It's done...

[Lil Chickie Mama]

I killed one rooster today. I didn't cry (yet) but I ended up having to have someone else cut the head off. I had tried to do the killing cone and slit the throat myself but it didn't seem like it was bleeding out very well so we decided to cut off the head. *Note to self: be sure your tools are insanely sharp, brand new doesn't mean squat* I was shocked by how little blood there was and the consistency of it.

Once that was done though I didn't look at it like my baby any longer, it was just dinner in funny packaging. I didn't want to pluck so I skinned it, but even that didn't go as planned and I had to pluck a little bit. I may just pluck the next ones. The only bad part after that was one moment when I turned it over and some air squeezed out the windpipe and made a chicken noise. Not cool. So the wings were the toughest part to skin. Then removing the innards went fine. When all was finished I felt so amazing standing there looking at my bird. It was a proud moment. I have 2 more to do, but as it's about 94* outside, I think I'll wait until tonight.

 

[teach1rusl]

Congratulations!

No offense, but after reading your experience, it makes me glad I've gone for laying hens...lol. But it sounds like you were feeling pretty confident from the get-go. I wouldn't know how to skin or pluck, and would probably end up cutting my own finger off rather than the chickens head. Good job!

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Well I love my ladies and that's why I got into this chicken craziness. I just had too many roos so... I will finish the other 2 for tonight and then my other extras later, but it is making me re-think growing meaties on purpose. I will definitely try to create a "whiz-bang plucker" before next time. That might make it easier.

 

[mxpres]

congrats

you did good,you deserve a pat on the back

 

[Crickett]

Congratulations! My own experience so far has not been great. Think Keystone cops chase the chicken, and you'll get the general idea!

But I'm not giving up!

 

[Poison Ivy]

Congrats on doing your own bird. I found that I like to dislocate the neck first. I place it under a broom handle and pull up. Then once the bird stops moving I place in a traffic cone I made to use as a kill cone. Then I cut the head off to bleed out I find that much easier to do.

 

[GBov]

Well done yourself doing it yourself, the first time is really an eye opener, isnt it

I put mine into a cloth bag with a hole for the head and neck to stick out of and hang it head down from a tree branch and take its head off with a pair of long handled loppers. Great bleed out and it can flap enough to not break the wings but isnt loose enough to bruise the meat.

Best of all, no sharp knife to injure myself with

 

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Oh yeah, it's an eye opener and I wasn't sure if it was worth it but then....tonight we had rooster dinner and at the first bite I was ready to order meat birds! Delish.