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

[Sally Sunshine]

I actually didn't even know what caponizing was, I had to google it. My personal take on it would be I wouldn't enjoy the quality of meat more (even if better) if I thought the animal suffered. But I'm still one of those people who don't see any animals just as food.

Side note-- I remember a couple years ago there was a big thing, probably with PETA, exposing the castration of hogs in factory farming. I think I remember it being for behavior versus meat quality, I don't know? But now they CHEMICALLY castrate the hogs by giving them high amounts of estrogen to effect the change without cutting them. Which means the meats are now full of all these hormones (among hundreds of other things wrong with factory farm meat) so obviously feeding this to your kids it carries over in the meat, which I'm sure at some point will have a negative effect on growing boys. My mom is a school nurse in an Elementary school & she said she's had 3rd graders start their period which in my opinion is coming from things like this and growth hormones in milk.

Anyway, things like this are what made me suck it up and realize as traumatizing and horrific as it is to me to kill something after 2 decades of on again off again veganism, there's no way I can condone the treatment of animals in factory farms by buying store bought meat or more importantly letting my kids continue to eat foods that we don't know exactly what went into.

chemically castrate! what the heck is that about! I will have to search that at some point when I have time to read! So much goes on and into our food we are seriously clueless! Well I am!! OMgoodness!! And 3rd Grade, Harmony is that age, I couldn't imagine!!! I did notice the upper bod growth on girls now adays that's for sure! I talked to Hubs about getting a goat to milk, just two! I am wondering if a lot of this is what is causing so many of our common illnesses now adays too! Like FibroMy and so many allergies and mental issues with kids and growing adults!

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:
I found that out last week. My first 2 bleed outs were difficult but figured it out for # 3. phew.
Good info for newbies.

 

[wlhtx]

I think they're the same size no matter the age...  The drumstick chicken wings are a piece of the wing not an actual drumstick.  The wing cuts into 3 pieces-- the tip which is trash or stock material (think hand), the flat part with the 2 bones (think your forearm), and the drummette (which would be the upper arm)

Guess I'm not familiar w/ "mini pieces"?????


At first I thought you were talking about the mini drumsticks which are actually wings 

LOL! Okay, so I learned something new today!! I knew they were called chicken "wings" on the menu, and there are pieces that fit that description (at least in my head) - but I totally thought the other shaped pieces were little drumsticks. I had no idea that it was just a cut section of a wing... This is why I was trying to figure out how young the birds were being processed to have such small, yet meaty drumsticks!

Sorry folks, I'm still working on learning the anatomy!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Tautness makes a huge difference. I hold the chicken's head with my thumb around the back of the comb, and my forefinger under the lower mandible. Kind of a pistol grip.

I really need to see a picture of this because I can't imagine it without my (left) thumb getting right in the knife's way--through the neck and through my thumb.

 

[aoxa]

Guess I'm not familiar w/ "mini pieces"?????


At first I thought you were talking about the mini drumsticks which are actually wings

They are wings.

 

[Triple Willow]

My take on the Caponizing....  Again this is "Me" not we

My grandfather used to caponize and to be honest it wasn't a big deal he went through the flock like a madman and I didn't see any ill effects on the roos at all.

HOWEVER... If I am going to raise Cornish or whatever meat birds in the short time they live before slaughter sometimes early as what 6 weeks? Why bother?  For taste? Not worth it in "my book" why?  First of all, even though I plan on killing them, I have no clue of pain level on the bird, and also the BIGGY is because when we processed our older "not bred for meat" roosters (cochin and brahma) earlier in this thread, they tasted so delicious after brining I wouldn't even bother with the caponizing for taste that's for sure!  And this is the reason it is done correct? They were simply AMAZING! I can only imagine the mouth watering meat from a real home raised meat bird, now if I was a Fine dining restaurant, sure I would buy some bresse or something that is known to have top flavors and texture, it could bring in more cash for the business, but I am not a fine dining business.  Our older roos were such a step up from the groc store meats, I mean BIG STEP UP!

Just my thoughts!

I remember years ago when various chickens were kept, including roosters, until somebody decided to have a certain chicken for Sunday dinner -and it was killed that day. I really don't know how much caponizing was done but no doubt it would have been a great thing for that "food" left on foot until needed. The way things are going this day and time we may have to return to old practices like that. One day we may not have electricity to keep a big freezer running

 

[aoxa]

I'm not for or against caponizing. I do not like the idea of them suffering, nor the work involved in doing a large number of them. I also just don't have the time. These are my cons... My pros: Thinking of my roosters I am never going to use for breeding and just for meat, I wouldn't mind having a quieter, less aggressive with the girls boy to grow out. I imagine less fighting as well. More peace in the flock...

I've banded chickens, and I'm not against that. Quick pain - not lasting for them. How would one assess the pain involved in caponizing? Couldn't imagine it being much worse than bumblefoot surgery... I've seen some injuries and very little reaction to pain in the chickens. Maybe it isn't so bad for them?

This is one of those controversial topics that I usually try to avoid. Really I don't have strong feelings either way.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I'm not for or against caponizing. I do not like the idea of them suffering, nor the work involved in doing a large number of them. I also just don't have the time. These are my cons... My pros: Thinking of my roosters I am never going to use for breeding and just for meat, I wouldn't mind having a quieter, less aggressive with the girls boy to grow out. I imagine less fighting as well. More peace in the flock...

I've banded chickens, and I'm not against that. Quick pain - not lasting for them. How would one assess the pain involved in caponizing? Couldn't imagine it being much worse than bumblefoot surgery... I've seen some injuries and very little reaction to pain in the chickens. Maybe it isn't so bad for them?

This is one of those controversial topics that I usually try to avoid. Really I don't have strong feelings either way.

Yep, I've pretty much decided that except for the thread Kassaundra started about it, I'm going to keep my mouth shut. I just hope all of those who are so adamantly opposed to it will just leave us alone there.

 

[Kassaundra]

Yep, I've pretty much decided that except for the thread Kassaundra started about it, I'm going to keep my mouth shut. I just hope all of those who are so adamantly opposed to it will just leave us alone there.

I have been so impressed by the lack of drama on that thread, I have seen others get horribly aggressive and have to be locked down, I was really worried about that when I first started it.

 

[Triple Willow]

Yep, I've pretty much decided that except for the thread Kassaundra started about it, I'm going to keep my mouth shut.  I just hope all of those who are so adamantly opposed to it will just leave us alone there.

This is just one of those subjects that people don't/won't agree on. I personally don't have a problem with it. The only problem I might have with it would be me doing it because I am a wuss. LOL But I do think it would be a good thing to know how to do. This is the USA, you don't need to keep your mouth shut... so far.