Ok we butcherd 4 of our extra roo's today what did we do wrong?

[AngelaClassAct]

I don't know if I could essentialy stab a chicken in the head, and twist. I think the most humane way to process would have been to put it in a cone to hold it steady, and slit its throat and let it bleed out that way. Yep, I'm still a newbie, but I haven't heard of the stab and twist method. From what I've seen, they all flap around while they bleed out, which is why having them in a cone is best, since it will contain them.

 

[booker81]

I prefer to just do a quick slice of the vein - not cutting into the trachea as the link says (and apparently doesn't like). Some of them flap, some of them just do a few shudders and don't really do much (I have to watch their feet to see if they're dead yet as they seem to just fade out quietly, and I'd like to let them pass completely in quiet without handling them).

Some people prefer to pith, some cut off the heads with loppers or an ax, some do the broomstick, some do a quick neck twist, some cut one vein, some cut both veins and the trachea. The chicken ends the same way when any of these are done right - dead in a quick manner that is respectful and straightforward. None of them are better or worse, it's just up to the processor to decide what is the right way for them, that they are the most comfortable with.

 

[CapricornFarm]

i didn't like using loppers, will try a hatchet next time.

 

[Mahonri]

We hold the roo down... grasping firmly both wings. Put the head near the ground and then take a shovel blade and decapitate... hold the bird firmly until it settles down or bleeds out or both. Takes two people.

 

[GhostRider65]

I did the method we chose after reading about every article I could find on killing the chickens. I wanted the quickest most humane way I could find, and none said instantaneous except this method, which was not as stated......ggggggrrrr, I did calm them and hold them while the husband did the deed and after until they were quiet, because I wanted to comfort there passing as best I could, I hate killing animals I have raised. I don't know why I get so attached to them even mean nasty roosters like my White Devils were, but they were never mean to me, I think I would have less problem if they were.
We hunt and I have butchered and finished off every animal you can legally hunt with no problem at all. I thank them for there life so that we can live, and get on with cleaning and butchering. It is so not the same with animals I have raised since babies, they are always babies to me even when grown. I usually ball my arse off the whole time, though I did not this time, I was however very sad to have to do it. and I did tear up a little with Tinker because he was a good chicken, never mean and always picked on by the bigger roo's, heck even the hens, hen pecked him, he wasn't a sweet cuddly roo, but he was calm and quiet right to the end. He would have been a keeper for my flock if these Wyandottes didn't have some genetic inbred issues, 1 in the batch was crippled with some neurological damage he has seizures, and tinker was I think gay to put it bluntly, he looked weird for a roo, had strange feathers that were tough to pull even after scalding, and left behind blood filled sacks like black heads, his feathers were also almost all quill, and feather only halfway or 3/4's of the way down the feather to the tip.. My white Wyandotte roo I kept he is good to breed, and my 1 and only hen is a SLW but the GL seemed to have some problems. I still have the other crippled roo, and he will be harder because I have nursed him along for 4 months now, at first because I hoped he would recover but then just because I felt sorry for him. but he is destined to be a freezer camp roo as all the rest are to be. I have 5 more from this batch and a pen full of 10 week olds, that only 6 are hens out of 21. Sooooooo I have to do it again........now I'm a little afraid of which method to choose to try Next time.......
Here is tinker

 

[1 hen and 1 roo]

The first roo we had to put down was put down the way you talked about. My husband saw a video online showing how to do it. The first time he did it the bird moved and made noises. We think he did not cut the right spot or something because he did it again later and the bird stopped much quicker. I will have to say when I was a kid, my parents cut the head off and often times the bird would run around the yard with no head. I do not think that would of happened with this method and this way was much quicker.
It was very hard to kill our first for eating but we had already experienced several defects from incubation or genetics so we had to put a few down much younger. I cried on several of them.
We had too much Sumatra cockerels and they were fighting and not letting some of the younger birds get to the feed. We tried selling and giving them away but people just do not want roosters even when he is a show bird. We did manage to find homes with 4-H kids for 3 of the Sumatra roos but still had too many. We think that the other Sumatra roos heard/watched from a distant the first one being put down and they got even meaner. They tried to attack our hands when we put the feed in for them every morning or change their water. It was just crazy. We had to move the pullets and the roos we wanted to keep so they could eat since they were show birds.
We put down another Sumatra after he attacked and chased our daughter. He was in a coop all alone and she had held him that morning and he was fine. That night he attacked when she tried to pick him up, she dropped him and he chased her. 2 Days later he went in chicken and dumplings. We have found that are tough meat and not much meat at all but we are not raising them for their meat just for exhibition.
We had too many Araucana roos as well that were clean faced and had to put down a few of them. Their meat was more tender and more of it.
I am glad this is not why we are raising our chickens. We enjoy the eggs, their personalities and showing them. That is good for us. The occasional extra roo is fine to eat.

 

[becky3086]

I have done birds all summer in this miserable heat and humidity we have had here. It is not fun. From what I understand about pithing it is hard to get it just right. I don't believe I could do it. I would rather cut the throat as well. I hang them, cut it and walk away for a few minutes. It is easier on me than sitting their watching.