Does anyone else give their birds a "pep talk" just before you do them in? I always say:
"God, thank you for the chicken;Chicken, thank you for your life; you feed my family and I'll feed yours."
I also tell them to be brave if they squawk or struggle before hand. This may seem odd to some, but it just feels right to me to honor and appreciate a life before you take it. Maybe it's the Cherokee blood in me. I treat my butchering area as a sacred space, and the death of the chicken is a ritual that is not to be interrupted or taken lightly. I always feel conflicted after butchering. It is hard to take a life, but I know it is necessary. Afterward, I feel good about providing for my family, which is what gives me courage to kill the next one.
"God, thank you for the chicken;Chicken, thank you for your life; you feed my family and I'll feed yours."
I also tell them to be brave if they squawk or struggle before hand. This may seem odd to some, but it just feels right to me to honor and appreciate a life before you take it. Maybe it's the Cherokee blood in me. I treat my butchering area as a sacred space, and the death of the chicken is a ritual that is not to be interrupted or taken lightly. I always feel conflicted after butchering. It is hard to take a life, but I know it is necessary. Afterward, I feel good about providing for my family, which is what gives me courage to kill the next one.