First time butchering...not sure how to start

[ahappycamper]

i have some roosters i need to cull for the very first time and im not too confident that watching videos online is going to be enough to sure that i get a quick, easy and humane kill. im having trouble getting in contact with neighbors around that might be able to help me out since to my surprise, nobody in this immediate vicinity slaughters chickens. any ideas on how i can find someone to show me how it should be done on a hands on basis.? i just want to do a good job and i dont trust that i can without someones help. i live in the san diego area

 

[123RedBeard]

I'd suggest asking in this thread, as it targets chicken owners in SCAL ... maybe someone on this forum will be near by?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/california-southern.161/

 

[AstraChick]

This was the best video i watched on YouTube back when i had too many roosters

 

[pauoa]

Hi!
We first held and thanked our chicken for her eggs
used a modified inverted traffic cone;
placed a garbage bag-lined 5-gal bucket under;
placed the chicken head first (it will be upside down);
use a SHARP knife (like a hunting knife, or, at minimum, a 6-8" chef's knife) I tried using a silly little box cutter and it was not up to the task. their neck skin is a lot tougher and thicker than it looked;
and cut swiftly and confidently kind of behind their ear area - their jugular;
they bleed out and kind of shake around so that's why you need the bag;
plunged them into a large pot or another 5-gal bucket with almost boiling water (maybe we're doing it wrong but the hotter the water, the shorter time we leave them in);
start plucking the feathers out (we used gloves);
And process the rest. Search YouTube on how to process a chicken. You might like BuzzFeed's video on how cull your bird (

) starts around 3:40.
You can do it!!!

 

[aart]

This was the best video i watched on YouTube back when i had too many roosters

I found this interesting for skinning...and pulling leg tendons out, never seen that before.
But he has the crop and gizzard confused,
and took no precautions not to pierce the intestines and bile duct while gutting.

i have some roosters i need to cull for the very first time and im not too confident that watching videos online is going to be enough to sure that i get a quick, easy and humane kill.

It's scary for sure. I spent 4 months researching and looking at tons of vids and blogs and forums before I had all the equipment needed and got up the nerve for my first slaughter. You can do it, it won't be easy but you can do it!

I found this blog the best for showing how to avoid an intestine spill,
and how to find the jugular/carotid for killing.