Botched butchering!

[TexasVet]

OMG, I feel so terrible about yesterday's cull! I have a hard time doing the hatchet thing, so I shoot birds in the head with a .22. It almost never takes more than one shot, two at the most. When I shot roo #1, he just fell over and didn't move. Congratulating myself on the quick dispatch, I went on to cull another 4.

When I went back to pick up roo #1, he jumped up and ran across the yard! So I caught him and plinked him again. He fell over, but then jumped up and ran again! So I got my air pistol and shot him at close range, right at the base of the skull. He went limp and still, so I left him to bleed out while I carried roos 2, 3, and 4 into the house and cleaned them. When I went back out roo#1 was gone! I figured the bobcat that's been picking off my chickens found himself an easy meal, so I cleaned roo #5 and called it a night.

This morning, we found roo #1 walking in circles in the field, with his eyes closed. The poor thing must have been stumbling around all night! So I got the hatched and finished him off.

I've never, ever had this much trouble killing a rooster before, and I feel like a heel for putting him through such torment.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.ChickenTrackin.com

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

Holy Cow!

 

[Scoop]

Been there, too. Ugh. It just makes you feel terrible.

 

[3goodeggs]

I am so sorry that happened to you. Forgive yourself and move forward knowing that something was learned yesterday, even if you don't know what it is yet.

 

[TexasVet]

I'm giving serious thought to (a) keeping only one rooster, which will never be culled, or (b) getting rid of all the roosters. And hatching may go out the window too, since 1/2 of every batch ends up being roosters!

I could always let broody hens sit on infertile eggs for a couple of weeks, then slip hatchery chicks under them one night, while removing the eggs. I've done that a couple of times in the past and it worked like a charm.

Mother Nature royally screwed up by making the pullet/roo hatch ratio so high!

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.ChickenTrackin.com

 

[kees]

What a nightmare! Who would have thought anything like that could happen? Sounds like something out of a horror movie!

Suzy

 

[houndit]

Do not feel bad. I always like animals to die quickly as well. It just happens sometimes. I have had it happen with butcher rabbits. I really do not like that.

 

[TexasVet]

Quote:
Exactly what I thought! Straight out of a Hitchcock movie... the chicken that couldn't be killed. Not something I want to go through again.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.ChickenTrackin.com

 

[karen71]

It does suck when you try to do it quickly and it doesn't work - my BIL did the neck dislocation for a sick bird I had and thought she was gone - put her down and she took off into the woods then FH had t shoot her with some kind of gun when she came to try to get in the coop - it was awfull I felt sooo bad for her all she wanted was to go home but I could not let her - could not let her infect the whole flock - finally she was out of misery but it sure does suck when it does not go right - it;s hard enough as it is

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

ok, in the spirit of Halloween!

ZOMBIE ROO!!!!

i can't say we have had to experience this yet. thank goodness for the use of killing cones at our house. i can't even stand to hear or see the thrashing they do.