do after work. I came home and found my mother sitting on a chair in front of the open oven, bawling her eyes out. She had tried to put a 9x13 cake into the oven and had somehow flipped it upside down as she was doing it, and covered the whole bottom and racks with cake batter. Being preheated, of course it immediately sizzled and stuck. It had happened just long enough before my arrival that the oven was cool enough to touch, so I had to go find a screwdriver and remove the floor pan, take it downstairs to the utility sink, and scrub the dickens out of it. And then the racks, and the inside of the oven. This took me probably 45 minutes, plus trying to get her to calm down. As you can imagine, I was no longer in any fit state to process chickens But they needed to be done, so I went out there to do them. Picked one up, hung him upside down, and just stared at him. I couldn't do it. Listed them on FB and had a reply within 5 minutes, "Can you bring them to my parents' house?" Absolutely, where? On my way. Turned out it was a nice Mexican family, the mother didn't speak any English, but she was THRILLED. "Pollos? Por Nada?" Si, por nada!

Of course, it's been long enough now that we can laugh about the great cake debacle But I no longer bother trying if I'm not "there."

 

[FortCluck]

From my experience, I would suggest doing 3 at a time more than once before you decide. The first time is a bit overwhelming - everything is new, you're not sure you're doing it right, it seems hard, it takes awhile to finish, etc. But then if you wait a few days and do it again, it's a bit easier this time, you know what you're doing. Then by the third time, you're fairly competent and confident and can start seeing where you can speed up things, how you might like to do things differently, etc.

I don't have enough to do that. These 3 were supposed to be pullets but turned out not to be. I'll have more ready in about 3 months once the chicks I just hatched are big enough. I'm hoping with these 3 my family can tell me what they like and don't like so I can do better each time.

 

[FortCluck]

This is how I am too. Some days I just don't feel like killing anything.
It's satisfying to supply your own meat, but it takes a toll on my back and emotions
I'm down to 2 chickens or one turkey at a time. Enough meat for 2 weeks either way. So it works for me.

Oh gosh... I better not become a blubbering mess butchering these Cockerels. I'm an emotional wreck some days so I'll avoid butchering those days. I can see it now... Me killing a chicken and crying and my neighbor wondering why I'm such a hot mess

 

[Molpet]

Yes, that's exactly it. I have to tap into the excitement of doing a job well and being responsible for my animals and providing food to get into that headspace. Because nobody (normal) really enjoys killing things.

I had 4 Black Sexlink cockerels that really needed to be done a few years ago, long story on why, not really germane. I had them in a crate, fasted, ready for me to do after work. I came home and found my mother sitting on a chair in front of the open oven, bawling her eyes out. She had tried to put a 9x13 cake into the oven and had somehow flipped it upside down as she was doing it, and covered the whole bottom and racks with cake batter. Being preheated, of course it immediately sizzled and stuck. It had happened just long enough before my arrival that the oven was cool enough to touch, so I had to go find a screwdriver and remove the floor pan, take it downstairs to the utility sink, and scrub the dickens out of it. And then the racks, and the inside of the oven. This took me probably 45 minutes, plus trying to get her to calm down. As you can imagine, I was no longer in any fit state to process chickens But they needed to be done, so I went out there to do them. Picked one up, hung him upside down, and just stared at him. I couldn't do it. Listed them on FB and had a reply within 5 minutes, "Can you bring them to my parents' house?" Absolutely, where? On my way. Turned out it was a nice Mexican family, the mother didn't speak any English, but she was THRILLED. "Pollos? Por Nada?" Si, por nada!

Of course, it's been long enough now that we can laugh about the great cake debacle But I no longer bother trying if I'm not "there."

Ha I can understand. Walked over to Mom's one day and found a turner laying out side melted and burned up. She just turned on the wrong burner and the turner was sitting on the electric burner. Calming mom down took a while and not much else got done. At least she got the turner out and nothing caught fire.
That was nice that you could feed a family.
I usually have a spare coop to keep the boys in. But this fall I had some jakes and didn't feel like it. After 3 days the weather wasn't cooperative and I realized they were not eating. I let them out and still need to do them. Sunday weather is supposed to be nice..of course that spare Coop has a couple injured chickens in it

 

[Molpet]

Oh gosh... I better not become a blubbering mess butchering these Cockerels. I'm an emotional wreck some days so I'll avoid butchering those days. I can see it now... Me killing a chicken and crying and my neighbor wondering why I'm such a hot mess

Yeah I have to mentally prepare for a couple of days. The first one is the hardest...even the first one in a season..if I do a couple every couple of weeks it's not bad

 

[FortCluck]

Yeah I have to mentally prepare for a couple of days. The first one is the hardest...even the first one in a season..if I do a couple every couple of weeks it's not bad

I had to euthanize a duck not long ago and it was kind of sad but it was better off since it had a defect that was not disclosed to us when we purchased her. Her spine was basically defective and it only got worse as she grew. After that I decided I can mentally do meat chickens... We will see

 

[Morrigan]

I've read that it gets "easier" over time. Certainly the mechanics get easier and faster, but I can't say that the emotions are getting less. I've gotten better at putting on a stoic, game face, so my emotions don't cause the chickens (or the spouse) any additional stress. After the deed is done, I do take a lot of satisfaction in knowing that the chicken had a humane life and met a very fast end.