Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[Kassaundra]

When you hold their head/ necks in place for the cut while in the killing cone, just be prepared you can feel them swallow. I don't know why but that freaked me out when I tried that method. That is a good idea cutting skin on chicken to see if the knife is sharp enough. I thought mine was, but it wasn't. Some people use a box cutter.

 

[wlhtx]

Okay, so we are probably going to do our first batch of excess cockerels, etc. this weekend. I am going to take the girly way out on this first round and let DH actually do the killing. I will be fully involved with the rest, but I'm leaving the actual killing up to him (and possibly a couple local teenage boys that he coaches). Here is my quandary:

DH has no problem doing the killing. He's technically never killed a chicken (some of the boys have), but he does bird hunt - so he's convinced that he's got this... However, I am the one who has done all the reading "research" on best practices, suggested methods, etc. I personally think the killing cone really sounds like the way to go. But he's thinking he's just going to wring the neck and/or decapitate and then just let the bird run around until the nerves stop firing. He's not going into tons of details with me about how this is going to go down. (Probably for my own benefit, I know.) All I know is that it probably is not going to happen the way I would prefer - which is, for some reason, really aggravating. Totally illogical on my part, right? So, just as we try to not judge one another on this forum for how each of us chooses to do the deed, I am really having to work at not getting super mad at my own DH for how he's going to do this. Maybe next time I won't be such a sissy girl...

Now, if we can just come to a final, mutual agreement on which ones stay and which ones go.

 

[Beekissed]

Okay, so we are probably going to do our first batch of excess cockerels, etc. this weekend. I am going to take the girly way out on this first round and let DH actually do the killing. I will be fully involved with the rest, but I'm leaving the actual killing up to him (and possibly a couple local teenage boys that he coaches). Here is my quandary:

DH has no problem doing the killing. He's technically never killed a chicken (some of the boys have), but he does bird hunt - so he's convinced that he's got this... However, I am the one who has done all the reading "research" on best practices, suggested methods, etc. I personally think the killing cone really sounds like the way to go. But he's thinking he's just going to wring the neck and/or decapitate and then just let the bird run around until the nerves stop firing. He's not going into tons of details with me about how this is going to go down. (Probably for my own benefit, I know.) All I know is that it probably is not going to happen the way I would prefer - which is, for some reason, really aggravating. Totally illogical on my part, right? So, just as we try to not judge one another on this forum for how each of us chooses to do the deed, I am really having to work at not getting super mad at my own DH for how he's going to do this. Maybe next time I won't be such a sissy girl...

Now, if we can just come to a final, mutual agreement on which ones stay and which ones go.

I've seen this...when my boys first watched chickens being killed, they too wanted to see the proverbial chicken running around with it's head off...it's a guy thing.

They got over that because it makes a big mess all over the feathers and they had to go retrieve the bird. Same with just hanging them by their feet and cutting the heads off...lots of flapping and twisting that resulted in a lot of blood flying everywhere. To a guy, that's what dreams are made of...until they have to touch it and fool with it afterwards.

You should have seen their faces when it came to pithing...they were thoroughly disgusted and hated to watch that, as did I. They soon get over that fascination with watching chickens flop and bleed after the first few and after that, they'd rather not kill them at all.

That's why all the women in the family do all the processing here....

Now, if they could line them up and shoot them for target practice, they might have a renewed interest....

 

[wlhtx]

That's why all the women in the family do all the processing here....   Now, if they could line them up and shoot them for target practice, they might have a renewed interest.... 

Ha! Have you told them about Kassaundra's method? Maybe that would bring them back around - at least for a little while...?...

 

[Beekissed]

Nah...I won't let them kill birds anymore unless they help clean them. Only one of them will help clean them but he has never been one that wanted to have a hand in killing them..though he would if I asked. I've got to the point where, if I want that job done well, I like to do it myself. I'm the one that has fooled with these birds the most and they are my thing....I don't really trust them to anyone else. I want it done quick, I want it done quietly and I want it done with the least amount of trauma and drama.

Same with gutting and processing deer...if you want it done right, most of the time it has to be done by a woman. Sorry, guys, but that has been our experience here...men get in a hurry because they hate the gutting and processing part. They just like the hunt and the kill, so most often it's a woman doing the rest here at our place...sort of like the squaws of old. I often think that is the reason they parted out the work in that way....

I draw the line at chewing the hides, though.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I got back to the house in China and all the cockerls were already gone.
Wont be posting any instructional videos this season.
(Dont get any of the chicken either!

)

Had some more surprises waiting foe me and it looks like I'm moving back to the US permanently.
Ahh life, I hate you.

what happened? I hope things turn around for you

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: awesome thanks for sharing!

 

[Chambertin]

Lets just say I'll be single (very unexpectedly) again soon.

EDIT:
I was supposed to come home for a visit in the middle of my 6 month education and work experience resume builder allowing me to find genuine work here in China. Instead, I got screwed out of everything built over these years and didnt even get back what I had at the beginning of the relationship.

 

[fisherlady]

As mentioned earlier here is my Chicken and Dumplings recipe

1 whole chicken, cut up but not boned or skinned (although skinless would be fine, I just like the extra flavor the skin adds and just remove it before eating)
8-10 cups strong chicken broth (if using canned add a bullion cube or two to it) needs to be enough broth to cover chicken pieces, so amount may depend on the size of your pot and the size of the chicken pieces.
4 Tblsp dried vegetable flakes .... I get mine at a bulk food store the mennonite run, awesome for odd little cooking ingredients!
1 Tblsp Minced garlic
1/2 tsp season salt ... brand of your choice
1 tsp rubbed Sage
1 tsp Rosemary (I use the flakes, not the powdered, but probably doesn't make too much difference)
1 Tblsp Celery flake
A pinch each of .... Toasted Sesame seed,
Chives
Parsley
Mint
2 whole Bay leaves
1 cup chunky cut carrots
1 cup chunky cut fresh celery
5 stalks green onion, chopped (just the lower 1/2 of the stalk, don't need to include the tops)

Dumplings.... 2 cups flour
1 large egg
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk (+/-)

Directions.....
Add all of the top ingredients into a large covered heavy bottomed pot you can cook with on the stove top or a dutch oven style pot for in the oven (I do mine on the stovetop)
Bring to a slow boil and then turn down to a simmer and cover, allow to simmer for about 2 hrs, I usually stir and flip the chicken pieces over about every 30-45 mins to make sure all sides
are getting the same broth time. If it starts to dry too much you can add more broth as needed, but covered at slow simmer usually doesn't loose much.

When you notice the bones are pulling out (about 2 hrs) you can then mix the dumplings up in a seperate bowl till they are a sticky dough consistancy and drop the dough by the small
Tablespoon full onto the top of the chicken so it floats on the broth. Cover and allow to continue to simmer about 15 -20 minutes till dumplings have raised and are dry on top. (I usually break one apart to make sure the dumplings are dry and fluffy on the inside.

Serve with noodles, potatoes or rice as you prefer.

Please note, quantities are approximate and can be adjusted to your likes... I just came up with this recipe over a couple of years experimenting and throwing things in that seemed like a good idea at the time, some I didn't like so they were removed from the recipe, other things we did like, so they stayed. The dumplings are another experiment that seemed to work OK but there may be lighter/fluffier recipes out there. If you have a good dumplings recipe please share!!!

If you try this recipe and come up with alternatives/additions please let me know! This isn't a 100 yr, set in stone, family heirloom, it's my work in progress...

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Yummy Fisherlady! Thanks!