I'll offer some insight here...we raise "meat" birds (Cornish X's) yearly and sometimes twice a year (spring & fall). It is very difficult for me to know they are going to be killed, so I cannot grow any attachment to them, therefore I avoid them at all costs. And by all means, DO NOT name them. My DH is the primary caretaker. They are fed and watered and moved to fresh grass/clover several times a day. We use chicken tractors for them - they fertilize our soil and it is easy to move them along (versus cleaning up a messy coop). Plus we get the benefit of birds raised on greens and plusher green grass every year.
I have had to fill in for my DH a couple times with the feed/water. I don't like it. I don't like the smell of them and they are viscious monsters when it comes to food. They'll rip the feed can right out of my hand and scare the crap out of me. But when you look in those sweet little eyes, they are chickens (that I love and adore). It's really hard for me, but I know this is the best thing I can do for my family in offering healthy food, where I know what they ate and where they came from.
We pay a processor because we just don't have the time nor desire to do the job ourselves. When we crate them up, we thank them for their lives. The males get big and fast, so we take them first (at about 6 wks). They clean up in a range of 6-8 lbs at that age. The females go at 7 or 8 weeks until all are processed. The longer you keep them, the harder it is...so take them as soon as you think they're big enough.
This is the best chicken I have ever tasted and will never eat store chicken again. It's not even comparable, if you ask me. We get ours from Moyer Hatchery in Quakertown, PA, and have always had good outcomes with their birds. I highly recommend them and they have a web site if you want to do a search to check them out.
I think today's society has become so reliant on things being provided for us, that we forget how our ancestors lived. Processing their own meat was a part of life. It was not even questioned - you have to eat and dinner is outside. I am trying to show my family that we have healthy food right here and you don't need to rely on anyone to provide it for you or risk contamination due to the crazies of the world. That is why we do it. So remember that when you make your decision - know you are doing right by your family and these chickens are bred for this purpose.
Jody