Culling Day Saturday

[Tinadudley5000]

Well I have been spending time with my chickens to enjoy them before culling day on sat. How long do I fast them for? And is it food and water fast? I think I did something wrong in growing one is nearly the size of a turkey he is huge and heavy. I know where all my feed went. Very nervous. So Far I have bough so much stuff my meat monster are probably around $500.00 a KG. Wish me luck.

 

[Col1948]

Is this the first time you've done it, I'm dreading the time I will have to cull, I've never done anything like that before?
I've watched a few videos on methods but I suppose once you have done it then it might not feel as bad if you have to do more, I am nervous about it when the time comes though.

 

[Maeschak]

Well I have been spending time with my chickens to enjoy them before culling day on sat. How long do I fast them for? And is it food and water fast? I think I did something wrong in growing one is nearly the size of a turkey he is huge and heavy. I know where all my feed went. Very nervous. So Far I have bough so much stuff my meat monster are probably around $500.00 a KG. Wish me luck.

I believe most people say to let your chicken fast for 24 hours from food and fast for 12 hours from water. I generally just get them in the morning before they have gotten any food or water and that works fine for me. Good luck!

 

[trudyg]

The first time is the hardest. Take your time and don't worry about what doesn't go as planned. I've heard to remove food the night before, so the crop is empty, but let them have water. It's not a deal breaker if the crop is full,just more likely to get crop contents everywhere. Just rinse it off if it does. I do a lot of rinsing with the hose as I work.

 

[ChickenLeg]

I found the tree-lopper method to work very fast and easiest out of all the methods Ive tried.

I take away the feed and water the evening before the cull. Ive only culled 1 meat broiler, all the rest have always been 6 month old cockerel culls from large hatches of random breeds.

On hot days I even set up a fan to keep them nice and cool right up until the harvest My partner can't handle any process of the cull, so I end up doing it all. Sometimes its just another walk in the park, if Im too close to a chicken it does weigh on the heart a bit.

 

[Morrigan]

I generally just get them in the morning before they have gotten any food or water and that works fine for me. Good luck!

This is what we do, except they have access to water overnight (I doubt they drink much though). At first light, we move the ones set to butcher to a little pen near to the butchering area and I actually sprinkle a little scratch in there to keep them doing something enjoyable until the end. My husband says the little scratch in their crops actually makes it easier to grab.

It is hard, emotionally. I give into my emotions the day before and give a little prayer of thanks. The morning of, I put on my game face. The whole process works best when you are relaxed and calm.

What method of dispatch are you using? If its the stump and axe, make sure your axe is very sharp and practice swinging it. You may make a few mistakes at first, most people do, so don't get down on yourself. The mechanics of butchering do get easier with practice.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[aart]

My husband says the little scratch in their crops actually makes it easier to grab.

Yeppers, it does.

I crate after dark night before with water only, give some scratch 20 minutes before kill.

Good Luck @Tinadudley5000 ...maybe you're done by now, so hope it went well.

 

[oldrooster]

I think most animals are suggested to fast for 24 hours as stated before it's so the body will expel waste and have less of that to deal with during the butchering process, and less likelihood of accidentally nicking intestines and spilling "stuff". And I think water held for 12 hours is for easier bleed out, some water is used for #2 but it is used in the blood stream and is filtered in the kidneys and discarded with waste from there, so if they are SLIGHTLY dehydrated there is less blood....