First butchering experience

[MissPrissy]

Here is my experience back in the summer.

We also just finished up with 27 we raised specifically for meat .

 

[ZuniBee]

Ok...try not to laugh (at me) too hard.....

Our first meat bird was a huge Cornish X that had grown so big it could barely walk. This was also the first chick I had hatched in the incubator. I ordered 25 eggs and only hatched one......

Since this was the first chicken we dispatched and we only knew what we had read on line. I wanted to make sure we did the deed in the most humane manner possible. This is why we are raising our own meat birds...

My 22 year old son and I decided it was time. My son had been sharpening a huge knife for over a week and was ready. I, being the strong man I am, quickly drank a beer to take off the edge. That didn't work so I quickly drank two more and took one with me.

We carried the bird and kept it real calm. I took the knife and, well, didn't do it. It was very hard not only because of killing something but really because I didn't know what to expect. I kept thinking the knife might not be sharp enough and kept thinking what if it doesn't cut clean and quick.

My son hesitated a couple of times too. The bird was laying there so content he went to sleep while we were taking turns passing the knife back and forth to each other. Finally my son did the kill and did it in such a manner that the bird didn’t even realize he was cut. It was a very quick and clean kill without any suffering. (of course you have the involuntary nerve flopping) The knife was extremely sharp and with one swipe the bird was dispatched. Once the bird has been killed I was surprised at how easy it was to pluck and clean. We dressed the bird following the instructions we had read. Oh, I have to say the meat was fantastic.

The hardest part is the first time doing the actual dispatching. You just don't know what to expect. Once I saw how quick was I don't have a problem with it now. Of course my son had to tell everyone that dad couldn't do it......

Our farm plan this year is 100 meat birds.... we will order 25 at a time every two weeks starting in the spring.

 

[sgray136]

I did my first dirty deed with the turkey we purchase back in May. I need to preface this story with the fact that I was in the Marine Corps and have been a police officer for 29 years. I am no stranger to bad or distasteful things.

I had researched different methods of butchering or dispatching poultry and decided that cutting their throat and letting them bleed out while they were expiring was just too slow. I opted out for the quick and easy method.

I sharpened the axe to a razor edge, set up a chopping block complete with two nails placed so I could stretch his neck out and have the nails hold his head between them long enough for me to perform the deed. I then set up our extra tall campfire tripod and looped the cord that tied his feet through the top ring so I could pull him up side down immediately after the deed. (The turkey weighed in excess of fifty pounds.)

Once everything was in place and prepared with Tom in position and looking at me I had to stop... I couldn't have him looking at me! I found an old sock and slipped it over his head and then prepped the scene again.

I raised the axe and then with a good amount of force began the down stroke...

I have shot guns at people in war time and have had to inflict pain sometimes in the course of my career without flinching or hesitating so you would think this thing I was about to do would be passé?

I blinked!

Suddenly I was being knocked backward by fifty pound bird in the middle of its death throws. As I fell back the bird came with and as the bird came with the cast iron tripod came with. Not only was I cannon balled by the bird but knocked on the head by the tripod. With each flap of his wings I was sprayed with blood that left a pattern on my overhauls plainly writing out the word "Murderer" for my wife to read when I returned inside the house.

I finally realized that by blinking I had inadvertently used the method I had attempted to avoid.

I finally recovered enough to get the tripod back up and Tom strung from it for a proper bleed out.

Tom ended up dressing out at 45.8 lbs. We found a local processor who smoked him for six days and baked him for four hours. I have never had a better holiday bird. He is now immortalized in a photo showing him in all his glory before and after that hangs on our dining room wall title "Tom Turkey 2007". This year we plan on adding "Tom Turkey 2008" to the wall starting a new family tradition.

 

[Cabbage]

I've been butchering poultry for a few years now. Started out by helping a friend. Now we do about 80 birds. At first it bothered me, but after a bit it seems fairly natural. I even started my oldest son helping when he was only 8 years old. After you kill a few birds you relize how valuable food is.

 

[MissPrissy]

sgray136 - show off LOL

 

[halo]

sgray136, that is just too funny, hahaha.

 

[sgray136]

Your first time is always worth remembering or telling about...?

 

[MissPrissy]

 

[Mark]

My family raised 10 Cornish Xs for the country youth fair. The fair was Jan 12th. DW knew the winning family, and they were known to process their chickens. I asked if I could help out and learn to process my chickens at the same time. The next day we processed about 20 chickens. I didn't dispatch any of them, but I skinned and cleaned about 8 or 9. We used the 'wringing the neck' method.

It's a lot of work taking those chickens down to legs, thighs and breasts for the freezer. We cooked one whole which turned out great, but we only did it because I was exhausted. I have new appreciation for butchers.

I haven't killed, cleaned and eaten anything since fishing as a teenager.

I found the day interesting, but hard work and somewhat dangerous. The band-aid strips on my fingers count the times the knife slipped. I generally enjoy talking about the things that interest me, but I've learned this is one subject that must be avoided! Most people I know are offended if you mention butchering a chicken. There isn't anything to do. They are just offended, and it is best to let it go. I find it strange, because the same people will be happy to eat chicken with you.