killed my first rooster...chicken for that matter.... :(

[singlin]

I have no advice, because my roosters JUST crowed at me today...3 of them

I was on here searching for "what to do with them" and found this thread. I am sorry.

I *know* it isn't "murder" also but I feel the same as you. I am going to have my friends hubby do it. You stated that 8 are not "ready" yet. How do you know when they are ready? Sorry for questions on your thread. But you seem knowledgeable and no one stated differently. So please share!
Thanks!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

It is always difficult. I am a chopper - for me it is easy, quick and I know the bird is no longer feeling anything - you will find the best method for you.

No it is not murder - you are butchering or processing or harvesting - the circle of life (chances are very high that the bird would not have had any life if you had not taken it).


Here is a great article dealing with the backyard, homegrown bird (not cornish crosses) - talks about age and cooking methods: www.albc-usa.org/documents/cookingwheritagechicken.pdf


Be glad that your bird felt the sun, ran around, scratched in the dirt, caught bugs and entertained you - now he will thank you by nourishing you.

 

[Buster52]

I understand what you mean... it does feel traumatic when it doesn't go right. It does feel a little like you are murdering it. I understand you realize it isn't really murder.

Pithing, slitting, and broom handle are all skill techniques. They are all easy to screw up unless you are either experienced or trained. I preferred chopping for just that reason. Did try slitting a few but was not at all happy with the results.

I have since been trained by a pro on slitting and will post my opinions and experience in another thread.

But for the beginner, decapitation with axe or shears would be the most certain, quick, and least traumatic.

 

[kla37]

I helped a friend do this once, and she got the birds out of their house when it was VERY early and still dark. She carried them to the killing cones that were secured to a post, put them in head first, and let them sit for a minute. They were completely docile from being in the dark, and went pretty limp after being upside down b/c of the blood rushing to the head. Really fast cut to get the head off, and even though it was really hard to watch, it wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. She thinks that doing everything quietly and in the dark while they are still in a kind of stupor is better not only for them, but then they don't have all the adrenaline and "fight or flight" hormones coursing through their bodies and that is makes the meat better, and healthier. Don't have any proof of that, but sounds a lot nicer than some of the other ways of doing it! She's done it a couple times a year, and it still makes her sad, but I think anyone it didn't affect at all would be weird!

 

[mordarlar]

Quote:
I'm really sorry you had a tough time. IT is really hard.


We got our first pair of hens a couple of months ago. Shortly after, we discovered that one of them was ill. We tried several remedies to no avail. We decided on pithing as well. It was 4:30 in the morning and she stayed pretty quiet but i could feel her little heart and she wasn't calm. x( We apparently missed. It was horrible. In hind site it was very very quick but it felt as if it took entirely too long.
It certainly wasn't the instantaneous pithing job we had hoped. It took three stabs in fairly quick succession before she was gone and it took us a quite a while to convince ourselves that she actually was. We were quite traumatized and frankly, sad.

It actually took me a couple of days to shake the heaviness of the whole experience.

 

[dancingbear]

Yeah, yeah, most of us know it's not really murder, but it can sure feel that way, especially the first time.

I've done quite a few now, just did 3 yesterday evening, and it still feels weird. I always feel great relief when I'm finished, and very glad of the chicken in the fridge and freezer, but taking a life is not the easiest thing to do, for a lot of us.

Merlin, practice and time will help. Read all you can, watch videos of different methods on YouTube, try different ways until you're satisfied that you're doing the fastest, most humane slaughter you can manage. Take care not to injure yourself in the process, and best of luck to you.

Good for you, for stepping up to doing the job yourself in the first place, BTW.

 

[eventmerlin]

thankyou all for your replies....I'm feeling better about it today and realize it had to be done. Thank goodness for BYC though, because no one else seems to understand why I had to do it....they just think I am cruel (mainly mother and bf).....my boyfriend actually suggested I let him go in the local state forest :0 WHAT! now that is cruel......

Singlin... My leghorn roosters will be ready by the time they reach 13 weeks, as at 14 weeks they probably will be crowing. So bascially they have to go before they crow!

I am going to read up and watch youtube before I have to send them to chicken heaven....