1st Time butchering a chicken

[Burns Homestead]

I woke up this morning went out to feed the chickens and ducks looked over seen one of my hens hobbling "oh-no" I thought she was sick, some how over night she had broken her leg and looks like the other chickens started pecking her head bloody poor girl

I have been wanting to start butchering my own chickens for awhile to save money at the grocery store are family eats alot of chicken.

I didn't want her to suffer and I knew what I had to do. It was alot easier physically to do then mentally. I wanted to stop when I seen the blood I had to take a minute. I felt horrible for doing it but knew the hen wouldn't make it with its head pecked in and leg broke..

I hope I did the right thing

 

[bobbi-j]

You absolutely did the right thing. It's hard, I know, but definitely more responsible than letting the poor thing suffer. And now that you've done it, you'll be a little more comfortable with it next time. And the time after that will be even easier. It may not ever get "easy" for you, but it will get better and you will become more proficient at it. We've been processing our own chickens for years, and I still don't like the part where we turn live chickens into dead ones. Actually, I have never killed one of our chickens. DH does that. I hold them, he puts the neck on the chopping block and wields the hatchet. Once they're dead, it's not so bad for me. No problems picking and gutting. It wasn't always that way, even though I did grow up hunting ducks and pheasants. There's just something different when it's an animal that you have raised and cared for.

 

[offgridhermit]

I woke up this morning went out to feed the chickens and ducks looked over seen one of my hens hobbling "oh-no" I thought she was sick, some how over night she had broken her leg and looks like the other chickens started pecking her head bloody poor girl

I have been wanting to start butchering my own chickens for awhile to save money at the grocery store are family eats alot of chicken.

I didn't want her to suffer and I knew what I had to do. It was alot easier physically to do then mentally. I wanted to stop when I seen the blood I had to take a minute. I felt horrible for doing it but knew the hen wouldn't make it with its head pecked in and leg broke..

I hope I did the right thing

Yes, you did the right thing.

I did my first butchering ever and it went more smoothly than I thought it would.

Check my profile and you will find the sites I posted pictures on. I hung them upside down in a bucket to bleed out and it was less emotional that way.

I have 12 more chicks arriving tomorrow that will be raised for the freezer.

 

[Burns Homestead]

Thank You guys. I don't think I cut its neck right I will have to look up more videos when I did do that part blood squirted all over me like a hose for a second that was when I almost gave up. The rest was pretty easy Although I don't know what is what inside I know there is parts you can keep. I was shaking pretty bad to look this time next time I will.

I want to learn how and probably should know how if we are going to go off grid and homestead soon..

Thanks Melissa

 

[bobbi-j]

Thank You guys. I don't think I cut its neck right I will have to look up more videos when I did do that part blood squirted all over me like a hose for a second that was when I almost gave up. The rest was pretty easy Although I don't know what is what inside I know there is parts you can keep. I was shaking pretty bad to look this time next time I will.

I want to learn how and probably should know how if we are going to go off grid and homestead soon..

Thanks Melissa

Then you most likely hit an artery instead of the veins - not a bad thing, really (although messier ). What that means is, your chicken bled out and died faster. More humane, in my opinion, than letting them bleed to death more slowly by cutting their veins. Anyway, yes - there are organs that people do keep to eat. My DH keeps the heart and gizzard, and some people keep the liver. Take your time and look for those when you're ready. You did good doing it in the first place.

 

[Burns Homestead]

Someone said it gets easier every time. I sure hope so because this time was harder than the last knowing nothing was wrong with this one besides I need way less roosters and dinner on the table tonight but oh my gosh it was not easy. Although this time I didn't cry like a baby my stomach did not want to to do it made me feel sick and nervous the whole time

 

[Elke Beck]

For me, the first dozen times or so times were all learning experiences. This first one was horrible because I did not get a good cut. and the poor bird just hung there, slowly dripping and blinking at me. If I hadn't had to do two more that day, I think I would have given up butchering my own forever.

It take a while to get past the emotional part, and I think that is the hardest part. Be patient with yourself, and recognize that you are making a change in yourself that needs time to adjust to. You are doing fine, and what you are going through is completely natural. You are braver than most people by even trying to process your own meat, so give yourself total credit for that.