Emotional support needed to kill mean rooster

[EggWalrus]

Even if you never go hunting, it would be advisable to take a hunter safety course also. It will teach you what to expect during hunting season so you don't get shot on accident by someone else.

 

[ShannonR]

For anyone confused or put off by the fact the roo was shot- and a hen was also unintentionally hit...we are not hunters. I've never killed anything, seen anything shot for food in person, gutted fresh meat, raised livestock for food, ect ect ect...
This is a whole new ballgame, of course it won't be perfect. But quite frankly, I really don't mind the process and I even enjoyed it a little. There's a sense of satisfaction knowing I will be feeding my family something I know had a good life, good food, good hens, and didn't have some crazy growth hormones, crammed in a tiny cage never to see daylight

Hey, no judgement here!! I'm glad you found what works for you. I'm also relieved that the collateral damage was a hen that isn't very bright and one you don't seem overly attached to.

 

[Kusanar]

I'm impressed by yall's determination to have wholesome, safe, clean food. But I would recommend taking a course online (or in the real world preferably) on gun safety. Owning and using a gun is a big responsibility. And there is a lot more to it than just hitting what you aim at. I'm glad there weren't any kids in the bush where the hen was. A gun safety course can teach you how to avoid a gun backfiring and killing or maiming you, how far away a stray or missed shot can kill someone, plus 1000s of other safety things someone not raised up using guns might not realize.
Wishing y'all the best.

Exactly, case in point. A few years ago we had a baby skunk in our parking lot at work, people freaked out, decided he was rabid, so they called animal control who came out and shot him. They missed a few times and the bullets ricocheted due to dry ground and imbedded themselves in an air conditioning unit. Imagine if a person had walked out of the building while this was happening, or a car was there... you need to consider that the bullet is likely NOT going to stop and think about where it is going to go before you even THINK about pulling the trigger.

 

[Bcolpetzer]

We use the cones, let them rest a few moments to settle down. Then with a gloved hand hold their head covering their eyes. Slice with a sharp knife, it’s very quick with no bad reactions. I also worried when we decided to raise meat birds that we would chicken out about doing it. Truth is when our Cornish rocks reach the size to butcher 6-7 weeks they are big, having trouble moving around and you know in your heart it’s time or they will start suffering. So that helps us. If I had a mean rooster I would set my mind to its best for the flock to stop this behavior.

 

[nikkii]

So I've been playing around with the idea of raising meat chickens lately but I don't know if I have the guts to kill them when it's time has come. But now I have a rooster that needs to go he is mean. So this seems like as good as time as any to try out the butchering process before I decide to raise meat chickens. Is there any Humane quick ways to off the rooster where I wouldn't have to look at him. I think if I didn't physically see him when I was doing it it would be a lot easier

Most roosters are mean, that is just there nature. We had a rooster for years that some how became so tame, we held him everyday and he was the sweetest guy. A few years back we rescued a chick, that turned into a rooster and he has attacked everybody but everyone knows now, you cannot turn your back on him. Funny thing is, you can hold him and he is like a big baby. I personally could not kill any of my chickens or my rooster...as much as the rooster as been a butthead, he is still our pet but I know not everyone thinks that way.

 

[nancylee679]

I recently killed my rooster. He got very mean. Hardest thing I ever did. I used a cone and the killing wasn’t the hardest part. It was the plucking and cleaning his carcass. But I did it and will never do it again. I eat meat and it’s not a PETA thing. I just don’t want to work that hard for a chicken dinner. I made him into Arroz con Pollo. Mexican chicken and rice. But never again!

 

[Drkstr]

As a kid grandma always raised a meat flock. If you pick them up, and hang them by their legs upside down they pass out, then put their head between two nails driven into a stump pull and chop their necks with a machete or cleaver. Done. No pain. Sounds graphic I do apologize but that's how it was done round here. The chickens didnt suffer, and we always had meat. A quick side note. Meat chickens die if you don't kill them, they are bred to grow so large a breast and fill out so fast that they never even really feather out completely. Their hearts cannot grow normaly because of the advanced growth rate, they die of heart failure usually. It's sad I'd rather see them go quickly or not be raised at all.

 

[as110]

I recommend you get help with the first one and learn how to do it properly. Hold the feet and let someone else make the cut with a sharp blade. The broom method seems horrible. What if you can't yank it hard enough and you don't kill the bird? I couldn't trust myself to do it. I am pretty wimpy without a lot of strength. I learned the cut into the carotid artery is quick, just like when you cut your finger it isn't an excruciating pain, and bleed the bird out. Bleeding does not hurt. Your bird passes out first and then stops breathing. No matter how well people mean with twisting the neck and yanking the head off, it hurts, imagine yourself how you would like it, and saying it is only for a second is just rationalizing that it's OK. I know at the end they need to be gone quickly so whatever method works for people is what they should use. If you use an axe, you really need to aim well and with a sharp tool. I have seen a butcher job that went wrong with a crappy blade and the bird did not die easily and I ended up with bruised meat full of blood that I couldn't touch when I cooked it. That was done by someone I trusted he could do it and I will never ask that person again. I'm sure people have stories. At the end I paid the processor plant to kill my birds. And please don't use carbon monoxide or drown your rooster. I didn't read everyone's response so if my post does not jive, it's OK, just move on. I am not trying to start an argument, just trying to find a way that is humane. You should thank your animals for their precious gift that they give you when you slaughter them. It's their job to be food, and we can be compassionate to end their lives when it's time, whether from being aggressive, or fat enough, or whatever reason we decide it is time to meet their maker. It's the least we can do. You should probably look at what you are doing so you don't mess it up. An aggressive rooster could fight for his life and you could get injured if you are not looking.

 

[as110]

Most roosters are mean, that is just there nature. We had a rooster for years that some how became so tame, we held him everyday and he was the sweetest guy. A few years back we rescued a chick, that turned into a rooster and he has attacked everybody but everyone knows now, you cannot turn your back on him. Funny thing is, you can hold him and he is like a big baby. I personally could not kill any of my chickens or my rooster...as much as the rooster as been a butthead, he is still our pet but I know not everyone thinks that way.

All of the roosters that were hatched first and imprinted on us and hand raised became so aggressive they had to be put down. They were not safe to be around and never could turn our backs to them. We now know not to play or socialize with the chickens when they are growing, and we always watch the one that hatches first if it will be a rooster or a hen. It makes a difference. I now have 4 roosters. The top guy was an adult when I bought him and he is a gentleman. The second one came from an auction with 11 other roosters and he was spared for his colours. He is not top rooster and he just fits in the flock now. They divide the girls and they both have their favourite hens. The next rooster is an adolescent, hatched first, we thought it was a girl. We didn't play with him even though he was attached to me and he was the friendliest in the cage. Once he grew up he started to dance around me, ran to me, I thought he was happy to see me and I petted him on his back. He turned around and drew blood. I whacked him on the head and he has been keeping his distance ever since. He is observing the other chickens how to behave and he is getting it now. He comes when I feed but he does not charge anymore. The last rooster is a week younger. He was always attached the other one and he has never wanted to be handled and he avoids us at any cost. That's how it should be. We learned the hard way when we first started to hatch chickens, the most aggressive one hatched on my chest, he came when I called, we were teaching him tricks, he lived in the house, slept in the same room because it was too cold outside, it hatched at the wrong time. Never again LOL.

 

[Matieus27]

I like the idea of home grown meat a lot. I've never killed anything but this guy attacked my son unprovoked, and tried attacking me today, I'm not about that. I've watched a few cone videos, too bad a can't get a guillotine

When I was a kid when it was time to butcher we just grabbed them by the head and twirled them like a helicopter I wouldn’t do that now just seems mean but that used to be the way they did it when I start butchering chickens I think I’m going with the cone it looks so much easier and they look to be calm and peaceful when they go. That being said if the rooster is liable to attack when trying to gather him for the task I would recommend waiting till he is on the roost

Edit: posted before reading the whole post glad it’s taken care of enjoy you fresh chicken dinner