does anyone ever get used to killing and eating their birds

[BarnGoddess01]

So I did it, I slaughtered my 2 roos this morning with the help of an experienced neighbour. Hardest part was doing the deed but after that, the cleaning and dressing etc. wasn't too bad. I have one of the boys in my fridge now. They were just under a year old and free-ranged. Any advice on how I how I should prepare and cook this bird? Is there any expectation of decent eating?

 

[BarefootMom]

It is a way of life, doesn't bother me one bit. I feel that every animal has a purpose on this earth. Some to provide food, some to provide comfort, and some to provide income. We raise a steer every year for butcher--he is usually a bottle calf and is named, quite the pet before butchering time. The one we are eating now was named T-Bone and my son knows that we are eating T-Bone (DS is only 3 1/2!!) He is fine with it. We used to always have pork when mom and dad raised hogs. No big deal to eat those.

I don't necessarily like killing the animals myself, but I like the satisfaction that I know what my family is eating and that we are providing for our family (without running to the grocery store every other day!) Our freezers and pantries are well stocked with farm raised food. And that warms my heart.

We will be processing our first meat birds in a few weeks. I have never actually participated in processing before but I have watched. DH has participated in the killing when his grandma would process her meaties. She raised 100 meaties a year!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
They should not only be "decent" but delectable! Let them "rest" in the refrigerator 2-3 days and then cook them slowly with low heat with added moisture. Crock-pot, covered roaster, plastic oven-roasting bags. Add broth and/or vegs. Or slowly simmer them in seasoned broth until the meat falls off the bones, and make soup or dumplings. Enjoy!

 

[angidee]

I haven't actually done the killing myself. I don't think I ever will be able to do that. But eating, I can do that (though it does add an element of really knowing where your food came from). I would feel worse if I bought meat from the grocery store and ate that....those animals had a miserable life! At least the ones I raise are happy and health and enjoyed sunshine, scratching, flapping their wings and free ranging.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
They should not only be "decent" but delectable! Let them "rest" in the refrigerator 2-3 days and then cook them slowly with low heat with added moisture. Crock-pot, covered roaster, plastic oven-roasting bags. Add broth and/or vegs. Or slowly simmer them in seasoned broth until the meat falls off the bones, and make soup or dumplings. Enjoy!

Thank you! I'll give it a try and let you know.

(My hens are having a GREAT day even though the weather sucks. They are so much more relaxed without roosters constantly plaguing them. I got a MOTHERLOAD of eggs for the first time in weeks! I look forward to the return of back feathers on my ladies.)

 

[Avalon1984]

I am very glad this post came up. In my little family (husband, me, 6 horses and a gazillion chickens) it is quite different. I recently had to put a young hen down because of a disease. Although I felt terrible, I knew that when I put the BB Gun to her head that she would be gone very fast. I think once I know that an animal is too far gone and lost its will to live, I will be fine putting it out of its misery. Had the same thing happen with a very, very old guinea pig after not feeling like paying a vet $300 to put it down. I don’t like the task but in my heart I feel that it is my responsibility as an animal owner to ensure that my animals have a quality life. Once that is gone I feel that I should put my personal feelings aside and end the suffering. I just don’t think I could do the butchering yet. Not much support from hubby as he already said that he wouldn’t eat it unless “it is 2012 and the end is near”- and he used to hunt squirrels and rabbits and deer.

I am not a meat fanatic. I was a vegetarian for 12 years and now eat some fish and very little chicken. I grew up on a farm and attended everything from killing fish, hogs, sheep, rabbits and chicken. I still cannot get over the smell of freshly butchered pigs when it’s cooked or whatever the heck they did in our garage. I have never eaten pork again. Although I am intrigued by the idea of raising my own meat and going fishing, I think I am just not ready yet. I guess I just get terribly disgusted with the whole blood and guts when it is my own animals. I even practiced taking “things” apart on leftover broasted chicken from the super market but couldn’t get over it. I have had no problem cutting up an angry wild turkey for “educational purposes” when I accidentally killed it with a BB gun (really just wanted to chase it away, sorry ) but when it comes to my own animals…no, probably couldn’t do it. We got some straight run chickens and will have a few roosters, so now here is the obvious problem. I will have no problem dispatching an aggressive rooster myself, but I couldn’t get myself to butcher it or my husband or myself to eat it. Are we just weird? Has anybody ever felt that way? I completely agree that wasting the meat would be a shame, and believe it or not, I have people lined up wanting to get some meat chickens from us, but I just can’t get myself to process them, not sure why. We’d just end up burying a dead rooster. It’s horrible but I am not sure what to do other than dispatch it and give it to somebody that wants chicken but they’d have to take it apart.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I have a plethora of critters including hens and roos buried behind the barn. This was actually easier. It just seems to make more sense to put the roos to some use rather than just burying them behind the barn. Watching the roos torment my hens was driving them AND me nuts. I'd had enough. One of my hens was so traumatized, she wouldn't leave the raised areas in the coop unless I was out there with her. Egg production was WAY down. I'm going to re-name the place "Bald-back Acres".

My neighbour has been after me for ages for the meat so today I figured, I'll give it a try. She kept one bird for her trouble and gave me the other. I have yet to eat it but I do intend to try.

 

[Avalon1984]

Well that makes me a feel a whole lot better. So far I haven't had any troubles with roosters but I know it is only a matter of time. I will also respect my husbands wish of not butchering anything, even if I had the guts to do it. He has been a peaceful person since we got married and has even declined his brothers wish to hunt on our property (his brother is a jerk and I am not a deer hunting fan, especially around the horses, and deer are cute and that is my opinion

) so I feel that this is very important to him as well. Like I said, I am at a point of saying that if somebody wants chicken fine, I will kill it but you do the rest. The obvious question would be how healthy that is and how long it would be safe to wait to butcher a chicken after killing and draining the blood. I cannot imagine that would be safe so I’d rather bury it. Makes good fertilizer.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

In the great grand scheme of things, it's not going to matter much whether or not you dress & eat a rooster you dispatch, or just feed him to a plant instead. I always try to bury animals at the drip line of some bush or tree so they will be in the best position for fertilizer. Another option is to give your extra roos to someone to do the whole chore from start to finish.

 

[booker81]

Quote:
I did this through the winter - picked up mean and unwanted roosters from folks in the area, with the intent of processing them for food. My craigslist ad did spell that out, and all of the folks were thrilled to give away the mean rooster. I did pick them up, they had a nice heated ride in a dog crate in the Expedition. Some families asked that I keep my purposes hush-hush around their kids, and for those, we talked about my chickens that the mean roo would potentially be joining

I would urge you to consider doing this - list unwanted chickens on craigslist, with the understanding they are free for meat. I know one of my "selling" points is that I process and kill in a pretty quiet and calm manner, no squawking or running, just a quick cut and then a dark bucket for them to relax and pass away. Even if it's a mean roo, people don't want them abused, and for me, stressed meat is tough meat, so I want to handle them calmly and humanely.

My husband hunts, but has no part in the chicken processing - or in much processing. I do our game and fish processing myself, he just hands them over. I do make him keep my knives sharp however, he can't get away scot free