Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[ronott1]

We had to euthanize a bird today. We used a pistol style pump pellet gun to the back of the head. He never knew it was coming and it was instant. We didn't process him because he was skinny and had a prolapsed vent (vent gleet) we tried to medicate first for quite awhile. Anyway, we were happy with the pellet gun method.

I am sorry you had to put him down!

Thank you for letting us know about the pellet gun working well for you.

 

[dutchbunny83]

I'm sorry for your loss!

How do you guys use the pellet gun, just pump it up and put the barrel by the head execution style? I have terrible aim I wouldn't be able to be very far away. What type of pellet guns are you using? Are they very expensive?

 

[3 NH reds]

I bleed out.

Anyone have any knife suggestions? I was watching a video from Polyface Farms and really like the look of the knives they use. I need something like this.

havalon for bleed out razor sharp and you can change the blade. I have aknife I bought used froma butcher shop for the cutting up part

You paid 1K for knives?

I think someone is yanking my arm off if a knife cost more than $15. I think we might be existing on different planets....

I can't spend a thousand but Better knives can cost more than $15. But we al do things differently

I have done a couple of processing classes, and I have the newbies wear a cut-resistant kitchen glove on their non-dominant, chickin' grippin' hand. It takes a lot of the timidness away when they don't have to worry about cutting their hand. They can really concentrate on getting the cut right. The brand I have is BladeX5 that are about 3 years old, and they look like new. The blood and other stains wash right out of them, too.

I use the Havalon Piranta knife. It has disposable surgical steel blades that make a good, clean cut. I always get a fast bleed out. http://www.amazon.com/Havalon-Piran...9738824&sr=8-3&keywords=havalon+piranta+knife

X2 love mine and it is so quick and no effort.

 

[Kassaundra]

I'm sorry for your loss!

How do you guys use the pellet gun, just pump it up and put the barrel by the head execution style? I have terrible aim I wouldn't be able to be very far away. What type of pellet guns are you using? Are they very expensive?

Yes point blank at the back of the head, not touching the head but just barely.

Just pellets you get at walmart like $3.50 for 250 of them.

 

[199787]

Iowa think our pellet gun cost $50 or so.

 

[aoxa]

So we processed. All 25 birds no issue at all thanks to the plucker. We are going to cost share one with a friend who has a small farm 10 minutes away. We'll split the cost and share it.

So yeah.. I took some photos. I assume I don't have to warn about the graphicness since this is a processing thread. I took killing pictures as well, so skip if you do not want to see. The knife was AWESOME! Was very happy with how it cut and had very quick bleed outs.





Note: I had someone hold the legs because I forgot to get zip ties. I don't let go of the bird when they are bleeding out. They've gone back up into the cone and pinched the artery enough to live while I plucked two chickens.. Never again.


The vampire Pennies.. They were licking the blood under our feet.




Scalding at 150f

after scalding I dip in cold cold water and test feathers to make sure they were scalded long enough, yep!


Plucking








All it took was 2-5 minutes to pluck.


Sitting in ice water before gutting


Removing the legs


which Henry gladly claims.. not all of course, because he'd get sick

The rest of the images turned out quite dark. But yeah. It was a great day, and we did 25 birds.

 

[fisherlady]

Congrats on the good day Aoxa!! Glad it went well....
I had to chuckle at the 'vampire chicken' pic. A couple of weeks ago we processed a couple of roos and I cut them up into pieces and was dropping the cuts into a pan of cold water. One of our hens who had been watching the activities and getting underfoot in general decided she should get more and jumped up on the picnic bench and snitched a piece of meat right out of the water pot and tried to take off with it. Luckily we managed to catch her before she got away with it. They are absolute vultures when it comes to stuff like that!

 

[Beekissed]

WOW! Mega great pics!!! I always love your photography and this series is great...especially the one with the dog!

Good processing! The birds look excellent with just the right amount of fat under the skin. Great job, Aoxa!

 

[Chambertin]

Nice work. You always were the best at good research, documentation and advice~

 

[undine]

havalon for bleed out razor sharp and you can change the blade. I have aknife I bought used froma butcher shop for the cutting up part

I can't spend a thousand but Better knives can cost more than $15. But we al do things differently

X2 love mine and it is so quick and no effort.

Omg.. i have two roosters that were supposed to be pullets.. and all my chickens are raised as pets so thers a lot of emotional attachment. Roosters arent allowed in the city so SOMEHOW i have to do something. I CANT dare to even think of doing that to my chicken...that "yelp" from one of the first chicken that got its neck slashed.. omg T_T Also for SURE id rather do it myself than give them away and have others do it BUT i still cant even think thati can do that to them LOL.. Sigh.. the contradictions