It's Done - Roo#2 is in the pot

[avroncotton]

Well Done. I'm going to be in the same position (for the first time) this weekend. The worst part is; the bird isn't aggressive but it wakes everyone up at 4:15 every morning.

Can anyone tell me if they hang thier birds to improve the flavour andd tenderness (like you do with beef)?

Tony

Australia - in the winter-time!

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, you have to age the chicken but you don't have to do it as long as for beef. Just butcher, clean, and place in the fridge at least over night. All should be good. The younger it is, the less you have to let sit overnight.

 

[justusnak]

This last spring, we ordered 12 cornishx. I have a 6 yr old grandson that was totally in love with all the little peeps. Fortunately, we had 18 other peeps with this order, for him to fall in love with. I quickly seperated the cornish from the others and let my grandson know....those were for dinners! As time went by...he grew more and more excited to "eat one of those big birds" When the day finally came....my son, daughter in-law, grandson and I went to the cornish coop, and we grabbed 3. The whole time, my grandson was excited to process. I made sure to explain to him, the whole process, how it would go, and that it would not be fun. Well....he really thought it was fun...and was right there to help with the plucking and cleaning out the innards. ( that was his favorite part) Now, dont think he is a morbid kid....he cried when his "pet" moth died, and had to have a funeral for it. I just think.....if explained well enough to the child...that it is food, and its part of a chickens life....they adjust. He was so excited to share with all of his friends at school...how he helped process these chickens. Kids are tougher than we give them credit for...if they know what to expect.

 

[avroncotton]

Yes, my son is four and he is really excited about processing the rooster. Should I let a four year old see the whole thing? It certainly would be an education!

 

[HobbyChickener]

My daughter (Now 14) had been around animal processing since she was 4. Doesn't bother her and she is actually pretty good help. She even got mad when I did let her help field dress her first deer. It doesn't really bother my son either, but it hasn't been something he has seen all along either.

 

[jab91864]

I usually decide how many are going to be butchered at one time. Then I make little "nooses" to tie the legs together and have them ready as I pull each one out of the pen.

Once the bird is tied I hang it upside down from my post and then take a deep breath , stretch out the neck and slit the throat.

Typically they don't thrash too much versus when I use to chop the heads off entirely. Maybe it just seems like less since they are held in one place by being hung from the post, I'm not sure.

I let them bleed out , then scald, pluck and gut/clean, rinse and soak then pack away in the freezer.

It's much easier to kill the problem roosters or the mean ones versus the ones who are sweet. Although I never name anything and tell myself they are food all the time.

I did buy myself one of those plucker heads that go on a drill thinking it might be faster that way. The jury is still out on that front since I am undecided how much I really like it.....I have only tried it once so far a couple weeks ago. I think I will try it again when I butcher the turkeys and see if it really is a help or not.

I think it's great if the kids have an interest and help. My one daughter had to help butcher the chickens at school they raised on two separate semesters. She however won't help at home.... claims I don't grade her on it and it's not worth credit...lol.

My son came right out and said he didn't think he had the stomach for it and I don't push. He is 14 and walks a wide circle around my section of the yard when I do butcher. He doesn't have a problem eating them, just doesn't want to be involved in the process of making them edible.

Several weeks ago when I butchered last the other daughter said in a sad voice, "We've really gone redneck now" as she rolled her eyes, and prayed none of her friends would show up ...lol.

I butcher in small groups 6-8 being my max at one time because I do it alone. I don't like killing them but I'm adjusted to it . You just have to have the right mind set to do the killing.... for me it's the hardest part.

Julie

 

[PurpleChicken]

Jab, good post. Killing is hard.

A friend of mine raised and processed more than 200 chickens, ducks and turkeys but
doesn't have birds anymore. Today I offered to raise a meat bird order of 25 to 50 birds
and split them with him if we could process them together. All I'm asking him for
is to help me process and I'll give him half the birds.

He said exactly what you said about mindset and doesn't know if he can do it.

Like I've said before, I wish some of the people who posted on this and other
meat bird threads lived closer. It's gotta be easier processing with someone
experienced and who understands.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
That's SOO funny!

 

[avroncotton]

I was in the right frame of mind for our rooster this weekend, however, a friend called yesterday and said her mum may have it for her girls. Tonight, she called and said her mum doesn't want the rooster after all. I now am out of the zone and have to get back into the frame of mind. I am sure (as everyone says) the first is the worst, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Tony

 

[psimek]

I sure appreciate everyone sharing their feelings. I culled my first rooster the other night, by myself. My husband had offered, but I felt as science teacher I should do it. I slit his throat, brought him home & plucked it. All the way home in the car, I thought the thing was going to raise up out of the bag & start flapping around!

By the time I was done plucking (which was easy), I was quite stressed out so I asked my husband to dress it. Now here's the weird part- I actually felt I might faint a few times!

This was towards the end, not when I did the deed, so I must of been hyperventilating or something! So much for me being the tough chick!

No pun intended. This rooster was a bully, and I want to keep my RIRs pure, so the Cornish X had to go. However, I don't think I can do the sweet hen!
By the way, that's him, or was him on my shoulder! Time to change my avatar!