I did it...I butchered a chicken...and I feel mixed emotions

[leasmom]

I am very glad I did it though I had just promised two people on here that I would keep him but he crowed so loudly this morning in my suburban neighborhood it woke me up and I imagine it woke up alot of people. I didn't think I would process a chicken but I did...I feel good that I did it but it wasn't the most pleasant experience and he died horribly because I thought I had sharp knives-(chef knives)-but I didn't so it took along time for him to die...which made it worst for me. First of all, I never thought I'd kill something in my life and then to see how long it took for him to die was horrible. And then the cleaning him out part...I nearly vomited a few times but I made it...and now I know I can do it if I have to but I'm still dropping mine off at the butcher next week...

 

[arlee453]

I think it is good that to understand the process of where our food comes from and the work it takes to process that food.

Good for you! And, while it does get easier, I hope I never get complacent about butchering.

 

[max13077]

I used to think I'd have mixed emotions about it. All I'd really seen were my layers. They're so sweet and affectionate whenever you go out to feed or play with them. I thought it would be hard to kill an animal like that. Now however that I've experienced the behavior of the meat birds.... Nah I won't have a problem. The ONLY thing they care about is food. They want to eat, screw who's-ever putting it down. So, I have no emotional attachment. Grab, hang up, slice, stand back.

 

[pkeeler]

Good for you

I think everyone should have to butcher something once. Removing the guts (especially on a large mammal like a deer) is a particularly important lesson. They are held in there by so little, they are hardly attached to the skeleton at all. It makes you reflect a little on how fragile we all are.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Looks like ya done a pretty dang good job!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Congrats! I have to admit that I cried after the first day of butchering my meat birds, and like Max, I didn't have an attachment. It was just the point of actually killing something that bothered me.

But, same as you, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I CAN do it. And, supper on table of course!!

 

[leasmom]

I kept saying to myself I would never do this and now I did. I feel proud but I just wish I had the proper tools so I could spare myself the gore of watching him die...it took awhile because none of the knives were sharp enough. I know now I can do it if need be, I know I can put food on the table...I'm giving this one to a friend who has lots of grandkids, she had 7 out of 23 there with her yesterday, so she can use the meat...I know I won't have trouble eating ours, we're having them processed next week for $2.50 each...so I won't have to do it again for awhile and I am proud of myself...I was just shaking after I had completely finished...because I had killed something...I guess it's first-time guilt or something.

 

[RASTACHICKI]

Fortunately i grew up duck hunting and have no problem with having to clean out birds and/ or kill them. My dad used to make me clean all the ducks we shot. Do you use the liver or hearts or gizzards. You can make some mean gravies with those items!!!

 

[denahli]

i agree knowing WHERE your food comes from is important! I grew up on a farm so there was no escaping the truth.

I watched a Gordon Ramsay show and throughout the season they showed clips of a 'pet' project he had going. He felt it was so important for his family to understand the origins of food that they grew christmas dinner. They built a coop and everytime the kiddies went out into the pen he explained why they had them and when they got old enought he had them discuss their 'favorite parts' i.e. leg breast and showed them on the live turkey where they came from. He did not make them watch the slaughter but they knew when dinner was on the table where it came from.

The continuous dialog is SO important to not loose focus. i know my DH is gonna have mixed emotions on our first cull.

CONGRATS!!!!

 

[arlee453]

As far as the guilt of killing something....

I reflected to myself that whenever I buy a chicken (or any meat, for that matter) at the store that that animal was killed on my behalf - whether I was the one wielding the hatchet or not.

So why should I ask someone else to do the killing for me if I'm not willing to take the responsibility to do it myself. I mean the end result is a dead bird - either I killed it, or someone else killed it so I wouldn't have to feel guilty or 'bad' for killing it myself??

I don't mean that you should have to butcher any and all meat you eat yourself - just that the logic above helped me feel less 'guilt' for doing the killing.

I mean I've been eating meat for almost 40 years and not feeling much guilt about it...why should the fact that I did the killing myself make a difference?

I'm with you though - I feel really bad if the first blow doesn't decapitate the bird and it takes another blow. My goal is to give the chicken as nice a life as possible, do the dispatching in as a humane way as possible, and give thanks for the sacrifice the bird makes to put food on the table....