Must I withhold food before culling our rooster?

[Maureen in Chesterton]

We have an aggressive rooster we're planning on culling tomorrow. I read somewhere that food (not water) should be withheld before butchering, but it was years ago I read it and not certain I remember correctly.
I could also use some advice on the process. We separated the aggressive rooster from the rest of the flock (1 other rooster, 12 hens) 2 weeks ago - put Aggressive in the adjoining 'big yard' we normally let the chickens hang out in, keeping the flock in the 'little yard' which includes their coop. We still have glass doors, horizontal, along the separating wall, that we had set up as winter wind breaks. At first we thought perhaps separating Aggressive, but allowing him to see the flock and not isolating him, would work. But he's still aggressive. He spends day and night in the yard - he's decided to roost at night on top of the canopy we have up to provide shade & shelter from hawks.
So we figure tomorrow we'll grab him before we let the flock out of the coop, so they don't see us taking him away. My husband says he'll do it, even though an experienced friend has offered to help us.
Any suggestions?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I do not withhold food, some people do. The basic idea is to empty the digestive tract so if you accidentally cut or pull them apart you don't get that on the meat. If that happens I just rinse the meat very well. That's good enough for me, it's going to be cooked anyway.

Do you have to withhold food? No, many of us don't. Should you? That's up to you.

 

[Molpet]

It's cleaner if food is withheld, especially if you are not experienced. I used to, but the last few years I don't.

 

[sourland]

It's not necessary to remove food, but it sure can make the processing easier/cleaner.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Nope. As the others said, no need. Helpful for the inexperienced, but no need. and honestly, the little benefit in potential cleanliness isn't worth the effort to me of separating a bird out and keeping it off the food for a day - just won't work with my management practices.

Besides which, a moment with some running water is all it takes to fix an "oops" involving a full crop at culling.

When to go slow and be very careful??? Cleaning the liver. Of the three locations for "green stuff" in a bird, carefully separating that sack of green ick from the liver is where you want to take your time. Crop? No big deal. Inside the gizzard? No big deal. The bile sack attached to the liver? Radioactive.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and I didn't say it earlier, but there's a quote I bring out when people talk about culling aggressive Roos.

"When the need arises, and it does, you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out - that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse." Robert A Heinlein

Same is true for chickens. I commend you for doing what is needed, and doing so yourself, rather than looking to offload the problem onto another or delay the often inevitable, at risk to the innocent.

 

[Mrs. K]

I do withhold food, often butcher in the morning, so might pull it late afternoon, BUT I rather like to give a small amount of grain, 10 minutes before... make the crop just a little easier to get a hold of and loosen.

Mrs K

 

[Ebony Rose]

I do not withhold food or water before culling. I prefer that they don't even have a sneaky suspicion that today will be any different than any other day for them. Even mean roosters get the benefit of not knowing that 'today is the day'.

 

[Granitestater]

Its sad enough hes going to be killed, id say at least let him enjoy some food.❤ Actually, please give him his favorite, maybe blueberries, grape, watermelon. Compassion.

 

[Maureen in Chesterton]

Its sad enough hes going to be killed, id say at least let him enjoy some food.❤ Actually, please give him his favorite, maybe blueberries, grape, watermelon. Compassion.

Yes, that's why I asked the question...it's one thing to read 'this is what you do', but it's different with the individual in front of me looking at an empty feeder. So as soon as the 1st people replied, I refilled his feeder. Yes, I'd prefer not to have to kill him, but he cannot live peaceably with the flock, he's drawn blood from my husband, it's not good for him to live alone either. Compassion, but also taking responsibility for those in our care.