First timer

[Hummingbird Hollow]

The first chicken I butchered was killed right in front of me by a bob cat. I chased the bob cat away and then decided that since I was considering purchasing some meat birds, I should use the situation as a learning experience. I discovered that the actual butchering of a chicken wasn't that big a deal, other than the sadness factor. This was one of my first 8 chickens, and was a lovely 4 month old Jersey Giant named Tyra (I wanted to name all my chicks after super models, but was over-ruled by my daughter). I had, however, been spared the most difficult part...the part where you take a living creature and turn it into a dead creature.

I decided to go ahead and order 35 Freedom Rangers this past summer and with the help of my mom, who lives next door and had never butchered chickens before either, killed, plucked, butchered and froze all but 7 of the 35 (4 were killed by a predator and 3 we decided to keep). I still have a hard time with the killing part, but as I've become more efficient and quick with it, it has become easier. Of the two pullets and one rooster we kept, I ended up deciding to dispatch the rooster when he was about 7 months old because he became a brute and was terrorizing and traumatizing my 9 hens.

I will be doing some again this next summer if my husband is OK with the idea. We had a traumatic summer this past year, having to evacuate the property for 9 days due to the Waldo Canyon fire. Evacuating with 3 kids, 2 dogs, a cat and 43 chickens has made my husband say "never again", even though I didn't ask him to be any part of the raising or butchering process.

 

[gg706]

I actually have killed 2 hens. They were egg bound and after 2 days still could not pass the egg so I put them out of their misery. For some reason I feel like euthanizing them would be easier than killing to eat them????? Not sure why? I was thinking about getting some Cornish X because of the "time limit"...if I don't butcher they will start dieing anyway.

 

[skunknchatter]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who had to "come to terms" with killing my "pets". However, I am very lucky to have a hubby who will do the dirty work. I just get a fresh chicken to put in the pot. We started raising a beef cow each year a couple of years ago and I wasn't sure I liked that. But once I tried home grown beef I decided it was a very good idea. Same with this chicken. There is a lot of satisfaction that goes into cooking dinner for my family that I raised. Not just from a chick but I raised the hen, that laid the egg, then hatched the egg, and raised the chick, then (hubby) slaughtered it, and I cooked it, and we ate it. (Ha ha that sounded kinda like the nursery rhyme about the old lady who swallowed a fly). I think we'll try meat birds as well as laying hens this spring.

 

[kacklinkelly]

I love learning from everyone on this forum. We got our first 3 chicks in October (against hubby's wishes) He then built them a home. We are patiently waiting eggs and enjoying our pets together. Now I am wanting to learn how to raise cornish x for the meat. Hubby is asking me to slow down. He had a butchering experience as a kid (60 chicks that he had no idea were going to be butchered and he was told to hold the heads as his dad wacked off the heads and the headless chickens ran around while bleeding out) says he would never want to do it again. He's grown more citified I guess. Our son's girlfriend says she will assist with the harvest when the time comes. Her family also skinned their chickens. She says it's easier and less messy than plucking. Am still working up the nerve to harvest. Talking about it and doing it are 2 different things. Also figuring out where to hold them for 10 weeks and what the conversation with hubby is going to sound like

.

 

[clfromok]

Im subscribing to your posts-Like minded people. I agree that I too will be sad if I have to put down a creature because of injury, illness & even also to provide sustenance.
I had to chuckle at the conversation. In todays "politically correct" society were made to feel like we're wrong or heartless people if we would say I'm going to eat my....(animal)
I posted this on another forum, thought Id share:
No one is right or wrong. I love my girls & spoil them like pets but the way I was raised by generations of farm folks was that your animals were for food or work. I can't tell you how many times I was told not to name or get attached to a critter because they were given to us by God to serve us
Dogs were to protect, heard or hunt. Horse to plow rope or ride. Pigs, cattle & fowl for nutrition & materials. Our "human" lives depended on them. In turn we treat them as well as possible. Now people can afford to make these wonderful animals pets. We can spoil them. But dont forget where we came from or judge others if they look at their animals as the gifts from the Lord that they are- food to feed our families, to provide materials & strength to ease our labor. A hundred years ago not an eyebrow would have been raised. You kept & raised animals to provide for families.
Today however with the privledges of our modern world, its absolutly acceptable to have animals to love (& spoil) as just pets as well. Lets remember its not our place to judge right or wrong. It is our privledge to choose for ourselves.

 

[bamachicks8]

I actually have killed 2 hens. They were egg bound and after 2 days still could not pass the egg so I put them out of their misery.   For some reason I feel like euthanizing them would be easier than killing to eat them?????  Not sure why?  I was thinking about getting some Cornish X because of the "time limit"...if I don't butcher they will start dieing anyway.

Euthanasia thanks thinks that is the solution to the *** am I gonna do with a rooster if I accidentally end up with one (hate them) and didn't want to keep it around long enough to eat although I don't think I would have a problem eating it hens on the other hand....;-(

 

[wyoDreamer]

I posted this on another forum, thought Id share:
No one is right or wrong. I love my girls & spoil them like pets but the way I was raised by generations of farm folks was that your animals were for food or work. I can't tell you how many times I was told not to name or get attached to a critter because they were given to us by God to serve us
Dogs were to protect, heard or hunt. Horse to plow rope or ride. Pigs, cattle & fowl for nutrition & materials. Our "human" lives depended on them. In turn we treat them as well as possible. Now people can afford to make these wonderful animals pets. We can spoil them. But dont forget where we came from or judge others if they look at their animals as the gifts from the Lord that they are- food to feed our families, to provide materials & strength to ease our labor. A hundred years ago not an eyebrow would have been raised. You kept & raised animals to provide for families.
Today however with the privledges of our modern world, its absolutly acceptable to have animals to love (& spoil) as just pets as well. Lets remember its not our place to judge right or wrong. It is our privledge to choose for ourselves.

What a lovely way to say it!
Thank you.

 

[gram of five]

TamTurkey,

How many chickens have you brought in at one time and how do you trans port them? I think that is how we will do it this time, but I wonder how to transport them.
I have been glued to this thread, learning so much.
I watched a utube that someone posted on another link too and that really helped me. I am not sure I would be able to do it, but I wish there was someone to teach me the way she did it. So gentle, kind and most of all respectful of the critter. It was amazing.

Anyway, thanks everyone for the info. Hopefully will be getting some dual purpose this spring and will save some to add to our egg layers and the rest we will have as meat.