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

[Phoenixxx]

I am so torn. I have 4 roos and only need 2. None are mean like the red roo that I processed last year. He spurred me one time too many and that made it easy. But these guys are nice. And they have the most gorgeous feathers. Until I get out to the pen I can say that I will keep the senoir roo (Long John Silver) and the youngest (Moose) because he is a brown silver. These are Olive Eggers of Marans/Ameraucana breeding. But Blue beard has a gorgeous mottled beard. And Yellow Legs have so much red bleeding through his shoulders it looks like a sunset. And I worry that "dissappearing" them from the flock might be upsetting to the rest. Everyone saw me grab up Rufus when he attacked me that last time and carry him away to the house from which he never resurfaced. But they also knew he deserved it because he had been jumping me for months. Even Long John would beat him up when Rufus would jump me.

They sound gorgeous! I'd be tempted to just keep them anyway regardless of numbers, let them breed and then maybe eat them later One thing you can do is what I'm trying right now: preserve the skin with its feathers intact and then make something with it after. At least you'll still get to enjoy the beauty of their feathers and less of the bird will have gone to waste

 

[trudyg]

I finally did 2 cockerels this morning. The first, I used a utility knife and got him bleeding out pretty good, but then he struggled and got one leg loose so I guess the bleeding wasn't as good as I thought. So, I got my big loppers and that did it. Had to clip the last bit of skin, but overall it was instant. I tried skinning and just made a big mess--so many feathers! So, I just cut off pieces as I went. Next one I did the loppers first thing. He had his back arched the whole time, trying to peck me. Did not pass out once hanging, just kept arching and flapping. Loppers took care of that. He was black and was a big mess. I finally just cut off pieces and pulled the stuck on feathers off, rinsed in a bowl and tossed it into the water to cool. I wasted an awful lot of stuff this way and want to do better next time. The big guy who really needs to be gone I wasn't able to catch, so next time for him for sure. I started around 7:30 and was all cleaned up and in the shower by 10. One question, tho, what about all those stuck on bits of fluff? I pick and pick and there's still some.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I finally did 2 cockerels this morning.  The first, I used a utility knife and got him bleeding out pretty good, but then he struggled and got one leg loose so I guess the bleeding wasn't as good as I thought.  So, I got my big loppers and that did it.  Had to clip the last bit of skin, but overall it was instant.  I tried skinning and just made a big mess--so many feathers!  So, I just cut off pieces as I went.  Next one I did the loppers first thing.  He had his back arched the whole time, trying to peck me.  Did not pass out once hanging, just kept arching and flapping.  Loppers took care of that.  He was black and was a big mess.  I finally just cut off pieces and pulled the stuck on feathers off, rinsed in a bowl and tossed it into the water to cool.  I wasted an awful lot of stuff this way and want to do better next time.  The big guy who really needs to be gone I wasn't able to catch, so next time for him for sure.  I started around 7:30 and was all cleaned up and in the shower by 10.  One question, tho, what about all those stuck on bits of fluff?  I pick and pick and there's still some.

I just rinse under running water while rubbing. If the chicken is going to the dog, I just leave it. If I'm eating it, I go to the trouble of plucking it. The fluff rinses off bare skin more easily for some reason.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I finally did 2 cockerels this morning. The first, I used a utility knife and got him bleeding out pretty good, but then he struggled and got one leg loose so I guess the bleeding wasn't as good as I thought. So, I got my big loppers and that did it. Had to clip the last bit of skin, but overall it was instant. I tried skinning and just made a big mess--so many feathers! So, I just cut off pieces as I went. Next one I did the loppers first thing. He had his back arched the whole time, trying to peck me. Did not pass out once hanging, just kept arching and flapping. Loppers took care of that. He was black and was a big mess. I finally just cut off pieces and pulled the stuck on feathers off, rinsed in a bowl and tossed it into the water to cool. I wasted an awful lot of stuff this way and want to do better next time. The big guy who really needs to be gone I wasn't able to catch, so next time for him for sure. I started around 7:30 and was all cleaned up and in the shower by 10. One question, tho, what about all those stuck on bits of fluff? I pick and pick and there's still some.

Helpful input. How old/large were the cockerels, and how big were the loppers (can you post a photo)? If the loppers work with larger birds, I am very hopeful for an easier, more accurate (and more safe for me) way to decapitate quickly.

- Ant Farm

 

[trudyg]

Both were big, but the black one was biggest. My loppers are Fiskars that are meant to trip branches up to 1 1/2". I had them hanging by the feet against a tree trunk. I took the loppers and opened wide so the entire neck was in it and used the tree trunk as a back stop (so he couldn't struggle out). There's leverage with the long handled loppers that was helpful and I wasn't worried about missing with the hatchet, knew exactly where I was when I crunched. The only negative was that I didn't rinse the blood off immediately and it's hard to get off once it dries. I soaked and cleaned them, then oiled the joint.

 

[trudyg]

One more thing, these guys were 22 weeks old and the testes on them were huge! I've seen the 'beans' on younger ones that looked like navy beans and these were gigantic compared to that.Probably 1 1/2" long and rounded, swollen. I never would have thought they'd be that big.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote:
I just hang them by feet and skip the jugs/cones, I put a old shower curtain on the ground and throw it away when its all done cause the blood dries on it and clots up, no muss no fuss

 

[katbriar]

This is the link posted (I think on p 554?) earlier in this thread.  She uses scissors to kill/decapitate!  Fast !

Looked like the scissors were barely big enough. Took three cuts to get through the neck. She was quick, but I still cringed at the sawing at the neck.

 

[kyzerc]

I had trouble killing my quail till a bunch got out day after I had surgery forgot I had about 5 imcisons,liked to have killed my self chasing them.,started pulling off heads. I have trouble killing anything, I,let my son kill and eat them,i wont eat one yet,hatched them all out,still my children

 

[LeafBlade12345]

I had trouble killing my quail till a bunch got out day after I had surgery forgot I had about 5 imcisons,liked to have killed my self chasing them.,started pulling off heads. I have trouble killing anything, I,let my son kill and eat them,i wont eat one yet,hatched them all out,still my children

You pulled their heads off? Or am I missing something? How did you manage that?

Regards,
Leaf