potatoesgonnapotate
Chirping
- Apr 6, 2018
- 38
- 52
- 61
Congratulations on your first butcher 
Each time I butcher I learn something new. I've butchered 4 times this year (and I am DONE until spring!). I've learned for myself that I prefer a fixed blade knife as I use cones. I use my late husband's KBar for it. It helps me to use the blade to scoot the feathers on the neck a bit so I can see skin, and that's where I cut. I hold them upside down from the pen to the cones so the blood goes to their head. I can't prove it, but the idea behind it is being upside down, perhaps they'll bleed out faster because gravity will be at work before I even cut? I also hold them against my body to make them feel more secure; again I can't prove it but that's my hope. With the lungs, they look like little pink sponges. I just butchered yesterday, I wish I'd taken a picture of one! I use nitrile gloves while butchering so I don't get stuff under my nails, but with the thin gloves I can still get my fingers between the ribs so I can scrape them out. As for the movements while the body is shutting down, it does happen and can seem like quite a bit. Some of mine have even made a noise or two, but they are dead. I usually hold the legs at the first big joint above their toes. It allows me to hold them more still through all the movement and their feet stay still so they don't scratch me. I hope this helps and I hope your future butcher days go smoothly for you!
Each time I butcher I learn something new. I've butchered 4 times this year (and I am DONE until spring!). I've learned for myself that I prefer a fixed blade knife as I use cones. I use my late husband's KBar for it. It helps me to use the blade to scoot the feathers on the neck a bit so I can see skin, and that's where I cut. I hold them upside down from the pen to the cones so the blood goes to their head. I can't prove it, but the idea behind it is being upside down, perhaps they'll bleed out faster because gravity will be at work before I even cut? I also hold them against my body to make them feel more secure; again I can't prove it but that's my hope. With the lungs, they look like little pink sponges. I just butchered yesterday, I wish I'd taken a picture of one! I use nitrile gloves while butchering so I don't get stuff under my nails, but with the thin gloves I can still get my fingers between the ribs so I can scrape them out. As for the movements while the body is shutting down, it does happen and can seem like quite a bit. Some of mine have even made a noise or two, but they are dead. I usually hold the legs at the first big joint above their toes. It allows me to hold them more still through all the movement and their feet stay still so they don't scratch me. I hope this helps and I hope your future butcher days go smoothly for you!
