Mentally gearing up... going to process 6-10 Delawares & BR - ADVICE?

[Beekissed]

Most of my chickens love butchering day....they stand in line to drink the blood dripping down the old apple tree and they scramble for little tidbits that I throw to them. Yes...I know that is macabre but it is life and I love that it's that simple...everything is food for something else on this planet and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[chickboss]

Okay, I think you have enough advice to go on, but I just wanted to say that it is so cool you are going to take the plunge and do it even though you are squimish. I tell my kids that no matter what, when we eat meat something had to die in order for that to happen, we are just taking responsibility for that process, and the life the creature lives beforehand, by doing it ourselves. I feel really good about that, even though it can be hard. I hope you'll post and let everyone know how you do.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
I think you should pluck them by hand first. Doesn't everyone need that experience?

I don't hide my butchering from my flock. I do leave them in the coop while i butcher because i don't need the competition. They don't hate me afterward. Chicken brains are pretty small. I don't think they really compute.

I knew i was ready to butcher when i started eye-balling their legs thinking they were looking like great drumsticks.

Just remember to treat them great and think of them as food.

I'm still a relative newbie at all this. I wrote up my first two experiences on a blog. You might enjoy reading.

My first time
My second time

You can use loppers, but make sure they're sharp.
Make sure you have sharp everything. That's the most important lesson i can give you.

And if you have any mean chickens, when you catch them, grab a leg with one hand and the neck with the other. Then you are in complete control, and they can't peck at you.

You can definitely do this.

 

[chickboss]

x 2 on the sharp advice.

 

[tnchickenut]

Thanks all... I will post any updates here... so keep checking back.

chickboss - thanks for the compliment... I'm glad I'm cool. lol. Seriously, though... I could find someone to do this for me, but to be honest, I want to have the control of that moment. As squimish as I am about doing it myself... it makes me even more uneasy to think I'd hand over not only my bird(s) but my food to someone else!! Ew. no. I wouldn't know for sure how they went and I wouldn't know for sure how clean the place and procedures were being done. Ya know? I'm a die hard DIYer and this is just another thing I'm going to start doing myself. I mean, it's stupid, really, to have all these chickens and keep buying factory farmed grocery store poultry. THAT is what I should keep telling myself as I prepare for this day.

I think I will go with the cones and SHARP knife. Will a scalple (is that how that is spelled!?!) work? My father works at a hospital and I could get them for free. Just saying.

Now, if I pluck by hand... how do I singe off the hairs? Is there a trick?

I'm sorry for all the newbie questions. Thanks for being patient with me!!! Talking about it and asking all the questions is really building my confidence. I got to be able to do this. It is imparative!

 

[krstms]

The only roo I ever processed myself was done by the throat slit method. I am not a wuss and dont get squeemish but this gave me nightmares for a while. The artery is not that easy to find and I cut most of his head off before I got it. It was horrible and I will never do it again!!! I had my husband dipatch of the other one with a 22 while I was in the house. I have no problem cleaning them once the head is gone but I will not kill them in that manner ever again. I think it is much better to just chop their head off. Quick and proabably painless. You may not feel the way I did but the throat slit traumatized me.

 

[petrelline]

Quote:
Pluck them by hand, its not hard, it's just tedious. I've plucked dozens of chickens by hand. Now that I've done it for a while I'm tired of it and I've bought a plucker, but if you've just got a few chickens plucking by hand is just fine. You do still have to scald.

 

[PunkinPeep]

The best thing i've found so far for the little hairs is a lighter - i'd use one of those longs one if i had it.

I think some people just don't bother. They leave 'em. I'm not sure.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
AAAHHHH!!! Now I'm wondering. I think I could do the cone and throat method... I'm just trying to work out all the things that can and will happen, so I'm not freaking out in the moment.

I thought about using a air rifle (not your ordinary BB gun) or even a 22 rifle.... doesn't that mess up the carcass? I know I can shoot a chicken. I have had to do it. Like I said before... I prefer if I was more detached from the situation... like a gun did it, not me. It silly but it's just the way the human mind works.

I think I will pluck by hand first. Maybe always. I'd like to have the old timey experience and on top of that... I'm cheap. lol.

 

[chickboss]

Here's what helps me, and I think it will help no matter which way you decide to dispatch of the bird. Get yourself lined up, be it with the knife, ax, or whatever, get in the ready position. Then take a deep breath, let it out slowly and visualize a clean, deep blow, keep this in mind with another deep breath, and as your letting it out, do it. Quick, and with a little more effort than you think you need. And, because it is your first time, be ready, mentaly, to finish it if it didn't go as clean as you would like. This may be cheesy, or whatever, but it works for me.