does anyone ever get used to killing and eating their birds

[Dogfish]

Not remotely religious, but I do say a kind word to my birds on slaughter day. My CX, there is no attachment with, but I do appreciate that they feed my family. My turkeys, well, that's another issue. they are pretty cool, and I had a bad day when I killed my tom and hen last year. Felt pretty sad. Gave them a nice eulogy on Thanksgiving.

We are hunters in my family, so between myself and the two boys, we pretty much kill everything we eat, fish, deer, elk, game birds, etc. We always say a good word for the animals we take. I think that little bit of remorse is what makes us human.

 

[kstaven]

Quote:
Couldn't agree more. I don't get upset over slaughtering an animal for food. But do get upset over seeing an injured animal.

 

[sandcat]

wow such wonderful words of wisdom, this is more than i ever expected when i asked the question, does anyone ever get used to killing and eating their birds? I have thought very hard about this and with your help on this thread I think i can continue on my way with trying to live sustainably. Thanks again to everyone that replied, you are all an inspiration to me

 

[Delmar]

We have butchered cows and pigs in the past. The farmer killed them and we spent the day cutting meat. Seems to me it is easier to do that part several times before you do the start to finish. I butchered 3 roosters a few weeks ago. They were starting to be really mean to the girls, which made it a lot easier for Mrs Delmar to let go. She is starting to embrace the idea that pullets and hens are pets. Roosters are meat!

 

[kstaven]

Doing the mean ones always makes the job easier.

We had a Dexter cow that killed 40 chickens, put our Toggenburg buck through a fence and charged several people. My wife came around to butchering mindset really quickly. After that experience the butchering of chickens was no problem.

 

[booker81]

Quote:
Heh, this. I hadn't processed chickens since school, and when I got straight run chicks from TSC, my deal with them was whoever was a bad roo would be stew.

I ended up processing three of them total from that batch, and as they swore at me in chicken speak and looks, it wasn't too mentally painful to end them. I knew if they held the scalpel, they'd be more than happy to cut my throat.

Since then I've done a lot more, and it's easier now that I have a routine down and can carefully and calmly dispatch them without too much stress and fear for the chicken. It still is a mental preparation to end a life, but that life will feed my family, and it's my duty to end it as humanely as possible.

 

[Delmar]

Processed 3 roosters for a friend yesterday. Got home and had a message from another friend offering me 6 more roosters if I want them. Yes I do!

 

[chickpeaz]

I appreciate all the honest feedback on this topic! I know in all honesty that if DH or I had to do the butchering, we would end up overrun by chickens. I had one mean roo that DH dispatched (with a shotgun) when he wouldn't stop beating up on me and the kids -- he said he would never do it again. He gave up hunting as a teenager because he couldn't bear killing a creature, so I should have expected that it wouldn't be any easier with an animal around the farm.

So I have never slaughtered my own birds -- we take them to a poultry processor and he does the "dirty work" for us. It makes it MUCH easier. They go in one end of the building squawking and come out the other end neatly bagged like groceries. We're obviously not as self-sufficient as some would like to be, but it's a good compromise for us. We raise happy healthy birds that live a good life full of bugs and sunshine, and they meet their end in as humane a way as we could ask for, and we have delicious poultry on the table at the end of the day.

All that being said, I have to admit that I'm speaking just to our excess cockerels (>6mos old) here. Our hens will live out their days in my old age home for chickens, as I just can't see butchering an animal that has lived with us and given me daily eggs for years. They've already been "useful" and I'm rather attached to the old dears...no stew pot for my old hens.

 

[louloubean]

it's never a pleasant nor easy task, but i am thankful i have the ability to raise and prepare my own meat.
i made that choice, i think i have to honor that by making sure my food is raised and slaughtered humanely.

 

[sandcat]

I know what you mean about the mean ones, the drakes we killed were getting a bit aggressive and i knew we had to many for the ammount of ducks we had, i look foward to doing another one soon and hopefull i will be able to eat some.