My first Culling of the Flock

[Fowl_Odor002]

My first Culling of the Flock
One of my New Hampshire Reds was sent off to freezer camp this weekend. Her name was “No Neck”. Not all of my chickens have names. No Neck had an abnormal growth under her chin and it made her appear to have no neck, hence the name. She also had some kind of disease or infection. Her rump was always smothered in poop, hence the culling.

Decisions, decisions… where did I put that 8-pound sledge hammer? Oh well, I guess I’ll go with the axe.

Whacking off the head and plucking it was easy. But my wife had to help me boil some water for scalding; that goes way beyond my skill level. No Neck’s bump looked like a giant bruise but it really was an abscess growing just under the skin. It turned out to be full of digestive tract fluids. Perhaps No Neck had a ruptured crop or gizzard.

The gutting part is where I had problems. Basically I just went hack crazy with my knife and ripped everything out. Afterwards I cleaned it real good and threw it in my freezer. And look, I got an egg.

I can’t believe I’m actually going to eat this shtt.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Enjoy- you did a good job plucking them. I just don't have the patience for that. Next time you're at the grocery store you'll look at the chicken on the shelf and say


Quote:

 

[abejita]

Forgive my newbie question, but if she had some sort of disease or infection, is it a good idea for you to eat her?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

That area you are pointing to look like the crop, not a growth. But, it does look like you done a pretty good job plucking her.

 

[Fowl_Odor002]

Quote:
Right... I've been thinking about that. But I've read somewhere that factory farm chicken are rearely healthy. I guess it all comes down to how hungry you are.

 

[Kazzandra]

A dirty rump doesn't always mean a disease. It could have been she got into some high-water foods. Did you ever try trimming her vent feathers and seeing if it cleared up? All it takes is one period of diarrhea the whole season, and then their feathers don't properly part around the vent and they can't poop without soiling themselves. It's really pathetic and miserable for them. All it takes is a quick trim. As far as problems go, it's a bad one with a quick and easy solution.

 

[allieloveschickens]

I had an EE hen with a disgusting poopy butt like your girl's- I gave her a bath (EW!

) then trimmed the feathers around her vent, cleared the problem right up- she never got poopy butt again. Nice job processing that chicken, I would have a hard time going through with it.