Chickens Watching Chicken Processing

[DoozyWombat]

Chickens—I can't speak for other birds—don't seem to think about the future much. ...
Many of their reactions to events are dictated by how they perceive the event rather than what the event actually is. Animals in general have a kind of spotty perception of events that isn't always easy for a human to understand or see the pattern to. ...
What causes a bird to react to a stimuli as threatening is quite interesting and not at all easy to put into words. I don't know enough or have enough certainty on what I have observed to be able to give any explanations without almost certainly being wrong on some or most of it.

Excellent, clear and incisive. This is along the lines of what I've been thinking about it. It's more about what they perceive than about what we think or feel about it. And we have a hard time guessing their perceptions; all we can do is judge reactions to actual events.

Great comment, thanks.

 

[DoozyWombat]

They are not traumatized in the slightest. If you are pulling the birds you're butchering from the group you're doing it in front of, they get a bit upset basically as you're catching a bird, but once you walk out, they're back to not caring. ... It's a total non-issue. ... Friend turns to food real fast.

This fits with what BantyChooks was saying. They don't actually perceive other birds the way we perceive other people. Concerned with the catching, but not the processing.

On the issue of feeding scraps back to the flock, though, doesn't that increase the spread of disease?

 

[DoozyWombat]

I really don't have another area to do the deed. I have a water font right next to the barn, the fence post for hanging the "restraining cone" is right there and there is electric in the barn to run the plucker. I usually gut and clean inside a building, where I can have heat - because I usually put it off until fall when it gets cold.

That's pretty much my problem, too. I have to drag hose down from the house, but all the equipment is down in the barn. I can probably fence off an area so the birds can't get within 40 feet of the area I'm working, but it will be interesting to see their reactions.

 

[DoozyWombat]

I , for one, would just rather not see them stressed or sad.

Nor would I. My goal is to have birds that are healthy and happy, up until the moment they are processed. I've just learned that I cannot assume another creature sees things the same way I do. I loved your story, btw.

 

[DoozyWombat]

I separate the birds the day before and keep them in the barn where I process. Mainly to get them off feed but I think doing that the other birds really don’t pay any attention to me since I didn’t just walk in there and grab one of them out.

I'm planning to do that as well--take them off feed for the last day. I also like the idea of separating them into a sub-flock.

 

[DoozyWombat]

[T]he jake had killed him. Half of his hens seen this. That night those hens were quite. The other hens were calling. I have to assume it was they were looking for him.

They do notice changes in the flock - additions and subtractions.

Touching and interesting. What catches my attention with this is that the ones who saw the roo die were quiet, but not looking for him. The ones who didn't were looking for him. So, were the first ones sad because they saw him die, or were they just not calling because they knew he was gone? I agree with the conclusion that the second ones were calling because an important member of their flock wasn't announcing himself.

 

[Mimi13]

When I’ve processed extra cockerels all my other birds are out roaming the yard. They usually pay me no attention until I start plucking, at which time only a handful will gather round. When I begin gutting, more birds gather around my table hoping to get a nibble or two of fallen scraps. I’ve got a nosey rosey that I have to keep knocked off the table, but she is always all up in my business no matter what I’m doing.

When I dispatch, I’m either holding the bird or have it snuggly inside a killing cone so there is no thrashing involved. There is a little more movement from death throes in the cone than when I hold the bird (wrapped in a towel). I definitely could see how one flopping on the ground would be similar to one being attacked and not good for them to experience.

 

[BDutch]

I don't kill or process my chickens. And can’t say anything about their feelings.

But I do know chickens are weird creatures. Are certainly pretty smart in some way (survival of the fittest).

Therefore I’m sure that if they see you as a predator, they will run from you as fast as they can. I wouldn't take the risk and cull them out of sight.

 

[Mimi13]

On the issue of feeding scraps back to the flock, though, doesn't that increase the spread of disease?

If the dispatched bird was diseased, I would not process it. It’s entire carcass would either be burned or sent off to the state lab for more study.

As for a bird that I’m going to eat, I can see no harm or danger in letting the others have a nibble or two.

I fed my flock the meat from a rattlesnake that unfortunately found itself in one of my coops. They absolutely loved it.

 

[Mosey2003]

On the issue of feeding scraps back to the flock, though, doesn't that increase the spread of disease?

My birds don't have any sort of disease that would be spread like that.

If I had questions about disease, I wouldn't be gutting the bird, I'd dispatch it and dispose of it in another manner.