New"ish" to Processing

[Dawn419]

When Skip/doc_gonzo and I got our day-olds last May, I got into this, full-well knowing that we planned on putting the extra roos in the freezer.

Pardon the pun, but I've tried taking the "chicken" way out of doing the deed ourselves, to no avail.

I'm finally ready to do it ourselves and we've decided to go with using my little .22 Deringer for "the deed".

Are .22 Long Rifle bullets too big, for what we want to do? We were given a box of 550 rounds (for free) and just want to make sure they aren't too much, for the matter at hand.

Thanks!

Dawn

 

[Dodgegal79]

I used my brothers Ruger.22 to put down one of my Muscovy ducklings. He was about 2 months old and really sick. Well it was a little too much gun, I had it about 2 inches away from the back of his head. All that was left to tell it was a duck was a beak laying in the box. It was instant, he didn't feel anything. I don't like doing it any other way, I can't handle the hands on stuff. It did leave the body intact, but I thing you have to make sure its close to the head, and don't miss.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Eek, we're going to process our own hens once they've finished laying, or come to a slow point. We're keeping ONE hen, who we'll keep as a pet even if she stops laying

Just so we don't feel terrible, yanno? We bought a bunch of books, about well like going off the grid, and homesteading, etc. One book suggested using a killing cone, and it seemed humane enough to me. I mean, you hold them upside down until they pass out, and then slip them into the cone, and take the knife into their brain, which kills them instantly.. rather than slitting their throat, which leaves them with a fully working brain and heart until they bleed out.

Good luck with your processing escapade!

 

[Dawn419]

for both of your replies!

Dodgegal97,

We have a 2000 Dakota that has taken a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. We love it and couldn't do without "her". She's got the Magnum V-8 with a K&N air filter and she rocks!

Chick_a_dee,

I'm thinkin' on going the route your talking about also as far as the "relaxed" part goes. We plan on skinning them before we freeze them (I'd love to be able to keep some feathers for getting into Fly-Tying). I really like the idea of the killing cones but will be using something different, that has the same "hold'em still, keep 'em calm" effect.

Here's a pic of the hand gun in question. She's only about 4 and a half inches total length, we're just questioning the size of the shot.

Dawn

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Haha, the gun is cute! ... Yeah, we're going to buy a killing cone from the co-op, we have a little sectioned off bit in one of our workshops we're going to line with horse wash stall material, for the processing. Kill 'em, Drip 'em, Pluck 'em, Skin 'em... because we eat our chicken without skin, unless of course it goes to the dogs, and then we'll just take it all off the bone, and grind it up for them, and into the freezer for the winter months! Where I am, chicken gets really expensive over the winter for food, and so we were planning on raising our girls we've bought this year, up as layers... and once they've reached the end of their laying life, they will be slaughtered for either us, or the dogs (dog food is expensive too! and ground chicken is so good for them), we'll keep one solitary hen as a pet. We're going to get some broilers in september-ish area, next year and slaughter those first.


We're not thrilled about killing an animal, but you have to do what you have to do to survive, we don't want to have to pay for it, we want to be self-sufficient and this is the way to do it. We've had to deal with dead puppies before, when our Lab squashed one of her puppies to death, so I think we can deal with killing a chicken or... 20 lol.

 

[Dodgegal79]

I just got my self as little 1994 Dakota with the 318, that one is nice. I also a 1990 dakota, 1978 Dodge pickup, 1979 Dodge crew cab, 1976 Dodge truck 4x4 and about 4 Chrysler Cordobas to go with the mix.

 

[Dawn419]

I'm not thrilled about killing my "boyz" but I did sign up for this, didn't I?

Chick_a_dee,

I've named her/the gun Mini-Me, and sleep with her under whatever I sleep on (couch or bed).

We're heading towards self-sufficiency also, here. That was our intended purpose to begin with and I was the fool for falling in love with all the pretty roosters, when I knew what would become of them.

The good news is that the next generation has been found and he's a "looker", as far as our mutt Easter Eggers go. Already worked on fall-time egg trades to get new EE blood into our mutts.

I also have a hopeful hatch of Silver Spangled Hamburgs hatching on June 4th.

If none of the dozen eggs hatch, Skip/do_gonzo has agreed to let me spend $ on pullets from a hatchery in Texas. Gotta love the guy that lets you do what you can to try and do the best for yourselves (friends and family included).

Dodgegal79,

I grew up as a
Chevy girl and Dodge has totally changed my world, just like a married-in Uncle said it would!

I'm now a sucker for Harley's, too! Who can't fall in love with an old Charger? Puuurrr!

Dawn

 

[MissPrissy]

How old is the rooster/chicken you are going to process?

 

[mmajw]

Using too big of a gun could blow your bird to pieces and ruin the meat. You may want to go with the killing cone approach or find a butcher in your area.

 

[hdchic]

not to hijack the post, but I just wanted to tell Dawn that I LOVE YOUR SIGGY!!!!!!