How long to starve before slaughter

[HeatherFeather]

Thanks so much everyone!

I ended up going out and feeding them again, my other half got in late and wants to relax and wait til the weekend. I'm glad I posted, I had no idea we could use the feet, that's great. Thanks for the great description on how to dancingbear.

The hens are about a year old. I believe they've stopped laying as we're down to fewer hours of light now. I know we can still get eggs from them again when they go back if we want, but we'd rather have soup than have to heat the shed for the winter. And yes, we'd need to heat the shed, and provide heated water as it will get down to -20C (-4F) in December and stay there until early march, sometimes dropping down to -30C (-22F). We're quite happy to eat them up and get birds at point of lay again next spring.

I don't think a predator got in. The pen wasn't damaged, and nothing small enough to get in could have killed a chicken. We don't have rats here, so mice and chipmunks and songbirds are all that could have got in. I am concerned that she died from not being fed for a day, as we thought we were going to slaughter then. Either that or cold, but I don't think its cold enough yet. It was cold and damp all week though til we got daytime freezing just yesterday. From now on I think I'll go with the recommended 12 hrs witholding food in the future.

Ok, gottalovemychickens, come and get em! We're in Ontario; might be a bit of a drive for you. Make sure to get arrangements with a bird vet near here for your paperwork, and check with customs about quarantining, or anything else you'd need to do to cross the border with them. And I'll need to exchange them for another complete protein food, which is easily digestable for persons with bowel diseases, enough for 3 lunches for my family plz. if its a vegetarian food, make sure that it contains both omega 6 and 3 fatty acids, is 80% protein and 20% fat by weight, contains no carbs, has to contain 87% of the RDA of protein for children under 10 in a single serving, have high amounts of niacin, potassium, and meet 50% of the RDA of cholesterol for a child under 10. Of course that food will also have to be certified organic and grown within 50 miles of my home, and come from a small-time farmer who puts money back into my local economy, cause that's what we put in our bodies here. Just let me know when you'll be here, as we're going to a farmer forum tommorow, and won't be back til after dinner. Driving should be good this weekend, no snow in the forecast again til next week.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Heather, I usually put my candidates in a small wire cage the night before slaughter, giving them water but no more food, not even grass they can grab through the bottom of the cage. I like for their crops and as much of their intestines to be clean & clear. But if I accidentally nick an intestine & a little poo comes out, I just yank everything out really fast & rinse it out really really well with the hose. I had read that too long of a starvation period does something bad to the meat, something leaches out or in or something.

There was a great article in the BackYard Poultry magazine that discussed how good older birds are for eating, that they have a flavor most of us have never tasted since most of the birds we eat are butchered at a young age. That they do best when cooked using low heat, over a long period of time, using a good amount of moisture. That's the kind of bird that's best for chicken soup, it makes for a better, richer flavor, and more nourishing. That's why chicken soup was traditionally made for sick people, it's a real labor of love, and the great flavor encouraged the appetites of the ill.

I don't know why your one hen died, but if the other birds were hungry they wouldn't hesitate to make a meal of their fallen friend. I wish you success with your processing & many delicious meals from your efforts.

 

[Noradrenergic]

It really bothers me that people exist on this planet that can treat living animals in the way that the original poster has described. I don't think any of you should be allowed to keep/slaughter chickens if you are going to respond so nonchalantly to the disgusting story described above.

You may think what you are doing is rational and justifiable, but a lot of us think what you are doing is inhumane, wrong and despicable. I think it is important that you know there are a lot of us out there that look down on you for doing this to these animals, we aren't pleased at all.

The fact that you seem to need to psych yourself up to slaughter these animals appears to say a lot also.

Bloody terrible.

 

[birds4kids]

I see your point but at the same time you are over reacting. The OP was rather ignorant to the point of causing harm but not out to deliberately mistreat the animals 6 years ago.......

How do you think commercially raised animals are kept? You think that truck full of livestock has feed and water troughs? You think they give them one last special meal in gorgeous pastures before placing them on trucks or is it more likely they starve them to save on feed and keep the truck cleaner and reduce processing waste on the other end?

People are wildly disconnected from what it takes to feed themselves these days.

It is a serious thing to take a life to feed yourself, BUT is also part of being an omnivore.

 

[gingerly1983]

It really bothers me that people exist on this planet that can treat living animals in the way that the original poster has described. I don't think any of you should be allowed to keep/slaughter chickens if you are going to respond so nonchalantly to the disgusting story described above.

You may think what you are doing is rational and justifiable, but a lot of us think what you are doing is inhumane, wrong and despicable. I think it is important that you know there are a lot of us out there that look down on you for doing this to these animals, we aren't pleased at all.

The fact that you seem to need to psych yourself up to slaughter these animals appears to say a lot also.

Bloody terrible.

You are in a MEAT BIRDS thread. What did you think was going to be the topic for discussion?!?!