Never again

[harleyjo]

I have 28 Cornish Crosses about a month away from butchering and I am dreading it too. I have helped my son in his FFA class and couldn't be part of the killing process but will be ok with the cleaning part of it. I told my husband from the start that I would not be able to kill them. We got some pullets about 3 weeks before we started these Cornish X. From the beginning I made sure to get attached to the Cornish. My little laying pullets are different. I feed, water and make sure the Cornish have clean bedding and what they need to don't try to befriend them like I do the layers.

 

[dancingbear]

I've raised chickens for many years, and we had them when I was a kid. My parents did the butchering, I helped pluck, back then.

It took me many years to get to the point of being able to do the slaughtering myself. We had a bunch of roos that had to be done, and my husband was having health problems, but still working. I couldn't bear to place one more burden on him. I made myself do it while he was working, because I wanted him to rest on his days off, and not stress about anything on the farm.

It was very difficult, but I learned to sort of mentally detach from the deed, and focus on the mechanics of getting it done as quickly as possibly. Now, it's a lot easier for me, but even when it's a meat cross such as the broiler hybrids, that I really want gone because they eat so much and are so messy, and I get really tired of cleaning up after them, I can't help but feel sadness over ending a life. I thank them for their sacrifice, and the gift of sustenance, and wish them a swift crossing into whatever comes next.

You've had the experience, and even if you never do it again, you have a deeper understanding of where your meat comes from, and there's no other way to really get that. I hope you'll continue to raise your own, though, even if you pay somebody else to process them. The lives our home raised birds have are so much nicer than the factory raised ones. These days I feel guilty if I buy meat at the store.

 

[madavis25]

We have been butchering our Cornish X's for a couple weeks now. Yesterday, we finished butchering the clutch. I have been ok with the scalding, plucking, and cleaning, but still have a hard time with the killing.

This was our first outing into raising animals. Part of the impetus of raising meat was to know what it takes-ie killing-to put meat on the table.

Yesterday evening, there was an emptiness to the area that they were raised. I do feel a little sad.

Despite the sadness and difficulty with killing, I plan on raising meaties for quite some time. They taste great and I know they have as good a life as possible.

For the past few years, I have been a locavore and it doesn't get any more local than raising it yourself.

To the OP-you have my respect. You raised and butchered your own food. You have a connection to your food and what it takes to put meat on the table.