Recent content by Gscott

Well, thanks. I had used the kill cone for the "calming effect". Calming effect on me, mostly. Not a big fan of all the flapping about. I remember my grandfather lopping off their heads with an axe and wiring them to the coop fence by the feet with wire to bleed out. There was a whole lot...

This thread just gets better and better! No, decapitation is not the best way. Maybe for you, but it is not the most efficient for bleeding out the meat thorouly. The heart stops too quickly. Oh, and don't even get me started on pork. (mmm, bacon!) I'm glad you don't eat it, more for me!

Thanks for the clarification. That's where I was last year, I was hoping to get them out earlier. I see a fellow down the street gets them out earlier, but I haven't had a chance to talk with him about it. I can't remember when they were out there but it was still pretty chilly. I probably...

I see lots of folks use the hatchet or otherwise dispatch by cutting off the head. But when i tried that I had blood collect in the backs and shoulders while I plucked their bellies. This after using the kill cone and bleeding them out thoroughly. At least I thought I did. So I went back to...

I preferred the machete over the hatchet, but a cleaver would be clever.

Thanks Chickie- but are you saying you are going to put them outside April 1, or purchase day old chicks on April 1? I'm not sure what 'warmish' means, especially around here. It was barely 'warmish' in May last year. Regularly had lows <40 degrees. In fact, we only had one month last year...

Hard to think about Spring coming after this nasty bout of weather. But thinking about raising another batch of meaties this year (I only did it one time), how soon do you folks plan for putting them outside? Or, if I expect to put them out at four weeks or so, when should I have them arrive...

Wow, 41 pages and counting. Obviously a tough subject. I think the problem is; it's not pretty. No real way to sanitize the process. I don't enjoy any part of it. We live in a society that thinks food just comes from the store, ignoring that killing is a part of it. And we can all rest...

This is definately something where each of us has to find their own way. I am no expert, having only dispatched 20 birds last summer. I wasn't crazy about either the knife or the hatchet. But there is something to the technique. My first bird I tried with the knife, found it bloody awful...

Well Mia, you should try raising your own meat birds. I did it this last summer for the first time, it was fun! I raised 20 cornish cross purchased at a feed/farm, and at 7.5 weeks was into them right at $2 a pound (4-6 lb birds). That included two bales of bedding, commercial wild game bird...

Nice! If you are worried about feed getting stuck in the center 'dip' part of the tray, put a funnel in there up side down. That will help the feed flow out.

Thanks Broody. I am just up the street near Tenino. I see a few local folks on the board. I will join the discussion over at the washingtonians, I have questions about getting my birds outside in this cold wet weather we are having...

I expect to do the butchering myself. Not sure about the scalding and plucking tho. I like the skin, but seems so much easier to take it off. But I'm getting WAY ahead of myself (don't want to jynx myself) Got a couple months to go before I have anything resembling meat!

Hi. My name's Scott. Well, what have I gotten myself into? I have been considering getting chickens, either layers or "eaters" for a couple years now. After driving past a nearby fellows' tractors this spring, I got nosing around the internet. Ended up here in the wee hours this AM, reading...