Dual purpose birds for meat

[Ridgerunner]

This doesn't even address the conflicting emotions I have about the whole thing.

As a kid Mom would tell me she wanted a chicken to cook so I'd go get one and process it to the point it was plucked and gutted. That doesn't mean I ever enjoy the killing part, even if it is a chicken that has caused problems. I don't enjoy it but I wouldn't keep chickens if I wasn't going to eat them. I mostly hatch my own so they would never have lived to start with.

I don't know if this helps but your chickens have had a great life up until the point they had a bad moment. That's part of your effort on this thread, to make that bad moment as short as you can. Unless you are willing to give up eating meat and such I don't know how you could do it any better.

 

[theuglychick]

Very well said and it does help. I thought I was just being a weenie, lol.

One reason that I love the deer meat that my hubby brings home is because the deer enjoy life just being deer right up until they are killed. They live and die in the woods.

The processing part doesn't bother me at all. My dads whole family were trappers and skinners and I grew up playing in a fur shed watching (and enjoying) every part of the skinning and tanning process. Strange, I know. I know the dispatch part will never be easy or fun but I think I can do it.

Thanks for the encouragement.

You're very welcome. I know it's not pleasant but look up the killing cone method on you tube or humane chicken processing etc. You'll find some really great videos. We watched loads of them before we attempted it. Honestly I cried the first bird we processed. It was a hard thing for me to come to terms with killing a bird I had raised and cared for and loved. It gets a lot easier if you have too many rowdy cockerals and the girls are in danger from their antics. Not easy I don't think it should be easy to take a life but its been a great life and a kind decent quick end.

Also I wanted to mention that bc you cut the artery to their brain they're unconsious almost instantly from lack of oxygen and blood flow they really don't even feel it or react if you have a sharp enough knife. Be sure you don't try and cut through feather b that will dull the know and ruin your cut. Also don't try and process in cold wether if you can help it bc it can increase clotting. Roosters are especially good at clotting off an adaptation developed from their fighting and sparring.

Again I've also heard you can stab through the roof of the mouth if you're worried bring they won't bleed out as well.

You're very welcome. I know it's not pleasant but look up the killing cone method on you tube or humane chicken processing etc. You'll find some really great videos. We watched loads of them before we attempted it. Honestly I cried the first bird we processed. It was a hard thing for me to come to terms with killing a bird I had raised and cared for and loved. It gets a lot easier if you have too many rowdy cockerals and the girls are in danger from their antics. Not easy I don't think it should be easy to take a life but its been a great life and a kind decent quick end.

Also I wanted to mention that bc you cut the artery to their brain they're unconsious almost instantly from lack of oxygen and blood flow they really don't even feel it or react if you have a sharp enough knife. Be sure you don't try and cut through feather b that will dull the know and ruin your cut. Also don't try and process in cold wether if you can help it bc it can increase clotting. Roosters are especially good at clotting off an adaptation developed from their fighting and sparring.

Again I've also heard you can stab through the roof of the mouth if you're worried bring they won't bleed out as well.

As a kid Mom would tell me she wanted a chicken to cook so I'd go get one and process it to the point it was plucked and gutted. That doesn't mean I ever enjoy the killing part, even if it is a chicken that has caused problems. I don't enjoy it but I wouldn't keep chickens if I wasn't going to eat them. I mostly hatch my own so they would never have lived to start with.

I don't know if this helps but your chickens have had a great life up until the point they had a bad moment. That's part of your effort on this thread, to make that bad moment as short as you can. Unless you are willing to give up eating meat and such I don't know how you could do it any better.

 

[Parront]

This was a great read, thank you for sharing!

Everyone has what they are most comfortable with. One of the members here linked to a great site with the automatic pluckers, man those look great! Here you go: https://www.feathermanequipment.com/
You can see a lot of great video linked to their site, and how it is set up.

 

[theuglychick]

Oooh! They had me at their mission statement!

Everyone has what they are most comfortable with. One of the members here linked to a great site with the automatic pluckers, man those look great! Here you go: https://www.feathermanequipment.com/
You can see a lot of great video linked to their site, and how it is set up.

 

[Parront]

Oooh! They had me at their mission statement!

I missed that, too busy looking at the pictures to read! A little expensive, but soooo cooool for people who have to kill some birds. I do not like doing it, but I did it enough to get ok with doing it.

 

[theuglychick]

Yea, I don't have a lot of moneys. Which plays a part in resorting to killing and eating my own birds like a savage plebeian.

But at least on that site I get a glimpse how the rich chicken people live!

Champagne wishes and fancy automatic chicken plucker dreams!

I missed that, too busy looking at the pictures to read! A little expensive, but soooo cooool for people who have to kill some birds. I do not like doing it, but I did it enough to get ok with doing it.

 

[cavemanrich]

@theuglychick
Well,, I run across another person that uses the word plebeian. I skip the savage part though.
Most when they hear it have no IDEA what it means.
BTW I'm only about 25% thru reading your Feral Chicken Thread. Started yesterday and of course started with first post. I wont cheat and jump to last posting. Its Just Too Intense and FUN.

 

[theuglychick]

It's such a good word!

Thank you, hope you enjoy our adventure over there. I wont spoils it for you but be warned! We get off topic... like a lot!

Someone always makes a feeble attempt to bring it back to the original point, but we kind of fail.

@theuglychick
Well,, I run across another person that uses the word plebeian. I skip the savage part though.
Most when they hear it have no IDEA what it means.
BTW I'm only about 25% thru reading your Feral Chicken Thread. Started yesterday and of course started with first post. I wont cheat and jump to last posting. Its Just Too Intense and FUN.

 

[Parront]

@theuglychick
Well,, I run across another person that uses the word plebeian. I skip the savage part though.
Most when they hear it have no IDEA what it means.
BTW I'm only about 25% thru reading your Feral Chicken Thread. Started yesterday and of course started with first post. I wont cheat and jump to last posting. Its Just Too Intense and FUN.

Ditto on feral chicken thread, and us plebs can't be choosy on how we do in our hens!

 

[chickendreams24]

You could always make a whizzbang plucker or find someone that could build you one. They're much cheaper.

My DH2B is building us one I'm super excited!