Your coop looks great! And so does Dumbledore. Glad he's recovered.
Would a scalpel be good for this procedure? I think I once saw a lady do this cut with scissors, but it's been several years ago so can't be sure.
I always use a scalpel when slitting their throats. The blade is super sharp and works very well, and you can buy a surplus of them quite inexpensively online.
Has anyone here tried the method of stabbing them in the roof of their mouth to kill them quickly? I read about in both "The Call of the Hen" and a book I have on butchering livestock and game. I wanted to give it a try yesterday, but the birds were far too wiggly to permit me to try without stabbing myself in the process.
@Fire Ant Farm The coop looks fantastic! Nicely done! And I'm so happy to see that Dumbledore is doing well.
Oh, I love having her around to hatch eggs. It's just her timing that frustrate me. If I simply working on her schedule she'd been hatching eggs every couple of months. That's a lot of chicks!
I can totally understand this. Initially I was perfectly content to simply collect eggs and cringed at the very thought of butchering one of my chickens. It's not easy, and certainly not enjoyable. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to do it, and my husband didn't think I could either. I'm a total softy when it comes to animals and often prefer their company to humans. If it weren't for the fact that I have such strong convictions concerning the way our food is managed in this country I doubt I would ever have taken this step. And even now I have my limitations. When my favorite pullet suddenly took ill I was positively distraught over the idea of having to put her down. I spent two weeks trying to heal her, but when it became abundantly clear that her suffering was worsening and there was no chance at recovery (she had a brain tumor), I knew what had to be done....and still couldn't do it. That was the one time I asked my husband to do it for me. He allowed me to say my last good-byes to her and then sent me away while he took care of what needed to be done. Then I cried like a baby the rest of the night.
The one thing I will say about our conversations on culling here is that EVERYONE has consistently been discussing the quickest and most humane way to dispatch the birds. None of us like the idea of making one of our birds suffer. That means a lot.
This is my lovely little girl, Hopper, in her final hours. Sometimes they're not just chickens...they're pets.
Oh, I love having her around to hatch eggs. It's just her timing that frustrate me. If I simply working on her schedule she'd been hatching eggs every couple of months. That's a lot of chicks!
I can totally understand this. Initially I was perfectly content to simply collect eggs and cringed at the very thought of butchering one of my chickens. It's not easy, and certainly not enjoyable. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to do it, and my husband didn't think I could either. I'm a total softy when it comes to animals and often prefer their company to humans. If it weren't for the fact that I have such strong convictions concerning the way our food is managed in this country I doubt I would ever have taken this step. And even now I have my limitations. When my favorite pullet suddenly took ill I was positively distraught over the idea of having to put her down. I spent two weeks trying to heal her, but when it became abundantly clear that her suffering was worsening and there was no chance at recovery (she had a brain tumor), I knew what had to be done....and still couldn't do it. That was the one time I asked my husband to do it for me. He allowed me to say my last good-byes to her and then sent me away while he took care of what needed to be done. Then I cried like a baby the rest of the night.
The one thing I will say about our conversations on culling here is that EVERYONE has consistently been discussing the quickest and most humane way to dispatch the birds. None of us like the idea of making one of our birds suffer. That means a lot.
This is my lovely little girl, Hopper, in her final hours. Sometimes they're not just chickens...they're pets.
when I decided to keep chickens my idea was to collect eggs and one day eat them for the same reason you mentioned - healthy food. but no way so far. today I gave my NN cockerel to a person I promised and he killed him. although I bought him for soup and I knew he wasn't going to stay a cried like an idiot when they left my place. I wish I was born in the country and had an opportunity to learn what life really is. I rehomed another cockerel and have 5 more. I also have 7 muscovie drakes and I am trying to sell them as I cannot think of eating them. sentimental fool.
I like the bag method. I've watched several different techniques and it seems the less stressful and the cleanest method for all participants. A few of the techniques shown online are not respectful of the birds life.
I'm sure the cones work I would just need too many of them.
I don't like butcher day but I don't like the way modern meat is processed either.
How did your grandma cook the bigger roosters so they would be edible. Was there a resting period? I can't imagine folks back then giving the rooster much of a rest before eating them. I'll refrigerate mine but what if there wasn't a refrigerator to let them rest?
Hito you too, not morning here, actually it's evening. I live in Croatia.
I don't really know what did they do back in time, probably, like you said, ot was not resting, but I was talking about now. She is still alive and was having chickens until this Christmass when she got sick. Then she moved to my aunt's and her chickens moved to me.
I haven't culled anything yet, but I am really getting ready and hoping for doing it this year. After all, I'm only 18, so I still have the time to learn. I don't see anything bad about it, only the good sides. Sick chickens should be culled, if you have to cut down the number of roosters, or your flock, and if somebody is making troubles, it also should be culled.
When we culled grandma's rooster after he got to our place with our chickens, I felt so relieve, I can't even say how much.
But I think that I will start with bad boys. They should be the easiest.
DesertChic Has anyone here tried the method of stabbing them in the roof of their mouth to kill them quickly? I read about in both "The Call of the Hen" and a book I have on butchering livestock and game. I wanted to give it a try yesterday, but the birds were far too wiggly to permit me to try without stabbing myself in the process.
I used this method during my first attempts to process and found it to be less effective and brutal. Before I used the knife, I tied the feet together and left enough cord to hang them up. I did not find it easy to make the incision and the experience made me queesy and I cried afterwards. Years later I did a u-tube search and found a video clip by a woman who dresses for the job with rubber boots, apron hold the wrapped bird head down and makes a clean external incision. she continues holding the bird until it bleeds and is limp. I do the deed outside since it is messy.
By the looks of your processed and cooked bird, I'd say the DesertChic has the procedure of fixing up a wholesome meal "down pat"
I always use a scalpel when slitting their throats. The blade is super sharp and works very well, and you can buy a surplus of them quite inexpensively online.
Has anyone here tried the method of stabbing them in the roof of their mouth to kill them quickly? I read about in both "The Call of the Hen" and a book I have on butchering livestock and game. I wanted to give it a try yesterday, but the birds were far too wiggly to permit me to try without stabbing myself in the process.
@Fire Ant Farm The coop looks fantastic! Nicely done! And I'm so happy to see that Dumbledore is doing well.
Maybe thats's what I saw that lady do years ago. She killed a chicken at her kitchen sink. And there was no squaking or flapping. But I remember her doing something with scissors in the chicken's beak.
Hito you too, not morning here, actually it's evening. I live in Croatia.
I don't really know what did they do back in time, probably, like you said, ot was not resting, but I was talking about now. She is still alive and was having chickens until this Christmass when she got sick. Then she moved to my aunt's and her chickens moved to me.
I haven't culled anything yet, but I am really getting ready and hoping for doing it this year. After all, I'm only 18, so I still have the time to learn. I don't see anything bad about it, only the good sides. Sick chickens should be culled, if you have to cut down the number of roosters, or your flock, and if somebody is making troubles, it also should be culled.
When we culled grandma's rooster after he got to our place with our chickens, I felt so relieve, I can't even say how much.
But I think that I will start with bad boys. They should be the easiest.
They are by far the easiest. I know the feeling of culling the mean ones. It is a huge relief. Resting them in the fridge a couple of days with a small amount of salt sprinkled on them seems to make them more tender. There has to be an easier way maybe you grandma can help you with that.
Learn from grandma if it's still possible. I hope she gets better soon.
I used to keep all the hens but you can only have so many before you are over run.
I always use a scalpel when slitting their throats. The blade is super sharp and works very well, and you can buy a surplus of them quite inexpensively online.
Has anyone here tried the method of stabbing them in the roof of their mouth to kill them quickly? I read about in both "The Call of the Hen" and a book I have on butchering livestock and game. I wanted to give it a try yesterday, but the birds were far too wiggly to permit me to try without stabbing myself in the process.
I've been trying to use the techniques that Walter Hogan list in The Call of the Hen. Including bone structure in birds for best laying. This is my second generation for trying so I won't know how they work out for awhile. I do know the hens and roosters bone structure is doing better. The project hens are just now starting to lay consistently . I'll be using their eggs for the Easter HAL.
I have tried the brain technique with limited success. Still don't have that down yet. Don't forget your gloves. Bag to hold them does stop some of the wiggle.
I also have pets when it comes to chickens. One was given to me as a mean rooster I put him in with the seasoned hens and they promptly put him in his place. He's the tamest thing around here now. Follows me around like a puppy. I guess he saw the light. Or he's scared to death of the hens yet.
Hito you too, not morning here, actually it's evening. I live in Croatia.
I don't really know what did they do back in time, probably, like you said, ot was not resting, but I was talking about now. She is still alive and was having chickens until this Christmass when she got sick. Then she moved to my aunt's and her chickens moved to me.
I haven't culled anything yet, but I am really getting ready and hoping for doing it this year. After all, I'm only 18, so I still have the time to learn. I don't see anything bad about it, only the good sides. Sick chickens should be culled, if you have to cut down the number of roosters, or your flock, and if somebody is making troubles, it also should be culled.
When we culled grandma's rooster after he got to our place with our chickens, I felt so relieve, I can't even say how much.
But I think that I will start with bad boys. They should be the easiest.
Yeah, the mean ones are definitely the easiest ones to cull. And kudos to you for starting so young! In my opinion, the hardest part about culling isn't the physical act itself, but the mental preparation. It's hard to hurt, let alone kill, anything you develop empathy and fondness for.
They are by far the easiest. I know the feeling of culling the mean ones. It is a huge relief. Resting them in the fridge a couple of days with a small amount of salt sprinkled on them seems to make them more tender. There has to be an easier way maybe you grandma can help you with that.
Learn from grandma if it's still possible. I hope she gets better soon.
I used to keep all the hens but you can only have so many before you are over run.
She is my one and only person who knows anything about chickens and is interested in it.
I will probably hatch some chicks this year with broodies and she will be my first aid kit. I plan to raise them with broody, even thought she raised chicks in the brooder for years. I noticed that we didn't hatch a single hen that went broody for two years now. I hope that raising them with mother will help to get the instinct back.
