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

[Crickett]

LOL Mine stand and watch!! 


I prefer a method of  laying htem on the ground on a clean  feed bag. THe feet go under my right foot to secure them gently. and then pull wings behind back. THat secures the bird ( I can do turkeys this way too) and then have 2 hand free to make the cuts.  You  can walk away at this point if stand and wait, or pick up bird and hang over the blood bucket. 

My technique has gotten better, but I still struggle with killing them.  Everyone geta a prayer.

As Ron said, with practice you will gain confidence. 

Mine get prayers before dispatch as well! I usually hang them by the feet then dispatch.

 

[Crickett]

Well, I did it. And of course I screwed it up, but it's done. On the hand It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. On the other, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it again. Which is too bad, because I was hoping I'd have the confidence of knowing I'd be able to deal with extra roosters.

I promise, it will get better! There will always be a hurdle there, but your confidence will grow!

 

[RachaelS]

Quote:
If you cut the head off, the heart stops pumping and the blood stops moving. You are likely to end up with blood left in the body after the bird is dead.. By cutting the jugular, the heart continues to pump the blood out of the body and the birds lose conciousness. The brain is already dead.
Thank you!

If using a cone or if you hang them upside down, the blood runs out by gravity, so you don't have to worry about it congealing in the meat.

Interesting

Well, I did it. And of course I screwed it up, but it's done. On the hand It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. On the other, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it again. Which is too bad, because I was hoping I'd have the confidence of knowing I'd be able to deal with extra roosters.

 

[costello]

Thanks for the hugs and the support. I'm sitting here thinking I either need to find someone else to dispatch my extra roosters or I need to give up on chickens altogether. Or maybe just keep a few as pets.

 

[LindaB220]

Well, I did it. And of course I screwed it up, but it's done. On the hand It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. On the other, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it again. Which is too bad, because I was hoping I'd have the confidence of knowing I'd be able to deal with extra roosters.

I did the same thing. Thinking, "That was interesting, but I don't think I'll do it again". That was 4 mo ago and I'm raring to go. Just need to get the roosters big enough.

 

[Arielle]

Well, I did it. And of course I screwed it up, but it's done. On the hand It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. On the other, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it again. Which is too bad, because I was hoping I'd have the confidence of knowing I'd be able to deal with extra roosters.

Try try again. I don't know of anyone that became perfect the first try. Try try again. I don't like doing it-- I do it to save money, to put good food onthe table and to save a bit of polluting gas that it takes to drive the birds tot he processor,a nd then the trip to pick up. I know my birds died at home with out the stress of a trip to the processor and were handled with great care the entire time. THis is what drives me to continue. Maybe something in this strikes a cord with you too.

 

[Arielle]

Thanks for the hugs and the support. I'm sitting here thinking I either need to find someone else to dispatch my extra roosters or I need to give up on chickens altogether. Or maybe just keep a few as pets.

Honestly I worked up to processing. . . for about 20 years I took the lambs to the processor and never for amoment thought of doing it myself. SO if you need to have someone else do it , that is ok too. I would feel sad if you gave up chickens because of a small hurdle-- you might post a note at the local feeds n needs to find someone who can process for you locally. When I first got turkeys I brought them to a processor, but they stopped when regulations changed, boooo, but fortunatley a professional processor stepped up to handle birds too. THank good ness.


Do what ever your mulling is comfortable with.

 

[costello]

I did the same thing. Thinking, "That was interesting, but I don't think I'll do it again". That was 4 mo ago and I'm raring to go. Just need to get the roosters big enough.

That's good to hear. The only thing I can say is that I'm not traumatized by the experience. And I really don't miss that rooster. Now I have two more roosters I need to get rid of. They're not aggressive toward me like the one this morning was, but they're upsetting the pullets. I may have to work up the nerve to do this at least two more times.

Try try again. I don't know of anyone that became perfect the first try. Try try again. I don't like doing it-- I do it to save money, to put good food onthe table and to save a bit of polluting gas that it takes to drive the birds tot he processor,a nd then the trip to pick up. I know my birds died at home with out the stress of a trip to the processor and were handled with great care the entire time. THis is what drives me to continue. Maybe something in this strikes a cord with you too.

All things I've thought about. I'm going to have to absorb this experience for a while.

 

[costello]

The smell is bad too. I'm totally not sensitive to smells (I have a really bad sense of smell), but this is bad. I don't know if it's the blood or the feathers or both. Unpleasant. I can still smell it, and I'm in my living room, not where I slaughtered him (obviously ).

 

[Coralietg]

The smell is bad too. I'm totally not sensitive to smells (I have a really bad sense of smell), but this is bad. I don't know if it's the blood or the feathers or both. Unpleasant. I can still smell it, and I'm in my living room, not where I slaughtered him (obviously ).

There is definitely a unique smell to processing. I remember the first time, and I could smell it on my hands for hours. Kept washing and washing with soap.