I killed my first chicken

[VNH]

Poor Winkin'.

He was a beautiful white and black EE, 3 1/2 months old, but now he's stew. He developed his 3 rows on the comb and started crowing, got the long curved tail feathers and definitely looked different than the other EE's. Now I know what people mean by the "stink eye" He could really give the "eye" if anyone or any bird came too near. We live in the suburbs so I didn't want the neighbors to complain about his crowing which might lead to anti-chicken ordinances.

I've since read that white and black EE's are often males so I wish that the Chicken Sexers had given him a second look before calling him a female. I guess that it's hard to tell when they're so tiny. I have many fond memories of him and his 2 sisters since they were 3 tiny tufts of feathers.

I watched the videos on how to kill a bird and how to clean it. I did it the old fashioned way with a hatchet and the chopping block/stump in the backyard. I wrapped him in a towel to keep him still and calm and unable to flap. I told him what a beautiful chicken he was right up to the end. He was the first animal I ever killed. (I'm not counting the poor cat that ran in front of my car a few years ago.) It wasn't as traumatic (to me) as I thought it would be once I made the decision to do it. (My husband backed out of the job, "Maybe we could find him a home. Maybe the neighbors won't hear him"..etc.) My son had offered to do it but he was at work so I told myself to stop being a wooss. (How is that word spelled??) If my female ancestors could kill a chicken, so could I. There wasn't a lot of meat on him and no fat. It's definitely not something I would want to do on a regular basis, but I did it.

 

[chickened]

Good job and good eating.

(I don't enjoy it either).

 

[itsy]

Not an easy thing to do when you intended it being a laying hen as a pet. Good job, none the less. Glad he didn't go to waste.

 

[GAchick]

Not something that probably anybody 'likes' to do. Maybe not pleasant, but sometimes neccessary. Good for you, for doing something difficult that needed to be done...

 

[themagicash]

Yeap, I had a black and white EE that was supposed to be a she but was a he.

Good work!

 

[mcf3kids]

We had to do that as well recently to our favorite "hen" who grew a large coomb and started crowing. You should be proud of yourself for being able to do such a hard task! I am proud of you!! (I had my husband do it when I wasn't home and he sits in freezer camp until I can cook him).

 

[redsoxs]

Congrats on bucking up and going old school!

 

[mxpres]

You did good,Processing your own food is something to be proud of but often not an easy task,The old saying goes....you got backbone,,,good job

 

[VNH]

Thank you for your kind words.

I know that many of us who decide to have chickens will probably have to do the same someday.

I grew up on a small farm with animals that were eventually meant for the table. All of the chickens were free to roam during the day. When I was about 5, I was attacked by a rooster that promptly became supper that night, so I've never been overly fond of roosters.

 

[mommissan]

I killed my first EE for the same reasons. My grandmother did that job herself whenever necessary. I figured I could too. Good for you!