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

[missnu01]

Hmm. We have never stunned a bird...that is one thing I like better about the ax than a knife...sometimes after you slit their throat you think they are dead, but they aren't...when we remove their head from their body I know that they are 100% dead. Sometimes the neck cutting just takes too long. I don't like them blinking and lookin at me while their blood runs into a bucket. It seems worse that way...it doesn't take long for them to bleed out and die, but chopping their heads off is just so quick. There is no room for the chicken to know they are dying...they just puff out like a candle.

 

[BCMaraniac]

Okay, horror story. On Sunday I was going to do the last three of my CX because as of this Thursday they will be 9 weeks old, and they are getting too big. I put the biggest into my cone, and he barely fit, but he seemed to be calm and staying in so I decided to move forward. I turned away to pick up the knife, and the bird flipped himself out of the cone and onto the garage floor. Did I mention I do my butchering in the garage because my neighbors are close and I don't want to freak anyone out? So this bird smacks down hard on the cement, then stands up and wheezes. I figured I better do it quick, so I put him back into the cone and quickly slit his throat, making sure that I held onto his legs right after I cut him. I fumbled when I set down the knife, so it fell into the garbage bag under the cone that the chicken was bleeding out into. I became a little distracted by having a wicked sharp surgical steel knife in play, so I let go of the chicken, which was almost dead so, of course, had a major spasm and flopped out of the cone onto the floor...again! Blood was splattered over an area about 8 feet in diameter. I quickly grabbed the bird and jammed him into the garbage bag as he did the death flailing they do. He managed to get his wings tangled up in the garbage bag. Finally, he stopped moving, so I untangled him from the bag and put him back in the cone, then, as he was dripping blood over me, I was able to fish the knife out of the bag. The knife had cut a slit in the side of the bag on its way down, so there was blood leaking from that. I finished that bird up, granted the other two a stay of execution, and spent about an hour cleaning up the mess.

I am sure that one day I will look back on this and laugh, but that day is not today.

Oh my goodness! I can only imagine what that must have been like, though I must admit that the imagery is really something! This is one that would definitely have freaked the neighbors. I hope the next time is less eventful!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Hmm. We have never stunned a bird...that is one thing I like better about the ax than a knife...sometimes after you slit their throat you think they are dead, but they aren't...when we remove their head from their body I know that they are 100% dead. Sometimes the neck cutting just takes too long. I don't like them blinking and lookin at me while their blood runs into a bucket. It seems worse that way...it doesn't take long for them to bleed out and die, but chopping their heads off is just so quick. There is no room for the chicken to know they are dying...they just puff out like a candle.

I never heard of it either, but what do I know! How on earth does one STUN the bird first, with a stun gun but we certainly aren't commercial processors and have such an item!

 

[fisherlady]

I never heard of it either, but what do I know! How on earth does one STUN the bird first, with a stun gun but we certainly aren't commercial processors and have such an item!

A quick, solid whack on the back of the head, at it's base near the neck will knock them out. Use a hammer, or my preference would be a short piece of black iron pipe. With a hammer you would have to aim much closer because you have a very small surface area to work with (about 1" diameter maybe, depending on size of hammer) with a piece of pipe or a small bat/ baton you just use the length surface.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote:

I think I would sooner just slit the throat and pray he forgives me for not stunning him first LOL

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Isnt this left on turkey? I have seen that "bump" or is it cut out or something?

"The oil or preen gland must be removed or it can ruin the taste of the meat. Make a cut above the gland and cut all the way down to the bone. Slide the knife along the bone, ending at the tail. Make sure there is no yellow glandular tissue left on the bird."

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I think some vaccines are "LIVE" so I am wondering, and I am pretty sure that mareks is

Wouldn't matter one way or the other. Live vaccines are attenuated so that they can't cause the disease. But I wouldn't bother paying for Marek's vaccine for birds that will only live 14 weeks max.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

A quick, solid whack on the back of the head, at it's base near the neck will knock them out. Use a hammer, or my preference would be a short piece of black iron pipe. With a hammer you would have to aim much closer because you have a very small surface area to work with (about 1" diameter maybe, depending on size of hammer) with a piece of pipe or a small bat/ baton you just use the length surface.

I think I'd be so worried about not hitting him exactly right and causing pain and fear and trauma. Better, in my opinion, to make a quick swipe across the trachea and let him bleed out. Bleeding out (according to people that have cut arteries and almost died) feels just like floating off to sleep.

 

[chicksooner]

We are writing one! LOL you know me I will add it all to the first page until I cant edit then on to article section with a link!

I figured you were taking care of it.

I missed like the first full day of this thread so I was fishing for important links I mighta missed.

 

[Wax Myrtle]

Quote not working, hope I remember what I wanted to comment on...

When I set up my blood collection bucket I don't use a bag liner - I add about an inch of water to the bottom, and when cleaning up, I pour it all in my composter. The water keeps it from clotting onto the bucket.

I don't stun. From what I've observed, after the first big gush, they seem to lose conciousness pretty much right away. Lesson learned from my personal horror story is that they'll faint even when you don't cut deeply enough to hit the spot. Then they wake up right when you think it's over.

I don't have a professional cone - I use a cut down traffic cone. But it isn't a real traffic cone, it's one of the smaller sports ones. So, on my tools list is a length of Velcro to tie legs together and to the cone post very quickly and painlessly to keep them from using their legs to pop back out of the cone.

I don't wear a coat - the cone will keep the gore confined. I do wear a fabric apron, but mostly because I like to lean against my sink as I pluck.

Yes, do remove the oil gland. Didn't notice once that a whole chicken I bought once hadn't had the oil gland removed. Simmered it for chicken salad and found the gland while removing meat. Figured to go ahead and give it a try. Baaaad chicken salad. Been a couple three, four years and I can still taste that. Ew.