Maeschak
Songster
You are supposed to keep them away from food for 12-24 hours before butchering and 12 hours from water. (Or something similar). I, however, never keep them from either before butchering.
Food in their system has never been a problem for me- but I am good at eviscerating and not cutting open the intestines or crop. Actually, having the crop full makes it easier for me to find and grab.
Water on the other hand does cause me problems when butchering- when I put them in the cone the water comes out of their mouths and starts to suffocate them. So I freak and have to cut the jugular very quickly.
So my tips would be: allow them a wee bit of water (just enough to whet their whistle) and withhold food if you are not good at evisceration.
Food in their system has never been a problem for me- but I am good at eviscerating and not cutting open the intestines or crop. Actually, having the crop full makes it easier for me to find and grab.
Water on the other hand does cause me problems when butchering- when I put them in the cone the water comes out of their mouths and starts to suffocate them. So I freak and have to cut the jugular very quickly.
So my tips would be: allow them a wee bit of water (just enough to whet their whistle) and withhold food if you are not good at evisceration.