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

[GD91]

Here's the bird
Anyone considering culling, be aware you only feel bad until the heads gone. After that it's really easy. I had a blunt knife to butcher, but a sharp machete took the head off.
An I'm a townie girl ;-)

My DH would never do it, he's a wuss :-D

Although I can't be that bad, I have the pullet asleep on the sofa infront of the fire. She's actually been really good, not near as messy as those chicks, nor the smell.
Time for the hardcore chicken keepers to beat me around the ears..... I have a house chicken !

 

[loveourbirds]

i see the age old question of letting the kids help. i myself was reared in a self sufficient lifestyle. i was helping scald, scrape, and butcher hogs at around 5 years old. i believe i was around 12 when i was allowed to "put down" my first cow - and at the time i felt it was a privilage. i think you should allow your kids to be around it, but dont force them - let them come and go on their own will. as they get more used to it, then let them help.

if your kids are around 12 or older, you may let them watch "Food Inc.". when they see how its done commercially the "backyard" method usually doesn't seem so bad to them.

when you butcher, also let your kids see you buy some chicken. when its cooked, if asked tell them its the store bought chicken - pretty soon they will realize they have eaten the homegrown chicken along the way, and it wont bother them any more.

 

[Kassaundra]

Here's the bird
Anyone considering culling, be aware you only feel bad until the heads gone. After that it's really easy. I had a blunt knife to butcher, but a sharp machete took the head off.
An I'm a townie girl ;-)

My DH would never do it, he's a wuss :-D

Although I can't be that bad, I have the pullet asleep on the sofa infront of the fire. She's actually been really good, not near as messy as those chicks, nor the smell.
Time for the hardcore chicken keepers to beat me around the ears..... I have a house chicken !

Cheaper then a parrot.

 

[GD91]

Cheaper then a parrot.

Oh certainly , perches on your shoulder like one to. I've got my soon to be landlord coming around in the next month & here I am with a chicken in the dogs & cat. He must think we are running a bloody zoo.....

Still she is of sentimental value, I hatched her in the incubater & she was the start of my chicken keeping

She's people friendly, just not chicken friendly so much...

 

[jajeanpierre]

i see the age old question of letting the kids help......... i think you should allow your kids to be around it, but dont force them - let them come and go on their own will. as they get more used to it, then let them help.

I've thought about this a lot and don't know why I didn't think of this earlier. I know that my watching lots of processing videos and getting all the hand holding from this group made my first processing okay with no surprises. For those of us who do not have the experience of seeing the meat on our table from when it was new-born and then slaughtered, familiarity of the process really helps. I think if a parent and child were to watch and discuss some of the processing videos, the parent would probably have a pretty good idea if the child is going to be bothered by helping in processing.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Cheaper then a parrot.

And quieter!!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote:

 

[pipemum]

Yes, the so-called Cornish game hens are just young CXs of either sex. I did my 6 this weekend. It wasn't a problem. My friend was a good gutter, but was really slow at plucking, even though the drill plucker got the breasts and backs. Because I had to show her the ropes, it worked out that I was only doing one bird at a time. Two at a time would have been so much faster, but it was what it was. One of the birds had some of those clear fluid filled sacks near its heart...because of my schedule, I tend to underfeed, but the week of processing, I was cramming them full of food. I won't do that again, they seemed to be gaining fine even underfed. I gave away 4, and have 2 for myself. Still sitting in the fridge (I hate to cook) I'm sure they'll be delicious, whenever I do cook them!

My daughter did not want to watch the butchering, but wandered in and out during it anyway. Gut piles are always interesting to kids!

I have 8 birds left. 2 of the regular CX, and 6 slow growing broilers. The 2 big ones will have to be processed in a couple of weeks, and I have no idea when the slow growers will be ready.

 

[Arielle]

Here's the bird
Anyone considering culling, be aware you only feel bad until the heads gone. After that it's really easy. I had a blunt knife to butcher, but a sharp machete took the head off.
An I'm a townie girl ;-)

My DH would never do it, he's a wuss :-D

Although I can't be that bad, I have the pullet asleep on the sofa infront of the fire. She's actually been really good, not near as messy as those chicks, nor the smell.
Time for the hardcore chicken keepers to beat me around the ears..... I have a house chicken !

Some of the hardcore chicken keepers have special birds too. WIth diapers. lol

My kids are to help. THey get the birds and bring the birds to me, then turn their backs until . . . .then slowly pick the feathers off. Every bit helps though and I can get more done with their help. Afterall they sure like eating the birds. . . . as long as it is not a bird that was a buddy. Which I totally understand.

My kids are facinated by the feathers and the body conformation . . . .great time for learning and connecting to each other and our food. ( My DH is a wuss too; only helps when a bird needs to be put down. )

 

[pipemum]

I'm definitely not a hard-core chicken owner, but the thought of having an indoor chicken turns my stomach, to each his/her own. I feel the same way about cats, and those are socially 'acceptable' indoor animals, haha.

Although my 4-year old could have retrieved the birds for me, at 4, I'm not too interested in having her "help" with processing chickens. It was hard enough corralling my adult helper!

My husband is not a wuss, but a total jerkface when it comes to helping me with anything chicken-related. I should serve him tofu while I make myself MY CHICKENS, as he calls them. Well, technically, he calls them YOUR D*** CHICKENS. I have no idea why he's so hostile to them, but whatever. Tofu might set his head on straight.