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

[Bethel3330]

I was thinking the same.

I've always thought pithing sounded awful, and I could never bring myself to do it.  Your experience just reinforced that feeling.  I'm sorry you had to experience that.

i would never do that with a bird. They're too large and if you're off by just a little bit it's excruciating. We did this to frogs in college anatomy lab. You have to be quick and sure. I would definitely choose something else for chickens.

 

[Beekissed]

Hi, we just processed 6 Cornish with 9 more to go this weekend. It was hard as I had never deliberately killed a living creature before. After exploring all the youtube video''s and reading here at BYC what really helped was that I had a hen who had a broken leg. I felt very bad for her and after sitting doing some soul searching realized that I would be helping her, by ending her life I ended her suffering. It was hard until I looked at her unable to walk and I knew it was the right thing. I held her for a bit put a rope around her feet, placed her on an old dog run wire and as she hung down there was no struggle just a sad acceptence for us both. I think it was also easier since this breed will die of health complications. This experience has taught me that the knife must be SHARP, they do struggle a bit when placed upside down, and the after "tremors" and "wingflaps" should not be "helped" by your touching of the bird, it brings no comfort for the bird. Don't be afraid to do what you are about to do - don't hesitate- be decisive or the animal suffers. I have trouble with my hands and am weak so I didn't feel the broomstick method would be quick, also eliminated the axe, no way I could "bash it's brain in". So I choose cutting the jugular on both the left and the right side, cutting away from my body. There was not that much blood and I had a garden tote lined with a garbage bag under them, the first hen died in less than 3 seconds! In all the others death occured in less than 5 to 10 seconds (less with a sure hand). I have meat on my table that will nourish my family and animals, I am grateful and thankful. I am also humbled. I will say the anticipation of killing something was actually way worse than the doing, again maybe because I felt I had to do it and an unexpected rain storm allowed no more time for my OCD (CDO for those truly affected, lol) and morbid thinking to kick in to high gear. I also know that I truly will eliminate the need for someone else to kill for me if I do it myself or go vegan... I like meat so I have to do it. To anyone who is about to undertake this - it's okay and you DID it yourself from egg or chick to the table with God watching you harvest his gifts - God Bless.

Amen! Excellent post!

 

[Bethel3330]

I buy bruised produce and meat nearing the "sell by" date... I'm afraid I just can't afford the prices, even when they are so low. But, I do the store a favor, and I keep food from going to waste.


I just came home with mushrooms, bananas, apples, wonton wrappers and romaine lettuce, all marked down because of looking a bit bruised up and limp (although I saw NOTHING wrong with the romaine... it just had a "use by" date). Now to figure out what to make with it


As much as I would love to buy to support local farmers, there is reality, and that is that we're a lower income family. I grow what I can, but I am still learning too.. and we are in town. Every year we grow a little more food ourselves. But, I did *gasp* bought some store eggs (my chickens don't lay white ones... and I needed them for dyeing), and our eggs are produced in locally in Alabama.

I find farmers markets and especially roadside stands to be far cheaper than grocery stores, especially the local stuff offered at the grocery store. We can even buy at some farms. If you freeze or can buy in bulk the in-season produce. Last year I got tomatoes for $8.00 a bushel. I hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[Bethel3330]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elke Beck


This is not supposed to be easy; taking a life is a solemn thing. For me I do not want to ever get so calloused that I do not feel sad about taking a life. I want my meat chickens to have a lot of good days and one bad day.

My brother, who is a scientist, has a theory of conservation of difficulty. The theory goes that in any situation there is a certain amount of difficulty. You can move the difficulty around, but you cannot eliminate it. For example, anyone who had a computer in the 80's knows how hard it was to use a computer. You had to learn a lot about programming in order to use simple programs. Now computers are pretty simple to use because the designers and programmers have taken the difficulty away from the user and hidden it behind the scenes. So today you can fire up your computer and go directly to your desktop instead of start from the C prompt. To bring this back to chickens, if you are going to eat meat, then there is a certain amount of difficulty in the situation. Factory farms have allowed people to ignore that difficulty by raising chickens in conditions that are horrible and that do not respect the nature of the chicken -- the difficulty has been shifted from the people eating them to the chickens. I see the sadness and discomfort I suffer from killing chickens that I have carefully raised as my taking some of the difficulty on myself.

Anyway, I hope that makes sense."

I know this post is from the perspective of raising birds for meat, but I think it can be applied more broadly to any flock.

Thanks for finding and posting this again. It's really helpful. I want so much to not contribute to the factory farm industry and raise our own meat birds.

We're just now getting our coop done for the layers. When is too late in the year to raise cornish cx in wv? Anybody? @Beekissed? I hear they don't take the heat well but we're not ready to start that yet.
Thanks!

 

[Crickett]

I know this thread is about processing chickens, but I could use some encouragement. Monday, day after tomorrow, I'll be processing some rabbits. I've never done rabbits before, and I'm a bit apprehensive about it. I've passed the chicken challenge, but could use some moral support for the bun one. Thanks!

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks for finding and posting this again. It's really helpful. I want so much to not contribute to the factory farm industry and raise our own meat birds.

We're just now getting our coop done for the layers. When is too late in the year to raise cornish cx in wv? Anybody? @Beekissed ? I hear they don't take the heat well but we're not ready to start that yet.
Thanks!

If you are looking to do 25 then your best bet may be to do them in the fall instead of over the summer. You can order direct from a hatchery and if you get them in mid to late August you will be able to get them outside pretty young (since still warm nights) and by the time they are getting big enough to be bothered by the heat the days will have cooled off. If you butcher at 8 weeks you will be mid October, or you can wait with some of them if they look good enough till November.
Hubby and I are seriously considering doing this if we are out of chicken or getting low by late summer. We did 15 for ourselves last year and were out of chicken except for 2 saved holiday roaster birds and cockerel culls later in the year. (we gave away another 5 to family who sometimes help take care of animals when we are away)

 

[fisherlady]

I know this thread is about processing chickens, but I could use some encouragement. Monday, day after tomorrow, I'll be processing some rabbits. I've never done rabbits before, and I'm a bit apprehensive about it. I've passed the chicken challenge, but could use some moral support for the bun one. Thanks!

I'm sure there is a whole new level of difficulty when dealing with rabbits, though I remember helping my Dad butcher them when I was a kid and it was rather straightforward. I am glad you were able to come here for some support! If you read the post above you it should help reaffirm your reasoning for raising the meat animals to begin with... it is never easy to take a life, and it shouldn't be, but the quality of life you provide your meat stock is far and above anything they would experience in a meat farm set up! For every one you are able to do at home it is one less going through the factory! This thought helps me, as does knowing that the food we are eating is natural and not inundated with hormones or antibiotics or salt injections...

From what I remember of doing the rabbits it was very simple, my Dad held the rabbit up by the hind legs and used a heavy hammer handle to give them one hard blow at the base of the skull. The animal was unconscious immediately (if not dead) . Dad had a flat board nailed on a tree with a slip knot noose cord strung from each upper corner and he would put a hind foot through each of these so the rabbit was hung upside down on the board with legs open to allow for skinning. I don't recall all of the step by step, but it did seem quicker than cleaning the chickens from what I remember. Sorry I can't provide more.

 

[Penny Hen]

might give you a little peace until then

did you read beekissed article on dealing with a naughty rooster?? great techn to show him who is boss.

Yeah, we have been through several rounds of "re-education" It works for a 2 or 3 weeks and then one day he sneaks up on me and jumps me. He has even jumped me when I am bringing food.

 

[Bethel3330]

The friend that I split my order with just sent all of her meaties off for processing.  The guy charges $7 a bird!   Holy heck, that seems expensive!  I've got $7 in each of them right now in feeding them.

whoa! A neighboring farm gave me their price of $5 each and I thought that was high after hearing some Amish will do it for $2. I didn't ask, just was buying some feed from them but you can bet if it were half their price I'd probably take them up on it. Then, again, I really wouldn't want the birds to have to travel and be freaked out prior to either...

Btw, everyone, I've been reading this thread since joining a few weeks ago and just realized I've been jumping in and never said Hi. So Hello to those I hadn't yet talked to. Hope you don't mind my chiming in.
Beth

 

[Bethel3330]

If you are looking to do 25 then your best bet may be to do them in the fall instead of over the summer.  You can order direct from a hatchery and if you get them in mid to late August you will be able to get them outside pretty young (since still warm nights) and by the time they are getting big enough to be bothered by the heat the days will have cooled off.  If you butcher at 8 weeks you will be mid October, or you can wait with some of them if they look good enough till November. 
Hubby and I are seriously considering doing this if we are out of chicken or getting low by late summer.  We did 15 for ourselves last year and were out of chicken except for 2 saved holiday roaster birds and cockerel culls later in the year.  (we gave away another 5 to family who sometimes help take care of animals when we are away)

Thanks! I don't know about 25. That's my goal but maybe 15 the first go round. That timing sounds really good actually, and the processing wikl be well after I've had to slave away putting the tomatoes up. Great idea!!