Is it time to man up?

[tadaen sylverma]

I love the forum. I love having chickens. And I love eating chicken, especially for Mongolian Chicken. I want to be able to raise and process my own. Many years ago I slaughtered a handful with a cleaver. Last I tried a month or 2 ago I didn't have the stomach for it, couldn't bring myself to drop the cleaver on the chicken... She is still running around in the run. I cancelled my order of meat birds and just bought 4 pullets locally, they are growing fast and are beautiful to watch. Looking forward to the eggs.

I have removed 2 dead birds in the last year and buried them, I can't help but wonder that I am essentially wasting the birds by not slaughtering them and making full use. I hate the idea of waste when it comes to potential food. Is this something I just need to man up, get over it and slam that cleaver down? I can process them, just that initial kill part that bothers me : / Would it possibly be worth investing in a cone and trying that method instead?

*EDIT* I keep going in circles about this, I've had similar questions before. I just can't let go of raising meat birds for some reason. These chickens are addicting....

 

[rainbowrooster]

Its only a waste if the only goal was to eat it. If you enjoy watching it run around and be a chicken thats great. If it dies and you burry it then it breaks down and becomes part of the soil while feeding many crawling and digging creatures. I you are close to any forest there are plenty of animals that would be glad to eat it especially in the winter.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Man up. Your wasting the bird and wasting feed that could be going to a prime layer. It's soup weather were I live and can't get enough of the quality broth and meat with flavor back yard birds provide.