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

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: awesome thank you!

 

[Tomtommom]

My first rooster was a disaster.... We wanted to do the 'gentle bleeding, until passed out, then slit throat' thing. Watched a million videos. Yeah, well, THAT didn't work. He started clotting, pulled his neck into his chest.... 30 minutes of agony (I'm sure it was less than that, but it felt like 30 minutes). He was tough and tasted like beef, at 12 weeks old. The whole experience was terrible.

Enter two eggs I hatched myself, I was certain it was a boy and a girl. WRONG. Girl started crowing, excessively.

I searched and searched to find a better way. We were set on the 'ax to the neck' idea.. but at the last moment I found out about the broomstick method.

I am SO glad I did. It was a breeze. Much, MUCH less stress, we actually did it indoors. Rooster went from a pet carrier (withheld him food for 24 hours) to being dead in seconds. No huge struggle, no squawking..

The key for us was for me to hold the rooster by the feet, as my husband put a thin metal rod over the roosters' neck. He stepped on the rod, while I pulled. I held the bird upside down as he went through his jerking and shaking. No blood, no mess.

Well, I roasted him last night, thinking it would add flavor for when I stewed him the next day.... BOY, he came out the oven juicy and tender as could be. I was amazed. 17 weeks old and tender... such a difference compared to the first one at 12 weeks old!

I still have one more rooster waiting indoors. I had hoped to rehome him, as he's quite gentle and handsome, but I don't see it happening. I am sad to say I can't wait to eat him.

I'm thinking I may actually get a few meaties this spring, now that I have worked past the horrors of the first rooster dispatch. I like to know where my food is coming from and I just don't like the idea of grocery store chicken. I'm actually pondering getting some rabbits for eating as well.... I'd like to get away from all the overly processed stuff.

 

[ronott1]

My first rooster was a disaster.... We wanted to do the 'gentle bleeding, until passed out, then slit throat' thing. Watched a million videos. Yeah, well, THAT didn't work. He started clotting, pulled his neck into his chest.... 30 minutes of agony (I'm sure it was less than that, but it felt like 30 minutes). He was tough and tasted like beef, at 12 weeks old. The whole experience was terrible.

Enter two eggs I hatched myself, I was certain it was a boy and a girl. WRONG. Girl started crowing, excessively.

I searched and searched to find a better way. We were set on the 'ax to the neck' idea.. but at the last moment I found out about the broomstick method.

I am SO glad I did. It was a breeze. Much, MUCH less stress, we actually did it indoors. Rooster went from a pet carrier (withheld him food for 24 hours) to being dead in seconds. No huge struggle, no squawking..

The key for us was for me to hold the rooster by the feet, as my husband put a thin metal rod over the roosters' neck. He stepped on the rod, while I pulled. I held the bird upside down as he went through his jerking and shaking. No blood, no mess.

Well, I roasted him last night, thinking it would add flavor for when I stewed him the next day.... BOY, he came out the oven juicy and tender as could be. I was amazed. 17 weeks old and tender... such a difference compared to the first one at 12 weeks old!

I still have one more rooster waiting indoors. I had hoped to rehome him, as he's quite gentle and handsome, but I don't see it happening. I am sad to say I can't wait to eat him.

I'm thinking I may actually get a few meaties this spring, now that I have worked past the horrors of the first rooster dispatch. I like to know where my food is coming from and I just don't like the idea of grocery store chicken. I'm actually pondering getting some rabbits for eating as well.... I'd like to get away from all the overly processed stuff.

Good job!

I like the broom method too. It is in Stories guide to chickens.

 

[jajeanpierre]

My first rooster was a disaster.... We wanted to do the 'gentle bleeding, until passed out, then slit throat' thing. Watched a million videos. Yeah, well, THAT didn't work. He started clotting, pulled his neck into his chest.... 30 minutes of agony (I'm sure it was less than that, but it felt like 30 minutes). He was tough and tasted like beef, at 12 weeks old. The whole experience was terrible.

Gentle bleeding???? Explain please. Thanks.

 

[Beekissed]

My first rooster was a disaster.... We wanted to do the 'gentle bleeding, until passed out, then slit throat' thing. Watched a million videos. Yeah, well, THAT didn't work. He started clotting, pulled his neck into his chest.... 30 minutes of agony (I'm sure it was less than that, but it felt like 30 minutes). He was tough and tasted like beef, at 12 weeks old. The whole experience was terrible.

Enter two eggs I hatched myself, I was certain it was a boy and a girl. WRONG. Girl started crowing, excessively.

I searched and searched to find a better way. We were set on the 'ax to the neck' idea.. but at the last moment I found out about the broomstick method.

I am SO glad I did. It was a breeze. Much, MUCH less stress, we actually did it indoors. Rooster went from a pet carrier (withheld him food for 24 hours) to being dead in seconds. No huge struggle, no squawking..

The key for us was for me to hold the rooster by the feet, as my husband put a thin metal rod over the roosters' neck. He stepped on the rod, while I pulled. I held the bird upside down as he went through his jerking and shaking. No blood, no mess.

Well, I roasted him last night, thinking it would add flavor for when I stewed him the next day.... BOY, he came out the oven juicy and tender as could be. I was amazed. 17 weeks old and tender... such a difference compared to the first one at 12 weeks old!

I still have one more rooster waiting indoors. I had hoped to rehome him, as he's quite gentle and handsome, but I don't see it happening. I am sad to say I can't wait to eat him.

I'm thinking I may actually get a few meaties this spring, now that I have worked past the horrors of the first rooster dispatch. I like to know where my food is coming from and I just don't like the idea of grocery store chicken. I'm actually pondering getting some rabbits for eating as well.... I'd like to get away from all the overly processed stuff.

Be aware that the meaties are much younger, so if you use the broomstick method, it usually just rips the head right off...they are that tender.

 

[Tomtommom]

Gentle bleeding???? Explain please. Thanks.

I watched this video of this sweet lady, gently craddling an over-the-hill hen, talking softly to her. Then she quickly slits *just* the jugular, causing the bird to bleed out, petting and talking to the bird the whole time. Apparently the loss of blood makes the bird pass out and then she would cut the head off. It looked so peaceful, bird just went to sleep... I wanted to do that too. Yeah, reality was... there was NOTHING peaceful about it with a hormonal rooster than didn't like being held.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I watched this video of this sweet lady, gently craddling an over-the-hill hen, talking softly to her. Then she quickly slits *just* the jugular, causing the bird to bleed out, petting and talking to the bird the whole time. Apparently the loss of blood makes the bird pass out and then she would cut the head off. It looked so peaceful, bird just went to sleep... I wanted to do that too. Yeah, reality was... there was NOTHING peaceful about it with a hormonal rooster than didn't like being held.

Was that the one who actually ate a raw yolk from the ovary when she eviscerated the bird??

 

[Tomtommom]

I don't believe so.

 

[Beekissed]

I watched this video of this sweet lady, gently craddling an over-the-hill hen, talking softly to her. Then she quickly slits *just* the jugular, causing the bird to bleed out, petting and talking to the bird the whole time. Apparently the loss of blood makes the bird pass out and then she would cut the head off. It looked so peaceful, bird just went to sleep... I wanted to do that too. Yeah, reality was... there was NOTHING peaceful about it with a hormonal rooster than didn't like being held.

You might want to watch that video again...if it's the same one we've seen on here before, she was holding the head, cocked to one side for the bleed out and also holding onto the body as it jerked til the dying. Nothing peaceful about it, just a woman using her hands and lap to control the death throes in the same way we use a killing cone. The bird didn't go to sleep...it died~they all do after losing enough blood. She just managed to control the body better than you probably did with your roo...no worries, I'm sure she has done it more and has learned to control the chicken at the right time.

 

[BCMaraniac]

I don't believe so.

Actually, it is the same woman. She has a part 2 video that shows eviscerating, etc, and she eats one of the raw yolks toward the end.