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

[Sally Sunshine]

I saw using loppers to behead the bird was mentioned somewhere. I rather liked that idea from the standpoint of less guesswork & no sharp knives involved- Can anyone tell me/point me to a place that gives more info on this?

I know there's tradeoffs on everything and I am curious to what the tradeoff on this method is.

I think you should do the bag bird method Peter suggested and do the broom but dont pull so hard as I did lol or just do it hard and take the head off let it bleed out. the less flopping for you will be better, and yes I have cut myself slitting throats just once, but that was enough to take it slower and relax a bit. I find the quicker you try to do it the worst outcome! whoda thunk right? lol

 

[BantyChooks]

I think you should do the bag bird method Peter suggested and do the broom but dont pull so hard as I did lol or just do it hard and take the head off let it bleed out. the less flopping for you will be better, and yes I have cut myself slitting throats just once, but that was enough to take it slower and relax a bit. I find the quicker you try to do it the worst outcome! whoda thunk right? lol

Thanks!

 

[BantyChooks]

Looked up the broomstick method... seems a whole lot easier and a lot less hands on. If I ever have to cull that sounds like a method I'd try.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Looked up the broomstick method... Seems a whole lot easier and a lot less hands on. If I ever have to cull that sounds like a method I'd try.

This is the method I use when I have to cull. It's always quick and easy.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

If I ever did the meat bird thing I know I would have to take them somewhere to be processed.

 

[mich9510]

Hi everyone. I wanted to post here last week but I've just been so busy...
I adopted 3 adult muscovies a little while ago. They were living behind the restaurant I work at and starting to harass the customers. The owner was going to cull them and dispose of them but I took them to my house to try to rehab them and make them more friendly. The rehab didn't work. I gave it a few weeks but the largest one was just biting all the time (they were all drakes). We decided to cull him and have him for dinner.
I looked up how to do it and it seemed that slitting the throat was the most humane since it causes them to bleed out. I guess they pass out before they die?
I was afraid that instead of just hitting the jugular we would actually hit the trachea and the duck would suffer before dying. We decided to cut off his head. I held his body and my husband did the deed with our machete. It was quick and only took one attempt.
I was not prepared. I thought it was just an old wives tail that they run around after being beheaded. I was wrong.
His head landed at my feet and he definitely lived for a few seconds.....
It was a little upsetting. I wish we would have slit his throat.
I plucked and gutted him which wasn't too bad. I guess it will get better.
He was very tasty but chewy. I guess that's because of his age.
Thanks for letting me share.

 

[BullChick]

I recently processed (okay I think I was more watching with him) a Muscovy. I had never had duck meat before. Not too bad. He was roasted with bacon and apples.
I am sorry you were horrified by the sight. Some people don't get over it. Some people see it as a show. In the middle, people that behead will hold the bird still, or place the body in a feedbag (as Sally mentioned above) which keeps you from seeing and preventing the bruising of the meat.
Please don't feel bad about it. It's like a rocking chair rocking after you stand up.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

@mich9510- we also behead when we process but all that movement is just nerves firing off. He was dead immediately. What we do is r hang them from a rope by their feet after to let them bleed out and keep them from running around. They flap around for a few minutes then it's done. I did drop one once while hanging him and had to catch/pin him. That was a weird experience!

Did you let him rest in the fridge for a day or so before eating him? He may have been chewy because of rigor. We usually bag ours and let them in the fridge for 2 days before freezing or cooking.

 

[ronott1]

Hi everyone. I wanted to post here last week but I've just been so busy...
I adopted 3 adult muscovies a little while ago. They were living behind the restaurant I work at and starting to harass the customers. The owner was going to cull them and dispose of them but I took them to my house to try to rehab them and make them more friendly. The rehab didn't work. I gave it a few weeks but the largest one was just biting all the time (they were all drakes). We decided to cull him and have him for dinner.
I looked up how to do it and it seemed that slitting the throat was the most humane since it causes them to bleed out. I guess they pass out before they die?
I was afraid that instead of just hitting the jugular we would actually hit the trachea and the duck would suffer before dying. We decided to cut off his head. I held his body and my husband did the deed with our machete. It was quick and only took one attempt.
I was not prepared. I thought it was just an old wives tail that they run around after being beheaded. I was wrong.
His head landed at my feet and he definitely lived for a few seconds.....
It was a little upsetting. I wish we would have slit his throat.
I plucked and gutted him which wasn't too bad. I guess it will get better.
He was very tasty but chewy. I guess that's because of his age.
Thanks for letting me share.

Yes, like was posted, rest in the fridge for two days because of rigor. After two days, rigor should be gone and then cook or freeze.

Brining helps a lot too!

I recently processed (okay I think I was more watching with him) a Muscovy. I had never had duck meat before. Not too bad. He was roasted with bacon and apples.
I am sorry you were horrified by the sight. Some people don't get over it. Some people see it as a show. In the middle, people that behead will hold the bird still, or place the body in a feedbag (as Sally mentioned above) which keeps you from seeing and preventing the bruising of the meat.
Please don't feel bad about it. It's like a rocking chair rocking after you stand up.

You can use a small rope to tie the wings to the body. They will not flap then. I hang them by the feet with a rope and secure the wings.

This also helps because they can bruise themselves flapping the wings. That causes the meat to look funny when cooked.

 

[mich9510]

We let him rest overnight (probably 18 hrs) and I slow roasted at 250 for 4-5 hours. The flavor was amazing and was falling off the bones. Just a little chewy.