Handling your meat birds

[Hummingbird Hollow]

A question for you folks...I'm raising 35 Freedom Rangers, my first experiment with meat birds. I've tried to be sure they have adequate food and water, plenty of space and fresh air and tried not to get attached to them. Things got complicated when we had to evacuate the household, dogs, cat, 8 adult chickens and 35 5-week-old Freedom Rangers due to a forest fire and I ended up housing them in my sister-in-law's garage for 8 days. Due to the unusual living conditions, I ended up having to handle them more than I really wanted to, moving them from her garage into their mini-van coop every night. I always tried to grab them with both hands over their back and wings so that they didn't flap around, trying to make the transfer as calm and gentle as possible.

A week into the evacuation, I found a very kind person who agreed to "foster" my birds until we could pick them up. They have all sorts of chickens, other poultry and livestock and had a very roomy spare coop/run ready to go. I was sort of alarmed when we arrived and they just reached into the mobile-coop and grabbed the leg or legs of a bird in one hand and the leg or legs of a second in the other hand and transported them to the new coop upside-down. It seemed so... unkind, considering the way I've always handled them. I didn't say anything, just grateful to have a safe place out of my sister-in-laws garage, but what do you all think about handling chickens this way. Am I just a wuss? How do you pick up your chickens (other than the final time when I realize that hanging them by the legs may be part of your slaughtering technique)?

 

[jrsckn]

I'm on week 5 of my CX and they are my first meat birds as well. I handle them gently, the same way you do. I don't want to stress them out any more than necessary and I certainly don't want to injure their potentially fragile feet or legs by dangling their heavy bodies from them. I would however, not be concerned with injuring a lighter bird that way but even then, I want my chickens to like me, not fear me.

 

[Pyrates4Poultry]

Gulp! I'd have said something! I love life and treasure it even if it is meat for the table in time. Being kind should be part of the process, in my opinion. I have a 10 week old, 15 lb turkey with an injured leg. My fault, I was digging post holes for a new coop with the birds out, the dog ran by, startled the birds and one fell in one of the post holes. Although he will likely be dinner in several months, He's currently separated from the flock, in his own smaller coop, spends his days lounging on the back porch eating treats, gets daily soaks in the bathtub in epsom salts to reduce swelling in his poor foot... I want him well. I want them free from fear. I agree with you.

 

[mstricer]

They are not as fragile as one wants to believe. They get leg issues from improper feeding. I do the same to chicks that all want to hide in a corner. I have pulled back muscles trying to be gentle. They make leg grabbers, so it isn't the wrong way to do it. Sorry

 

[what did I do]

I pick mine up like you do. My kids, on the other hand, like to hang them by their feet. It will not hurt them yo hang by their feet. You can carry more birds when you pick them up by their feet.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Gulp! I'd have said something! I love life and treasure it even if it is meat for the table in time. Being kind should be part of the process, in my opinion... I want them free from fear. I agree with you.

Yeah, that was the main reason to experiment with raising meat birds. Having raised 8 layers for the past year, I've learned that, while not rocket scientists, chickens are nifty creatures with individual personalities and ways at interacting with their world. I figured I either needed to raise my own, and know that they had a been treated with kindness and had a good environment to live in, or stop eating chicken.

I didn't say anything because I was between a rock and a hard place, needing to get those birds out of my sister-in-law's suburban garage before they caused trouble for her but not yet able to move them back to our house due to the fire. I didn't want to insult the owner of the ranch who had been so generous with a complete stranger. I feel slightly guilty and ungrateful just bringing it up, but was curious as to what you all would say.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I pick mine up like you do. My kids, on the other hand, like to hang them by their feet. It will not hurt them yo hang by their feet. You can carry more birds when you pick them up by their feet.

Ha! Your kids probably beg you to swing them around by their feet! There were times when my kids were young that I wished I could hang them in a sack from the rafters, like a bunch of onions, to keep them out of trouble,

 

[booker81]

I've often carried by the feet, hanging upside down generally gets and keeps them calm and not struggling. I can carry four at a time this way, two in each hand. It's a pretty common way to carry chickens for a short time.

The stress would come from leaving them in that position for a long time, more than a couple minutes. When they go upside down, they relax and kinda zonk out, but after a while, they can have a hard time breathing and may struggle. For transit though, it's much easier and really, much calmer for the chicken if it's not commonly carried or handled. It also cuts down the likelihood of them scratching you if they start to struggle.

I still will do the two hand carry with chickens, but the moment they start to fret, I flip them over to being upside down to get them to relax.

I wouldn't worry about it, the folks know how to efficiently move chickens from one place to another.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

... When they go upside down, they relax and kinda zonk out, but after a while, they can have a hard time breathing and may struggle. For transit though, it's much easier and really, much calmer for the chicken if it's not commonly carried or handled. It also cuts down the likelihood of them scratching you if they start to struggle.

I still will do the two hand carry with chickens, but the moment they start to fret, I flip them over to being upside down to get them to relax.

I wouldn't worry about it, the folks know how to efficiently move chickens from one place to another.

I did notice that they seemed to go limp when she had them upside down, no flapping or squawking. Your reply makes me feel a bit better, as well as convincing me that the "cone" method is the one I want to use when the big day comes. Thanks.

 

[Buster52]

Both grabbing by the wings and by the feet are acceptable, common practices done by people who have handled a lot of chickens. The only problem I would see is if it was done roughly, and that would be an issue no matter which techniques was used.

And humane treatment of animals is the number one reason I raise and sell meat birds. It sure ain't the money.