Cant eat my Chickens!!

[PurpleCArTires]

Hi Guys, I am pretty new (just this year) to chickens. We have harvested a few extra roos. I did the killing and butchering. My forst time killing anything.
The first I ate fine, but he was tough roasted so the last two I made, i cooked them and shredded them into a soup and then into a gravy and mashed potatoes. Now the food tastes amazing... But i am gagging like crazy and i keep picturing their faces and cant swallow!! I am going crazy here... I want to eat them and they smell and taste good, but i am having a crazy mental issue.

Sorry for the rant! I am just wondering if anyone else experiences this and how to get over it!

 

[LaFleche]

Hi Guys, I am pretty new (just this year) to chickens. We have harvested a few extra roos. I did the killing and butchering. My forst time killing anything.
The first I ate fine, but he was tough roasted so the last two I made, i cooked them and shredded them into a soup and then into a gravy and mashed potatoes. Now the food tastes amazing... But i am gagging like crazy and i keep picturing their faces and cant swallow!! I am going crazy here... I want to eat them and they smell and taste good, but i am having a crazy mental issue.

Sorry for the rant! I am just wondering if anyone else experiences this and how to get over it!

To prevent any of the above you could just keep them in the freezer for some more weeks or even month to give your mind time to adjust.

I found it much easier when there are several birds butchered at a time and letting them rest in the freezer for some months creating some kind of anonymity, so we will not know exactly which one we are eating when finally preparing a nice dinner.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

To prevent any of the above you could just keep them in the freezer for some more weeks or even month to give your mind time to adjust.

I found it much easier when there are several birds butchered at a time and letting them rest in the freezer for some months creating some kind of anonymity, so we will not know exactly which one we are eating when finally preparing a nice dinner.

Good tip! I stopped letting the kids name them too. I know that was not helping the situation lol.

 

[LaFleche]

Good tip! I stopped letting the kids name them too. I know that was not helping the situation lol.

Well, although they might not have 'normal' names, when dealing with them on a daily basis one often comes up with "the wild one", or "the friendly one" etc., so in your mind they will not be officially named but named nonetheless.

What also helps is to be clear from the start that they will be raised for nutritional purposes and that they will have a wonderful chicken life, scratching freely and sunbathing etc. until then. Something these deplorable creatures raised in commercial chicken farming facilities will never experience.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

Well, although they might not have 'normal' names, when dealing with them on a daily basis one often comes up with "the wild one", or "the friendly one" etc., so in your mind they will not be officially named but named nonetheless.

True. I try to pick them up and feel their legs and think about how fat and juicy they are getting LMAO. I know thats awful, but I am trying to look at them like walking chicken tacos to prepare my mind for them lol. Nothing is helping tho. Tonight i took 4 or 5 bites of my chicken and gravy fine and was thinking man this is gooood. And then the gaging started. I had to give it to the dogs, i couldn't finish.
I know it's mental. Like I am "allergic" to seafood... I just cant swallow it.

 

[LaFleche]

True. I try to pick them up and feel their legs and think about how fat and juicy they are getting LMAO. I know thats awful, but I am trying to look at them like walking chicken tacos to prepare my mind for them lol. Nothing is helping tho. Tonight i took 4 or 5 bites of my chicken and gravy fine and was thinking man this is gooood. And then the gaging started. I had to give it to the dogs, i couldn't finish.
I know it's mental. Like I am "allergic" to seafood... I just cant swallow it.

How much time did you let pass between the butchering and the attempted meal?

 

[PurpleCArTires]

How much time did you let pass between the butchering and the attempted meal?

Its been atleast 3 months.

 

[LaFleche]

This will surely be more problematic when only raising a few birds, so you will get more attached when handling them.

And it was your first time ever, so be patient with yourself and don't try to force it.

I know of poultry breeders that even after more than 30 years of poultry keeping still are not able to butcher their own birds. So they solve this problem by having fellow breeders do it for them and in return will do it as well for the other breeders.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

The next ones, ill get my husband or our renter to do the killing and ill do the butchering. I am hoping that helps too. I appreciate your input!! I want to eat them and be self sufficient, so I am gonna keep trying.

 

[LaFleche]

Keep in mind that you do not have to eat it, if it will put such a strain on you.

And you are not alone in this, there are a lot of private chicken keepers that would not even be able to butcher their birds and this is o.k. as well.