Thinking about butchering for the first time.

[ManedWolf]

I have an assortment of chickens, mostly duel purpose breeds (predominately Orpintons or Orpington mixes). I've hatched out a few roosters in the past but never ended up butchering. The first two became pets but had deformities that decreased life quality, we ended up shooting them and not using the meat (one was only a few weeks old anyway). The second two we rehomed.
I am not opposed to butchering the roosters, but it seems daunting. Shooting a bird is one thing (less up close and personal) but using an axe or slitting the throat is another. I don't know if I could bring myself to do it. Any suggestions to make it easier?
I also have a question about the age to butcher, my birds always grow really slow and only reach a decent size at around 6-8 months. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? They are being fed on layer pellets, would grower pellets help considerably? I don't want them to grow so fast they suffer as a result, but I assume that's more about breed than feed.
One last thing, I've always heard that homegrown chickens are for the soup pot only. Is this true? Chicken meat from the store can be used in so many ways, is this even possible with chickens butchered yourself (duel-purpose specifically)?

 

[ExoticPetOwner]

There's really not that many ways to butcher chickens without having to get close to the animal to humanly do so. If you're able to watch others cull chickens, that can really help you not feel very nervous or uncomfortable to do it yourself. Getting real/personal/in-person experience helps a lot. Chickens can take a few months until they get large enough to butcher. If you want to cull them sooner, feeding them grains like corn with their regular feed is a great way. It helps them gain weight sooner. It might cause them to be uncomfortable in warm weather and on their joints, so don't feed them too many grains in a very short period of time. Limiting their mobility also helps them not burn off the fat and calories as quick as they would if they were to be free ranging most of the day. Chicken meat can be stored many ways and used for many different things, it doesn't limit you when you raise and butcher them yourself! I hope this helps!

 

[Molpet]

Different cooking methods for different ages.

I use a cut up Kitty litter jug as a kill cone

And PVC pipe cutter to dispatch.

Sharp sharp tree limb loppers work too. I use those on my turkeys

 

[ManedWolf]

There's really not that many ways to butcher chickens without having to get close to the animal to humanly do so. If you're able to watch others cull chickens, that can really help you not feel very nervous or uncomfortable to do it yourself. Getting real/personal/in-person experience helps a lot. Chickens can take a few months until they get large enough to butcher. If you want to cull them sooner, feeding them grains like corn with their regular feed is a great way. It helps them gain weight sooner. It might cause them to be uncomfortable in warm weather and on their joints, so don't feed them too many grains in a very short period of time. Limiting their mobility also helps them not burn off the fat and calories as quick as they would if they were to be free ranging most of the day. Chicken meat can be stored many ways and used for many different things, it doesn't limit you when you raise and butcher them yourself! I hope this helps!

I've also heard of the broomstick method, which I hear is pretty fool-proof.

Thank you for the insight, it helped clear some things up. I'm still not looking forward to it, but since I plan on hatching chicks this spring I know I'll end up with males (which are nearly impossible to rehome, I got lucky with 2 of mine).

 

[FunClucks]

Go ahead and read some of the threads here on the Meat Bird forum, and you'll find the answers to most of your questions and a lot of helpful advice about the mindset for butchering and how to make it easier. Most dual purpose or heritage breeds take at least 6 months to reach butchering age, due to their breeding. Don't think you're doing anything wrong.

Toughness of the bird determines how it's best to cook it. Slow and low heat for old layers and older roosters (6-12 months) - think crock pot or pressure canner. For slightly less tough birds, you could try roasting on low heat for a long time, maybe in a dutch oven to keep it moist?

Make sure you let the meat rest in the fridge for about 3 days prior to cooking it. Some folks give it less time, some folks give it up to 5 days or so. You'll know rigor mortis has passed when the joints move easily - then you can cook it. If you cook it while it's still stiff it will taste like rubber bands and be inedible.

Cornish cross is the grocery store chicken, and takes about 2 months to reach butchering age. Their meat is very tender and milder in flavor than heritage hens, and you can cook it any way you like at about 2 months. They are bred to pack on weight quickly and be processed at about 2 months. If you keep them longer they die of health issues, and rarely live longer than a year. It might be helpful to raise a batch of birds you know will be dinner, were bred to be dinner, and won't have much quality of life if they don't become dinner at the appointed time. They all look alike (don't name them) so that can help. I call my current batch of Cornish X the dinner chickens and from the beginning everyone knows not to get too attached. They're cute and sweet and dumb, but becoming dinner is their purpose in life. Two good fun chickening months, and one bad (quick and painless) day.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

Chickens should be on chick food until 16 weeks or so, are you raising chicks on layer feed? I usually have chicks in the flock so mine are on starter all year round so I can’t really speak to a growth difference on layer versus grower feed. I would assume that grower would be better if you are looking for size.

Size/age is really a personal preference. I’m not looking for a certain weight so I cull based on behavior and flock dynamics. Anything over 12 weeks gives enough meat to be worth the effort but an older cockerel will be larger. They will also start getting tougher and more flavorful as they age. I use a crock pot or Instant pot for basically all my chicken cooking so any age of chicken works well with that. I use the cooked meat for things like chicken salad, sandwiches, pizza, and that sort of thing.

For killing, I use the broomstick method which is very up close and personal but it allows me to make sure the bird is as calm as it can be. I only do a few at a time I find it easier on the chickens to take them off the roost at night and take them outside the coop and kill them right there. They don’t have long to be scared, if I keep it dark they are just confused and then it’s over. Then I take them to the garage and do the skinning and cleaning and then they go right into my refrigerator. It’s not worth plucking for me with only a few birds at a time, and we don’t eat the skin anyway.

 

[ManedWolf]

Go ahead and read some of the threads here on the Meat Bird forum, and you'll find the answers to most of your questions and a lot of helpful advice about the mindset for butchering and how to make it easier. Most dual purpose or heritage breeds take at least 6 months to reach butchering age, due to their breeding. Don't think you're doing anything wrong.

Toughness of the bird determines how it's best to cook it. Slow and low heat for old layers and older roosters (6-12 months) - think crock pot or pressure canner. For slightly less tough birds, you could try roasting on low heat for a long time, maybe in a dutch oven to keep it moist?

Make sure you let the meat rest in the fridge for about 3 days prior to cooking it. Some folks give it less time, some folks give it up to 5 days or so. You'll know rigor mortis has passed when the joints move easily - then you can cook it. If you cook it while it's still stiff it will taste like rubber bands and be inedible.

Cornish cross is the grocery store chicken, and takes about 2 months to reach butchering age. Their meat is very tender and milder in flavor than heritage hens, and you can cook it any way you like at about 2 months. They are bred to pack on weight quickly and be processed at about 2 months. If you keep them longer they die of health issues, and rarely live longer than a year. It might be helpful to raise a batch of birds you know will be dinner, were bred to be dinner, and won't have much quality of life if they don't become dinner at the appointed time. They all look alike (don't name them) so that can help. I call my current batch of Cornish X the dinner chickens and from the beginning everyone knows not to get too attached. They're cute and sweet and dumb, but becoming dinner is their purpose in life. Two good fun chickening months, and one bad (quick and painless) day.

I have been going through the threads but I figured I might as well ask my questions myself.
I guess I'd rather have less but more tender meat than more meat but tougher (if that makes sense, wasn't sure how to word that).
I thought about it and the chickens I have that I can't tell apart wouldn't bother me to butcher, however the chicks I'd hatch would be of all different breeds (so they'd look very different). However like you suggested if I separate them as food from the day I can tell the hens and roos apart it might make it easier. 5-6 months is more than enough time to get attached though

 

[ManedWolf]

Chickens should be on chick food until 16 weeks or so, are you raising chicks on layer feed? I usually have chicks in the flock so mine are on starter all year round so I can’t really speak to a growth difference on layer versus grower feed. I would assume that grower would be better if you are looking for size.

Size/age is really a personal preference. I’m not looking for a certain weight so I cull based on behavior and flock dynamics. Anything over 12 weeks gives enough meat to be worth the effort but an older cockerel will be larger. They will also start getting tougher and more flavorful as they age. I use a crock pot or Instant pot for basically all my chicken cooking so any age of chicken works well with that. I use the cooked meat for things like chicken salad, sandwiches, pizza, and that sort of thing.

For killing, I use the broomstick method which is very up close and personal but it allows me to make sure the bird is as calm as it can be. I only do a few at a time I find it easier on the chickens to take them off the roost at night and take them outside the coop and kill them right there. They don’t have long to be scared, if I keep it dark they are just confused and then it’s over. Then I take them to the garage and do the skinning and cleaning and then they go right into my refrigerator. It’s not worth plucking for me with only a few birds at a time, and we don’t eat the skin anyway.

I've been getting chicken food from the same local feed store for years and every chick season I come in asking for "chick feed", I only just found out this year that they've been giving me layer crumbles. They mix their own food so none of the bags are labeled (so I wasn't able to tell what kind of food they were giving me). They really don't know much about animals, just in it for the business. I asked around at other local feed stores and none of them carry chick food, guess I'll have to travel a bit to find some.

I'm mostly wondering what method is easiest, like which one I'll have a harder time messing up lol.
Skinning the bird will probably be what I'll do, plucking seems like too much work to preserve skin I won't use anyway.

 

[FunClucks]

I've been getting chicken food from the same local feed store for years and every chick season I come in asking for "chick feed", I only just found out this year that they've been giving me layer crumbles. They mix their own food so none of the bags are labeled (so I wasn't able to tell what kind of food they were giving me). They really don't know much about animals, just in it for the business. I asked around at other local feed stores and none of them carry chick food, guess I'll have to travel a bit to find some.

I'm mostly wondering what method is easiest, like which one I'll have a harder time messing up lol.
Skinning the bird will probably be what I'll do, plucking seems like too much work to preserve skin I won't use anyway.

No way were they selling you layer when you asked for chick feed! That is totally irresponsible of them! If that were me, I wouldn't be going back there. What you want to ask for is all-flock or flock raiser feed. A good example is Purina Flockraiser. That is a feed mixed for hens, roosters, ducks and geese, as well as for turkeys, pheasants and quail 8 weeks of age and older. The laying hens eat calcium separately (you'd provide a bin of oyster shell for them to eat free choice).

 

[FunClucks]

I have been going through the threads but I figured I might as well ask my questions myself.
I guess I'd rather have less but more tender meat than more meat but tougher (if that makes sense, wasn't sure how to word that).
I thought about it and the chickens I have that I can't tell apart wouldn't bother me to butcher, however the chicks I'd hatch would be of all different breeds (so they'd look very different). However like you suggested if I separate them as food from the day I can tell the hens and roos apart it might make it easier. 5-6 months is more than enough time to get attached though

Of the 20 healthy chicks from my most recent hatch, looks like I only have 8 female. And they all look a bit different since they're mixed breed. I've been warning my kids, don't get attached! We'll see how that goes... They better be tasty, cause there's a lot of them!