I just "processed" my first rooster

[CMV]

Good job. It isn't fun, but it is necessary sometimes. I've gotten used to it, but I still don't like it. I also find I can't eat chicken for about a week after processing.

 

[LivinNewDreamInND]

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That is a great post! Thank you for the first timer advice, from an actually first timer. I sent my husband to TSC for a turkey fryer for scalding. I hope that will be big enough. I am not looking forward to it, but you have helped me immensely.

 

[robk0220]

We used a turkey fryer our first time processing, and will never do that again. It was barely big enough for the faverolles. We since switched to a 55 gallon drum. It is PLENTY big enough to process even our largest geese…

 

[LivinNewDreamInND]

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Ooh thanks for the heads up! How do you heat the 55 gallon drum? Do you have pictures? I can get the drum for free from my DH's work.

 

[Liamm_1]

Thank you for posting this. I too have this task looming in the coming weeks. Perhaps 4 times (I think we have 4 roos). I've watched videos too, but just can't imagine myself doing it. I keep reaffirming in my head that they've had nice lives, much better than the chickens at the store, but still...
Hopefully after the first one, it gets easier, but I don't know that yet either.

 

[growinupinfl]

I forgot where I read it, but the statement "It is not good for a man to kill chickens daily." Is a true statement. When I meet a person who is all " OH YEAH, I GET TO KILL CHICKENS TODAY!" I will run and spend a long amount of time wondering if that person is a serial killer in the making.I was a child the last time I processed chickens, I didn't enjoy it then, and I won't enjoy it now. But it is good to kill your own food. Above and beyond the fact knowing where your food comes from. One it keeps the humanity in eating meat. I believe most people in the U.S only see meat as a food stuff behind plastic.

I think this has led to several of America's problems. I think when we kill our food it does cause us to limit our meat consumption. We should only eat 2-3 servings a day of meat, it should only be the size of a deck of cards. When you look at the grossly large sandwiches, steaks, and meat people see as normal I often wonder if that is why God had us kill our food to prevent our voracious appetites leading us to deadly obesity.

Most American's are SOOO wasteful, if you look at what the average family throws away in meat and other stuff it is amazing. When we start to kill our own food even if it is only on rare occasion we get a different point of view. We start to look beyond the lights and cellophane wrappers and start to see the animals and people had to go through for that to get in those pretty lights. The people who had to feed kill sweat for that to get there. The soil that had to be tended, the crops that needed constant attention, the cotton that had to be grown and harvested for our shirt. We start to see and understand that more clearly.

For those of us who believe in God, and the Bible we understand more clearly. In our modern society we see killing the fattened calf as what ever, he killed a cow. When you raise an animal and feed it and nurture it for it's entire life, even beyond that of your other animals you develop a relationship with it. When you look at the idea that killing this animal seems minuscule to the joy of the relative that came back, or miracle that occurred you begin to realize how emotionally potent the situation was.

Once you see the life end and the blood flow you learn respect for those that deal with that daily. The soldiers in battle, the doctors in the ER, the police at a crime scene. You realize it is only blood of a common chicken these people are working in humans blood. And suddenly you realize what they must feel like. Most people after they connect those dots find themselves fighting to preserve life and stop senseless killing more so than ever before.

When we kill a chicken we start to look at our world and realize things don't just appear on the shelves, we start to use less, use more wisely, protect life and finally we start to become what America has lost touch with but is slowly regaining, the ability to be good stewards of our homes, environment and our world. This chain reaction only occurs because we care enough to hurt when we kill that animal. At that moment we kill then consume our animal our eyes open and we see the world in a new light. I'm glad you did it and I'm glad it hurt, welcome to the circle of life that most American's have excused themselves from.

To those who are trying to desensitize themselves wonder are you really supposed to be desensitized. Do you ever want to get to a point your heart is so hard that death doesn't bother you? For those who have the courage to join this circle of life I'm proud of you and thank you

Christal

 

[robk0220]

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Ooh thanks for the heads up! How do you heat the 55 gallon drum? Do you have pictures? I can get the drum for free from my DH's work.

Right now, we have a pit dug and have the drum up on blocks above it, and heat it with wood burning in the pit. in the spring, I plan to change the heat source to electric. I don't have any pictures of it, but will try to find my camera tomorrow.

 

[maggiemooscluckers]

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Thanks for your post. I really agree with you and think that we as a human race have become desensitized to the taking of life. I will be dressing out my birds that I have raised for meat in the next week or so. I am not looking forward to it but am somewhat prepared for it. I grew up on a working farm so I am not unaware of how it works. I do want to thank you for reminding me of the need to respect life even if it is only a "lowly chicken". God loves and provides for even the sparrow so we should do the same.