Culling the beasts

[Folly's place]

Aart says it very well; "Romance hits Reality". These are chickens, who have had a good life, until that last few minutes, and they will feed a family, which is a good thing. At least half of those eggs hatch into cockerels, and only a very very few will be needed or wanted as flock roosters. They are dinner for someone.
We used to do it ourselves, and now have a poultry processing plant twenty miles down the road, and they go there, except for individuals who will make flock roosters, here or rehomed.
Mary

 

[Hawgfan]

I was a little uncertain the first time until I tasted the result. Now I can't wait for my extra cockerels to get to butcher age. Others wouldn't dream of eating a chicken they raised. You just have to find what works for you individually.

 

[New2Chicks97]

I simply found someone locally that wanted ours. I didn’t ask whether he was wanting one to breed with or eat. I didn’t want to know. I was just upfront about his aggressive issues and when they still wanted him......off he went.

I might be able to put one out of their misery.......maybe but I don’t know that I could cull them for eating.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

For me, I had some like-minded friends come over for my first processing. I watched videos on respectful chicken harvests and chicken butchering for a week straight leading up to it. When the day finally came I said thank you, moved slow until the last moment and tried to get it done as fast and painless as possible.
I revere life, but life and death go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. Every living thing born must eventually die. To have a respectful end that is fast and useful is a good death I think.
After my first processing I immediately cooked and ate a meal from the animal involved. I made sure it was cooked really well and my friends and I ate it all and composted the bones. Nothing was wasted and it was really good. It felt a little awkward but reminding myself that the options are veganism, commercially produced chickens which live poorly, or this, kept me grounded.
Eventually it gets easier. Let yourself experience your emotions but try to set yourself up for success. Prepare in advance, know what you're doing, have support, and enjoy the fruits of your labor afterwards. It's not as hard as it sounds.

 

[aesch]

This is how I handled it. I had someone else do it...

I wouldn't call him life is precious ..
When we are aggressive in childhood our parents didn't throw us out from home .maybe some time away from flock away from.ladies
Being an avian behaviorist I won't advise culling

Unfortunately, I don't have the space to put him off by himself, or the money to feed him without anything in return. He's a beautiful animal but I think he's ending up for dinner. Unless you want to come and get him!

 

[WVduckchick]

For me, I had some like-minded friends come over for my first processing. I watched videos on respectful chicken harvests and chicken butchering for a week straight leading up to it. When the day finally came I said thank you, moved slow until the last moment and tried to get it done as fast and painless as possible.
I revere life, but life and death go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. Every living thing born must eventually die. To have a respectful end that is fast and useful is a good death I think.
After my first processing I immediately cooked and ate a meal from the animal involved. I made sure it was cooked really well and my friends and I ate it all and composted the bones. Nothing was wasted and it was really good. It felt a little awkward but reminding myself that the options are veganism, commercially produced chickens which live poorly, or this, kept me grounded.
Eventually it gets easier. Let yourself experience your emotions but try to set yourself up for success. Prepare in advance, know what you're doing, have support, and enjoy the fruits of your labor afterwards. It's not as hard as it sounds.

 

[aart]

Yep, every fall I sell or (usually)slaughter half dozen 2 to 3 yo hens, some get sold as stewing hens. Got to make room for new pullets (hatched here) in my limited space before hard winter sets in.

I sell, gift, or (usually)slaughter cockerels at 13-16 weeks, before they start causing chaos and while still tender enough to grill for that crispy skinned deliciousness. Not much meat, but the grilled bones make for some excellent stock. Anything older than that I pressure cook until meat is done and is saved aside then a couple more hours to get that bone broth.

I keep chickens for food, eggs and meat,
grown under better conditions than grocery food.
Egg sales pay for their feed.
No space or resources for keeping 'pet' birds, pet budget goes to my dog.
It's a hard balance, but that's where the Romance meets Reality.

First one was rough, it does get easier, here's my first slaughter story.

 

[lomine]

Research the different options and make a plan. If you are at all hesitant I suggest a method that requires less precision or pressure. For me, I use tree loppers because there is little chance of me messing anything up and causing the bird to suffer. It's not fun taking a life but so long as he doesn't suffer and his death has meaning it can be a good thing.

I had an older cockerel I was planning to keep for breeding. He was well behaved as a youngster but in his first spring his hormones changed his behavior. He wasn't quite a terror yet but I could see how much the girls disliked him. After I culled him the entire demeanor of the flock changed. The rooster and all the girls were much more relaxed and happy. Once you see how your flock changes you will know you did the right thing. Keeping that in mind can help when it comes time to do the dead.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

My storry is much the same as the others who choose to butcher their chickens themselves. I was fortunate to have a stepdad from the time I was 16 who is a meat processor so I had some experience with beef, venison and pork. However he didnt have much experience with chickens so I turned to a friend and her husband who taught me. I say a prayer of thanks privately and move on with the task at hand. The more you do it the more efficient you will become at it but I will always feel an amount of sorrow for taking the life... i hope i do at any rate.
Best of luck to you and I hope all goes smoothly.

 

[Mrs. K]

I mentally start distancing myself from them, I don't watch them or talk to them.

It will really help to have some moral support, does not need anymore experience than you, you can watch you tube. But just someone to do it with you. I have found the upside down in a cone, and slitting the neck just works the easiest with me. I have caught them with a fish net, and slit their throats through the net if they were pretty mean and hard to handle. Do not be surprised if you get the nervous giggles, it happens. Once they are gone, the processing is easy. Once the feathers are off, looks just like a chicken at the store.

Animal husbandry is about choosing who stays and who goes. Some birds do not fit in the set up, and once you get it done, it is so much better for the flock. You do not have to nor should keep every bird. To me the forever friend does not apply to chickens. I keep a flock, the birds in the flock change over time and need.

That being said, knowing I have dispatched many.... also know that I need to do three and I don't even have a plan as to when to do it yet. It is not easy, but it is doable.

Mrs K