California - Northern

[casportpony]

Sigh... Really do need to "cowgirl up" and get some dispatching done.

-Kathy

 

[capayvalleychick]

I finally gave them Ivomec pour on, which worms them and killed the lice.


We've been using the hatchet method, but I'm not comfortable using that myself. I'm a bad swing. I did one, and didn't get a clean whack. I recently watched someone that slits their throat while they are in a cone, and I think that would work better for me. Plus, it's a lot less messy.

There are different types of lice. Ivermectin does not kill feather eating lice. It does control all the other types.

For those processing birds for eating, it's best to get as much blood as possible out of the body. Cutting off the head with a hatchet causes the heart to stop beating. Slitting the artery allows the heart to keep pumping a bit longer, emptying the carcass of blood.

 

[casportpony]

I finally gave them Ivomec pour on, which worms them and killed the lice.

 
We've been using the hatchet method, but I'm not comfortable using that myself.  I'm a bad swing.  I did one, and didn't get a clean whack.  I recently watched someone that slits their throat while they are in a cone, and I think that would work better for me.  Plus, it's a lot less messy. 

There are different types of lice. Ivermectin does not kill feather eating lice. It does control all the other types.

For those processing birds for eating, it's best to get as much blood as possible out of the body. Cutting off the head with a hatchet causes the heart to stop beating. Slitting the artery allows the heart to keep pumping a bit longer, emptying the carcass of blood.

So this may sound like a stupid question, but why should one bleed one out first? Not trying to argue, but the disturbing videos of horse slaughter that I saw showed them being shot in the head. How would they drain the blood fromtheme after being shot... Is it just chickens that are done this way? Just morbidly curious....

-Kathy

 

[PetRock]

X2!

again!

This made me laugh! Thanks, Kim!!! You brightened my day!!!

 

[tommysgirl]

For those processing birds for eating, it's best to get as much blood as possible out of the body. Cutting off the head with a hatchet causes the heart to stop beating. Slitting the artery allows the heart to keep pumping a bit longer, emptying the carcass of blood.

That's the way we did it. Where do those of you who use cones have them mounted?? I would like to see pictures if you have them.

Kim there were so many posts I missed that I don't know how your hatch turned out. Can you post a pic of that too?

 

[capayvalleychick]

So this may sound like a stupid question, but why should one bleed one out first? Not trying to argue, but the disturbing videos of horse slaughter that I saw showed them being shot in the head. How would they drain the blood fromtheme after being shot... Is it just chickens that are done this way? Just morbidly curious....

-Kathy

I have cattle, pigs & sheep humanely slaughtered here on the ranch, by a professional ranch butcher. The animal is shot in the head, causing immediate brain death. Then, he must cut the throat and bleed them out immediately. He always emphasizes how important this is. Blood left in a carcass will cause it to spoil more quickly.

 

[debs_flock]

That's the way we did it. Where do those of you who use cones have them mounted?? I would like to see pictures if you have them.

It's nailed on a large tree. The tree leans one way, so there is nothing in the way under the cone. We just place a bucket lined with a trashbag to catch the blood and anything that we need to drop in. Notice how I said "we", read that DH. I still have problems with the idea of the actual kill.

I have done it, but struggle. I have no issues whatsoever with the plucking and eviscerating.

I have cattle, pigs & sheep humanely slaughtered here on the ranch, by a professional ranch butcher. The animal is shot in the head, causing immediate brain death. Then, he must cut the throat and bleed them out immediately. He always emphasizes how important this is. Blood left in a carcass will cause it to spoil more quickly.

Same here, we have the slaughterer out here every year for a few lambs. It is a quick and humane process in the big scheme of things.

 

[PetRock]

That's the way we did it. Where do those of you who use cones have them mounted?? I would like to see pictures if you have them.

Kim there were so many posts I missed that I don't know how your hatch turned out. Can you post a pic of that too?

Our farm friends have their cone mounted on a metal stand but they have 10 acres and lots of room for misc equipment! They dig a deep death hole, place the stand over the hole, and bury the heads, blood, and other parts after processing is done. We usually process around 40 at a time. It is quite the event!

 

[capayvalleychick]

Kim there were so many posts I missed that I don't know how your hatch turned out. Can you post a pic of that too?

I will, when I'm sure that it's finished.

After Ron's post, yesterday, I went out to remove the 5 hatched chicks and they were playing football with the newly hatched Delaware. I took out the Dorkings, left the Del to dry and turned over the 3 remaining eggs.

Two of those eggs had pips that had been on the underside. I had placed cheesecloth on the bottom of the incubator for hatching. The cheesecloth was stuck to one of the pip holes. I don't have a spray bottle, so I dabbed it with a damp paper towel. Humidity had dropped to 38, so I closed the lid.

No change to the unhatched and pipped eggs when I went to bed. Got up at 4, to let dogs out because I heard coyotes close by. Checked and saw that the chick from the pipped egg that wasn't stuck to the cheesecloth had hatched. One pipped and one not pipped egg left.

Late afternoon today is Day 22. Would that be time to turn off the incubator?

I sure don't feel like doing eggtopsies after reading and seeing the posts lately!

So, most of the chicks hatched on Day 20. 2 hatched on Day 21. Two haven't hatched. How do I know if the settings for temperature & humidity were ok? All other eggs weren't fertile, had no indication of development.

I had to add 1 3/4 gallons of distilled water during this incubation. Is that usual for an RCom?

 

[sewandgrow]

Is everyone ready for the heat this weak? The Bay area will be in the mid 90s today and we will be at or over 100 for the next two days..

I hope the chickens will be OK!

I have fans that are out of the pens so maybe it's time to put them back in. We have misters out there to. I will just have to wait & see.

So this may sound like a stupid question, but why should one bleed one out first? Not trying to argue, but the disturbing videos of horse slaughter that I saw showed them being shot in the head. How would they drain the blood fromtheme after being shot... Is it just chickens that are done this way? Just morbidly curious....

-Kathy

I don't know about horses but when we have cows slaughtered the ranch butcher has a hoist & hangs them as soon as he shots them & drains the blood.

That's the way we did it. Where do those of you who use cones have them mounted?? I would like to see pictures if you have them.

Kim there were so many posts I missed that I don't know how your hatch turned out. Can you post a pic of that too?

I have seen them actually nailed or screwed to a fence or post but mine is portable. You never know where I might be processing.....LOL. We built a 2 x 2 frame that the cone sits in & I can move it around. My son is going to try to get a picture for you. I told him to go take a picture where there was no junk around it for me to post.......He came back in & say Mission Impossible Mom .............. there is always junk everywhere....................LOL He is Sooooooooooo right......... it is just a way of life around here..........LOL.
Picture soon hopefully..............