D'uccle Thread

[SIMZ]

My daughter ordered 3 d'Uccle chicks that all turned out to be roosters last spring. We tried for a few months to find homes for the two extras and simply couldn't. Much to her dislike we processed them with our meaties. We discussed that "chicken farming" has its tough parts, and dealing with extra roosters was the biggest! I taught her how to make chicken soup with them (while desperately trying to keep a straight face dealing with those tiny carcasses). Believe it or not, she was really proud of her jars of soup and thought they were the best she'd ever had. It's all perspective!

We have lots of chicks in the incubator right now, and I suspect we'll go through the same lesson in a few months. But, in desperate times, you can get about a pint and a half of soup out of each cockerel.

I know some of you will be horrified at this. I'm sorry - I would have been at one point, too! Humane treatment is VERY important to us, but we also can't afford to keep a 1,000 chickens. We've accepted that raising chickens is going to mean processing them and using them for food.

 

[Phoenix Farms]

I just couldn't. I'm one of those people who would wait a year and just make separate pens for them before culling my own birds. Now if they are causing a problem by killing hens and other roosters then I feel totally fine in having some nice chicken soup outa them. But a sweet one who deserves a home I wouldn't cull.

 

[tandersphoenix]

A saying I have clung onto for a long time, a man said " sell and keep the best and eat the rest" works pretty good. Sometimes to get the traits you need you have to breed a couple hundred chicks and only keep a few.

 

[Overoberyl]

I really appreciate everyone's perspectives and experience. As much as I am a softie, I really don't want to hang onto lots of extra birds, I think I will make a concerted effort to rehome and if there are no takers, will probably process. Was just a little perplexed about the thought of processing a small bird like a D'Uccle, but glad to hear that others do and it's an option that is still ok with this breed.

 

[Lorilyn Farms]

Just to warn you, I've tried snapping necks before, and i'm lousy at it. usually the darn bird gets up and runs away with a broke neck! Be prepared to try several times to get it right! AND YES, IT BREAKS THE HEART WHEN YOU FAIL TO DO IT RIGHT AND HAVE TO DO IT REPEATEDLY. I suck as a farmer....

 

[joanie_maine]

Just to warn you, I've tried snapping necks before, and i'm lousy at it. usually the darn bird gets up and runs away with a broke neck! Be prepared to try several times to get it right! AND YES, IT BREAKS THE HEART WHEN YOU FAIL TO DO IT RIGHT AND HAVE TO DO IT REPEATEDLY. I suck as a farmer....

Everyone is probably going to hate me, but...the way to do this is snap the best you can and then hang on and choke. Don't look at the bird, hold it close and don't let it flap (freaks me out) and in a few minutes it will be gone. I always feel like crap about this, but it's something that has to be done. Time is money...looking for folks to take roos away could be time spent on the welfare of other birds.

 

[CGinJCMO]

I taught her how to make chicken soup with them (while desperately trying to keep a straight face dealing with those tiny carcasses). Believe it or not, she was really proud of her jars of soup and thought they were the best she'd ever had. It's all perspective!

in desperate times, you can get about a pint and a half of soup out of each cockerel.

Good to know that there's something else that can be done with tiny chickens...I've only baked my large birds because by the time I am done processing, I don't feel like breaking it into the various parts that you get at the grocery store. It takes me two hours to do one bird (4 hours when I did two at a time the first time I did it, 2 hours when I did just one a few months later).

Just to warn you, I've tried snapping necks before, and i'm lousy at it. usually the darn bird gets up and runs away with a broke neck! Be prepared to try several times to get it right! AND YES, IT BREAKS THE HEART WHEN YOU FAIL TO DO IT RIGHT AND HAVE TO DO IT REPEATEDLY. I suck as a farmer....

I turned my "I'm a bad killer" story into a funny narrative. I watched the youtube videos of cutting the jugular and thought I could do that. I couldn't cut thru the feathers and skin, and didn't get the blood flow when I finally did. Then I tried what my dad did: head under stick and pull. Again - FAILED. Finally 13 year old son got the ax and a couple of whacks later we finally got the job done. Processing the last one, I went straight to the ax job. Still took two chops to do the job. Hopefully, I'm getting better...but it still isn't easy. I'm sure there are other people here with similar stories.

CG

 

[mstricer]

The ax is the easiest way with small birds. I usually sell my extras at auction, or swaps. At swaps there is always someone that wants the birds for food and will buy all if they are at the right price.

 

[Stewzoo]

Just to warn you, I've tried snapping necks before, and i'm lousy at it. usually the darn bird gets up and runs away with a broke neck! Be prepared to try several times to get it right! AND YES, IT BREAKS THE HEART WHEN YOU FAIL TO DO IT RIGHT AND HAVE TO DO IT REPEATEDLY. I suck as a farmer....

Ugh, I had a sick roo that I knew wasn't going to make it. I held his head repeatedly in my hands trying to muster courage to do so. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was in tears, hubby was not home and it needed to be done. I went inside and found the .22 rifle. I found this to be fast and efficient and I could look away while "doing the deed". It pained me to do it, but it was harder to watch him suffer.

 

[Phoenix Farms]

I've decided to wait with my little Roos and pair them up with some of the pullets. The "mean" one has quit his meaness after I did the holding him down. Now, we have a bunch of huge roosters who have already killed two of our smaller hens. They killed one of my SQ Phoenix pullets who I planned on showing. I was not happy. They arent even my roosters and I'm trying as fast as I can to move my Phoenixes to a different pen. All of my D'uccles will always be separated.