I don’t think I can do it!

[Nabiki]

Whoosh. So I just culled 3 (we have some that are less easy to sex, so I'm waiting a bit) and I admit, I'm a little traumatized.

Even so, it went fine. I thought I was going to go the old-fashioned route of neck-twisting, but that immediately didn't work and I had good kitchen shears right there to do it right before the bird noticed.

So, the issue I have with shears is that it's hard to keep them from sliding backwards and making you do two cuts, but I learned as I was doing it, and it's still so fast that they don't have time to react. (For the last one, I used my other hand to guide the top of the head so it was solidly inside the scissors. Of course, that was the one who didn't go quietly...but he went without trauma; that was all dead nerves doing their thing.)

There is shockingly little blood, and once the feathers or skin is off (I was a little overzealous scalding them and wound up skinning the last two) it's not so hard to snip open the breast and scoop out the guts, which are easily identifiable as crop, heart, gizzard, liver, lungs and intestines. I liked that I was able to save the giblets. I was a little surprised at how much digestive system there is that you have to discard...

That said, I think next time I have to cull, I'm going to see if our local live poultry place can do it. I don't mind cleaning them, but I couldn't help feeling bad for the little guys, and I'm frankly sad. I feel bad for fish, too, so if cleaning a fish doesn't bother you, it's really not that different. Just offering the perspective of a typically highly sensitive person.

Kinda like natural childbirth: am glad I did it, see no reason to ever do it again, barring being forced to during a zombie apocalypse. Bring it, zombies, I'm ready! Until then, Chicago Live Poultry it is.

When I was first considering quail, I checked with local poultry places to see if they would do it for me too, but they wouldn't. I live in chicken capital, too.

If you'd told me a year ago that I would be okay enough doing it to write an article on it, I would have thought you were crazy. It's okay to not want to to it.

 

[Mhays]

Until then, Chicago Live Poultry it is.

I guess my point is that there is no shame or harm in paying someone to butcher for you if that's an option.

I am very pro-know-where-your-food-is-from: we have "met" some of the meat we eat. We also needed to cull roosters for the sake of the flock. I get it. But, as my son pointed out, there's a reason people pay butchers.

I am glad I did it and have the experience. If it was my only way to get meat, I'd probably do it again. I tend to be hypersensitive to this sort of thing, and for that reason don't mind passing the buck; not casting any judgement on people who are more practical and pragmatic than I am. Point is, there are work-arounds.

 

[Xouie]

My dad started me helping with the butchering when I was about 10. Here’s what he taught me:

1. Have everything ready before you before you start. Efficiency helps you get through it
2. This may seem silly, but say a prayer of thanks (if you pray) and then say thank you to the quail for providing food for your family.
3. Don’t hesitate while dispatching. You know what to do and you can do it
4. Take a break between birds if you need to. Don’t traumatize yourself
5. It’s ok not to eat the birds the same day. (I always order pizza on butchering day)

I can’t say it gets easy, but you do get more comfortable/confident with it, and that it’s best for someone who knows them to do it.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I guess my point is that there is no shame or harm in paying someone to butcher for you if that's an option.

I am very pro-know-where-your-food-is-from: we have "met" some of the meat we eat. We also needed to cull roosters for the sake of the flock. I get it. But, as my son pointed out, there's a reason people pay butchers.

I am glad I did it and have the experience. If it was my only way to get meat, I'd probably do it again. I tend to be hypersensitive to this sort of thing, and for that reason don't mind passing the buck; not casting any judgement on people who are more practical and pragmatic than I am. Point is, there are work-arounds.

I agree fully. Not everyone is going to be emotionally okay to kill an aninal, even if they like meat. I LOVE meat and it took me 19 years to become okay with the fact of actually doing the butchering myself.

You should know your food comes from animals, and that eggs aren't grown in store fridges, but I don't think you should have to kill every piece of meat you want to eat

 

[Mhays]

My dad started me helping with the butchering when I was about 10. Here’s what he taught me:

1. Have everything ready before you before you start. Efficiency helps you get through it
2. This may seem silly, but say a prayer of thanks (if you pray) and then say thank you to the quail for providing food for your family.
3. Don’t hesitate while dispatching. You know what to do and you can do it
4. Take a break between birds if you need to. Don’t traumatize yourself
5. It’s ok not to eat the birds the same day. (I always order pizza on butchering day)

I can’t say it gets easy, but you do get more comfortable/confident with it, and that it’s best for someone who knows them to do it.

I think this is really good advice. I probably should have taken a break - three in a row was tough. And birds are in the freezer, partly until we have enough for a full meal, and partly until I feel OK about it.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

I’ve done fish and a rabbit.. anyone else have a tough time in the beginning?

I have filleted fish, but I still can't get up the courage to whack them on the head... I have pet rabbits so I don't think I could ever manage to kill a rabbit... even if I was starving.