How to process processing

[Ninjasquirrel]

It is less personal if you're processing a number of birds at the same time and not just one.

I name my birds things like Dumpling, Noodle, Stew, etc. as a reminder that they are livestock, not pets.

Do you know which aspect of the job bothers him the most?

What bothered me most during the process was the flapping -- I was using the broomstick method so holding a frantically-flapping bird by the ankles was a bit disturbing until I understood that the really STRONG flapping indicated the swiftest, most effective, most merciful killing. We're considering trying killing cones to see if it's more efficient, especially because the arthritis in my wrists is worse now.

You might consider the different methods to see which is the least upsetting.

My husband doesn't want to do the killing himself, but thinks he could handle the other parts.

We use the broomstick method as well. He does not want to do more than one at a time. I think the problem is his strategy. I told him to use a broomstick but he has insisted on using a stick and yesterday was an old broom handle. The stick he apparently misunderstood that both feet must be on the stick when you pull up. Once he figured that out it was done. Yesterday with the old broom handle...it broke. The bird still died but probably not as quickly as planned. I dont know if that is his issue or if it's the removal of the organs that bothers him.

 

[3KillerBs]

We use the broomstick method as well. He does not want to do more than one at a time. I think the problem is his strategy. I told him to use a broomstick but he has insisted on using a stick and yesterday was an old broom handle. The stick he apparently misunderstood that both feet must be on the stick when you pull up. Once he figured that out it was done. Yesterday with the old broom handle...it broke. The bird still died but probably not as quickly as planned. I dont know if that is his issue or if it's the removal of the organs that bothers him.

I used an ax handle that had lost it's head so it was both very strong and easy for me to stand on.

Getting the correct pull is tricky. It's upsetting if the kill isn't clean and it's upsetting if the head comes off. But one of the advantages is that you don't get a bloody mess sprayed all over like a hatchet kill.

Did he have a teacher or has he had to figure it out for himself?

Weirdly, I was taught to kill chickens by an Army survival instructor, but I still had some misses in the learning stage both with not getting a clean kill and with pulling the head off.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

This is a hard part about poultry raising.

But its really really important we as a country know how to raise and grow our food. That includes processing them.

One of the reasons we're having so many problems as a country is that only about 2% of the country knows how to grow its own food. And we're trying to get foreigners to do it.

And guess what,...

These foreigners hate us. We're seeing evidence of that pile up this year. There were many farm failures last year also, and in Europe. At one point last year they were saying that about 2,000 farms a day were failing in Europe, due to all kinds of mayhem and problems.

So it won't work for us to not be self sufficient; speaking non-politically and as a self sufficiency point of view.

I agree with you fully on this which is why we are making these efforts. We personally are 3 generations removed from raising our own food. His grandma was the daughter of a farmer and my grandfather was the son of a farmer. We garden every year and have been raising chickens for 3 years. We built an extension on our coop and bought straight runs but most of them were unfortunately roos. We have 8 golden comet hens and 12 barred rocks. Of the 12 barred rocks at least 8 that we know for sure are roos. We plan to keep one and incubate eggs. He has processed 2 but that means he still has to do 5 more at least. We have 2 that we are unsure about. 1 looks like a roo but has never crowed and the other looks like a hen but just started crowing yesterday. We are trying to keep the most timid rooster so it's really a lottery.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I used an ax handle that had lost it's head so it was both very strong and easy for me to stand on.

Getting the correct pull is tricky. It's upsetting if the kill isn't clean and it's upsetting if the head comes off. But one of the advantages is that you don't get a bloody mess sprayed all over like a hatchet kill.

Did he have a teacher or has he had to figure it out for himself?

Weirdly, I was taught to kill chickens by an Army survival instructor, but I still had some misses in the learning stage both with not getting a clean kill and with pulling the head off.

Weirdly I taught him. I can talk about it but I can't do it myself. I killed a raccoon that was trying to get in the coop last year. Buried it in the yard, made a makeshift cross for his grave, and cried for about 6 hours. I can do it if I need to but I'm way too sensitive.

I demonstrated it to him with a stuffed animal and a broom. I then showed him a youtube video but it was entirely in spanish. He watched other videos about the removal of the organs and plucking. I have offered to remove the organs for him as long as it is headless and feetless but he insists that it is his job. Im hoping once he becomes more confident that he will feel better about it

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm hoping once he becomes more confident that he will feel better about it.

In a way, killing shouldn't be too easy.

I don't feel bad about harvesting the chickens in due time, but I think that it should never be approached without an attitude of respect, even awe.

I made very careful full use of the chickens I processed myself so that nothing would be wasted.

 

[BantyChooks]

Personally, I like to use a short length of small rebar. Maybe 1/2" diameter. I find that it produces a sharper bend than a broomstick and is easier to handle. Plus, it doesn't snap.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Personally, I like to use a short length of small rebar. Maybe 1/2" diameter. I find that it produces a sharper bend than a broomstick and is easier to handle. Plus, it doesn't snap.

I'll suggest this to him. If the bird goes quickly maybe he will feel better. We don't really have names for them but ironically he has killed only named ones:
Butthead was first. So named because he was stealing my cigarettes. Crooked Toes was yesterday. He bit me this week badly. Apparently he bit him too as he was walking him over to the processing area. We only have 3 others with "names": Dave, White Meat and Kyle. White meat is the one we are unsure about. Kyle is in the running for keeping and Dave...he's just a jerk.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Heres White Meat and Kyle. Dave is on the floor by the stump

 

[bobbi-j]

I never look forward to processing day (which was just two days ago here). For me the hardest part is the killing, and I don’t even do it. DH uses the hatchet and stump method. Once the head is off, the bird goes into a 5-gallon bucket to keep it from bruising as it flops. (It also keeps it cleaner.) After that, DH scalds, does the main plucking and gutting and I do the detailed work - pick pin feathers and final cleaning of the cavity. What has helped me the most is to constantly remind myself that this is why we’re raising the birds. I go into is knowing we’re going to eat them, give them the best life possible, and then they have one bad moment and it’s over.

 

[Molpet]

I'll suggest this to him. If the bird goes quickly maybe he will feel better. We don't really have names for them but ironically he has killed only named ones:
Butthead was first. So named because he was stealing my cigarettes. Crooked Toes was yesterday. He bit me this week badly. Apparently he bit him too as he was walking him over to the processing area. We only have 3 others with "names": Dave, White Meat and Kyle. White meat is the one we are unsure about. Kyle is in the running for keeping and Dave...he's just a jerk.

I pick who goes by
1. Jerks, people aggressive, or rough on pullets.
2. Scrawny, but some are all feathers. Best if you can weigh
3. No tidbiting, just gobbles up all the food. If I find one that calls the girls over and is good with 1 and 2 above, he gets a chance to see if he is worthy
4. Pullets sometimes will tolerate one less than another. If I have several prospects and the girls prefer one, he has a good chance.