Just processed our first roosters!

[galanie]

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I absolutely respect this. I do hold them for a few minutes, calming them down, scratching them under their wings, stroking their ears and thanking them for what they are about to give me. Then I still place them in a cone and wait till they're calm before quickly slitting the jugular vein with a very sharp knife. I'd put them in my lap and do it the way I've seen a lady do on YouTube but I just can't. The flapping gets to me too much, I have to turn my back when the nerves start firing. I know they're already dead at that point but still... Maybe some day I won't be so wimpy. I did learn though, that holding them like I do and handling them gently helps me and I like to think it makes their transition a little better. I'm a wimp, I admit. But I still do it and I really enjoy the meat. If I had help, I'd still insist on being the one to do the deed. It just seems like the right thing to do, since I was the one that cared for them and saw that they were fed and housed and safe all that time.

 

[chickened]

You can never go wrong with chicken burger. Bone them, grind them and soup the carcass. It is great to use in mexican dishes.
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[farmer_lew]

I haven't used the cones. I am actually afraid that I won't cut the jugular right and cause more suffering. I just wring the neck and, as quickly as possilbe, decapitate. This way, there is no doubt that the suffering is ended. Sounds brutal, I know, but once decapitated the suffering is ended and I know that the bird has expired.

 

[SC-ChickMom]

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I absolutely respect this. I do hold them for a few minutes, calming them down, scratching them under their wings, stroking their ears and thanking them for what they are about to give me. Then I still place them in a cone and wait till they're calm before quickly slitting the jugular vein with a very sharp knife. I'd put them in my lap and do it the way I've seen a lady do on YouTube but I just can't. The flapping gets to me too much, I have to turn my back when the nerves start firing. I know they're already dead at that point but still... Maybe some day I won't be so wimpy. I did learn though, that holding them like I do and handling them gently helps me and I like to think it makes their transition a little better. I'm a wimp, I admit. But I still do it and I really enjoy the meat. If I had help, I'd still insist on being the one to do the deed. It just seems like the right thing to do, since I was the one that cared for them and saw that they were fed and housed and safe all that time.

I am by no means an expert, only killing 5 CX, but I did like the lady on Youtube. I wrapped the chicken in a leftover fabric scrap and cut their throat. I was not as difficult as you would imagine.

As for meals: Chicken and Dumplings was created for old birds. It could cook on the stove all day and have dough added in the last minutes. I also think Chicken Cacciatore for an older bird would work nicely.

 

[LilyD]

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If you are in a minority then so am I. I have used the kill cones, tried the axe and block of wood, wringing the necks and didn't like any of those. I will sit and hold my roos until I am sure they are calm then I wrap them in a towel so that their wings and feet are held in and I sit with them and slowly let them hang between my legs so my legs are holding them on their backs. Then it's one quick motion and they fade away.

I think it's a personal preference though I find that they seem to twitch less and just relax and go that way but for my sister it drives her crazy because she can't get lovey with a bird she is going to kill in a few seconds. It makes her too sad. I was asked how I can do it that way and I tell everyone that when I decide to hatch them out of the eggs I am making the choice to make them my responsibility. They will have my love from the time they hatch and all the best food and treats I can give them but I am also responsible for making sure the bad stuff is done right too. Not so much so it's comfortable for me but so I know that they were given the best right up to the end and never treated badly. I know it sounds sappy lol but it's what I keep telling myself and it seems to help.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

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Good life, good death. What also helped me a LOT was shelling out $40+ for THE BEST slaughtering knife (in my opinion).

It's an 8" double-edged sticking knife from Friedrich Dick. I very much prefer plunging the knife straight in, versus using a slicing/sawing motion, which I never really got the hang of. In, twist, out, hold bird by feet upside down, and let it flap. Turkeys are too heavy for me to hold for long, so I let them sit on the gravel and fade away quietly.

Much better than a factory slaughterhouse, right?

 

[LilyD]

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Good life, good death. What also helped me a LOT was shelling out $40+ for THE BEST slaughtering knife (in my opinion).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/17339_82357210.jpg

It's an 8" double-edged sticking knife from Friedrich Dick. I very much prefer plunging the knife straight in, versus using a slicing/sawing motion, which I never really got the hang of. In, twist, out, hold bird by feet upside down, and let it flap. Turkeys are too heavy for me to hold for long, so I let them sit on the gravel and fade away quietly.

Much better than a factory slaughterhouse, right?

Definitely better than factory. I found that I had trouble with the knife slicing too I found that a pair of long bladed tin snips work best. One snip and I get the veins and they fade away then I can cut the head the rest of the way off once they are gone and bled out. I had 4 very sharp knives but with how much loose skin the chickens have over then neck it's almost impossible to slice through their veins in one cut which makes me feel horrible when it takes longer than one cut to get the job done.