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

[Elke Beck]

I'm not sure it is such a great bargain for the species. Farming, certainly commercial farming, has not been kind to animals. I think any animal would prefer to take its chances in the wild.

"Mother Nature" does not care about the suffering of individuals, just the survival of the entire species. Actually, it is not even the species, but any species that will fill the ecological niche. Species rise and fall, but the niche must be occupied.

Whether the bargain was a good one or not is judged by different standards when considered by the species or by the individual. You may look from the outside and believe that a chicken taking it's chances in the wild would be better off, however, the individual bird's chances of survival to 6 weeks of age are better in the factory farm than on it's own. The reason chickens hatch so many chicks is in the hope that one or two out of the clutch of 8 to 12 will make it to breeding age. Most are expected to be eaten by predators or fall to disease or accident.

My laying hens have the opportunity to "fly the coop," but every night they are in the same place on the roost. They do not prefer to take their chances in the wild.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I promised pictures of Silkie carcasses, so here they are. The meat is quite grey with dark black sheets throughout. These were hatchery birds, two were without the proper black skin or proper combs. After slaughtering and cleaning them last Sunday, I just put them in a pot and told my husband to cover them with a moist paper towel and take care of them. I could not bear to deal with their little bodies any more. He let two dry out a bit, but when I cooked them in a curry tonight they were perfect. I got over one pound of boned meat from two. The third is in the freezer. Tonight, I actually tasted them and I was surprised at just how good they tasted. I made a soup out of the first one I slaughtered a couple of weeks ago and the broth seemed very rich and dark. I will not be able to go back to store-bought blandness again!

 

[Chambertin]

Well I'm very happy you can enjoy the one true benefit of putting yourself through the processing
Amazingly delicious chicken.

It will get more routine with every one and the benefits should get yummier too.
They usually don't change the stock color unless the bones are boiled for a long time, and even then I dont know for sure if the bones changed the color or something else. Next time I process I'll be paying extra attention to the soup.

 

[jajeanpierre]

"Mother Nature" does not care about the suffering of individuals, just the survival of the entire species. Actually, it is not even the species, but any species that will fill the ecological niche. Species rise and fall, but the niche must be occupied.

Whether the bargain was a good one or not is judged by different standards when considered by the species or by the individual. You may look from the outside and believe that a chicken taking it's chances in the wild would be better off, however, the individual bird's chances of survival to 6 weeks of age are better in the factory farm than on it's own. The reason chickens hatch so many chicks is in the hope that one or two out of the clutch of 8 to 12 will make it to breeding age. Most are expected to be eaten by predators or fall to disease or accident.

My laying hens have the opportunity to "fly the coop," but every night they are in the same place on the roost. They do not prefer to take their chances in the wild.

Sure, mortality rate is lower in young animals in a farming scenario, but the life they live might be pretty awful, especially now in a factory farming situation. I suspect your chickens are pretty happy, but there can be a tremendous amount of abuse to farm animals and it is allowed because farming is an industry with lobbyists so that many animal cruelty laws don't apply to farm animals.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Well I'm very happy you can enjoy the one true benefit of putting yourself through the processing
Amazingly delicious chicken.

It will get more routine with every one and the benefits should get yummier too.
They usually don't change the stock color unless the bones are boiled for a long time, and even then I dont know for sure if the bones changed the color or something else. Next time I process I'll be paying extra attention to the soup.

I simmered the broth for many hours. I forced myself to eat a few bites of the first chicken I processed, but didn't taste it at all. This one I enjoyed!

I am not sure it will get more routine. I have a fear of processing my next chicken. I still have three to do--a Silkie and two Ameraucana cockerels. My 21 year old son thinks I should keep the ugly and ridiculous-looking frizzled cochin and it really is no trouble to keep him so he is spared. He is one ugly little chicken, so ugly, he is adorable.

I didn't have a relationship with the Silkies I slaughtered and they also bit me. They had a case of severe testosterone poisoning. Gonads the size of my thumb! I have more of a relationship with the two Ameraucana cockerels that can't stay. They might be hard to kill. They don't bite and quite like me.

I'm actually thinking of buying a bunch of chickens to raise for meat, not just as the by-product of pullets for eggs. I have come a long way to get to thinking that way!

 

[off-grid hen]

Off-grid,

these things sometimes happen.  Don't beat yourself up about it.  Chickens are amazingly tough, and devastatingly fragile.  There is a  staphylococcus infection in humans that is called "scalded skin syndrome," that sounds a lot like what you were dealing with.  Staph infections are notoriously tricky to deal with, and unless you were willing to shell out a lot of money for veterinary treatment on a chick that cost a couple of bucks, he was doomed from the time he got the infection. 

A couple of bucks, AND it was a meat bird. I didnt want to give it internal medicines for that reason. I figured the health of the rest of the flock and of my family was more important at that point. Thanks. I'm not beating myself up. Just resolved to the fact that I did what I was willing to do.

 

[off-grid hen]

I simmered the broth for many hours.  I forced myself to eat a few bites of the first chicken I processed, but didn't taste it at all.  This one I enjoyed!

I am not sure it will get more routine.  I have a fear of processing my next chicken.  I still have three to do--a Silkie and two Ameraucana cockerels.  My 21 year old son thinks I should keep the ugly and ridiculous-looking frizzled cochin and it really is no trouble to keep him so he is spared.  He is one ugly little chicken, so ugly, he is adorable.

I didn't have a relationship with the Silkies I slaughtered and they also bit me.  They had a case of severe testosterone poisoning.  Gonads the size of my thumb!  I have more of a relationship with the two Ameraucana cockerels that can't stay.  They might be hard to kill.  They don't bite and quite like me.

I'm actually thinking of buying a bunch of chickens to raise for meat, not just as the by-product of pullets for eggs.  I have come a long way to get to thinking that way!

My first batch of meaties (jumbo CX) were much more docile and friendly than my friendliest layer. They were more like begging dogs than chickens. When they would run to the door of the pen when I brought food, they were like happy round feathery puppies. I just looked at my husband and thought, "oh boy. This is going to be tough." All in all it's been a really good learning experience for me.

The freedom rangers peck at me when I try to pick them up, and have a bit more fight in them.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Off-grid

You did the best you could!

Jajeanne- I am really surprised at the silkie! In my mind I pictured much less meat and it to be much darker. Did you skin the chicken instead of plucking?

 

[dutchbunny83]

My favorite freedom ranger rooster my son calls "Gigantor"

He is 8 weeks old today (I am pretty sure, I can't find my exact ship date. Possibly a week later which would be 7 weeks, but I'm about 95% sure it's 8 weeks).
We weighed him and he is 6lbs exactly. Which really surprised me because he's big and feels really solid. By me picking him up and judging I really thought it'd be more like 8 or 9.
He's really sweet though

 

[pipemum]

jajean, your silkies have much more meat on them than the tiny roo I processed a few weeks ago! He was a silkie/Polish cross, and the little bugger started to crow at only 12 weeks. Tiny, beautiful little thing, but I live in a suburban neighborhood and can't have crowing... and I told myself prior to getting chickens that I'd be responsible for the life and death of any roosters or sick birds. I skinned him too, as plucking a small bird like that was not worth the effort. His meat was a bit darker than the bird above. Still in the freezer, haven't gotten a chance to fix him up for dinner. Killing him was a tough 2.5 seconds, but the rest was easy.

I have one big RIR cockerel to process this weekend. 18 weeks old, no crowing, but the guy is starting to get aggressive. He's going to have a LOT more meat on him. I have to say I'm excited to eat him for dinner...just wish the killing part (no matter how quick it is) was easier. My husband said he'll be the one to lop his head off if I do the cleaning. Good deal for me. We did the killing cone, head off with super sharp branch lopers method of killing for the first guy, and we'll do it again for this big one.