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

[Double Kindness]

Late last night we finally got 2 big bottles of Rex - Goliath wine, the cabernet and their free range red, garlic, shallots, onions, mushrooms and herbs. I'm going to take that big roo out of the fridge and cut him up and stick it in the oven all day for dinner tonight. I'm excited.

But I didn't raise this roo on my ff etc, we're waiting another 2 weeks before processing any more birds b/c I just treated everyone for worms. I had to b/c when we caponized on Sunday, the 1 successful capon emptied his bowels on the operating table and there were roundworms.

My 4 muscovy ducks and 9 roos came from the same place, it was that roo/capon that had visible roundworms, so everyone got treated by wazine17 in their water for 24 hours on Monday.

Who here can sex muscovy ducks? I have 4 idk the sex of yet. I can't over winter 10 muscovy ducks, I can only keep 4-5. Help?

 

[hennible]

It's all in how they sound I think, girls are very loud boys are quiet more of a hiss or mumble... Ladies "QUACK" loud. At least that's most ducks.

 

[AZChiknGoddess]

Late last night we finally got 2 big bottles of Rex - Goliath wine, the cabernet and their free range red, garlic, shallots, onions, mushrooms and herbs. I'm going to take that big roo out of the fridge and cut him up and stick it in the oven all day for dinner tonight. I'm excited.

But I didn't raise this roo on my ff etc, we're waiting another 2 weeks before processing any more birds b/c I just treated everyone for worms. I had to b/c when we caponized on Sunday, the 1 successful capon emptied his bowels on the operating table and there were roundworms.

My 4 muscovy ducks and 9 roos came from the same place, it was that roo/capon that had visible roundworms, so everyone got treated by wazine17 in their water for 24 hours on Monday.

Who here can sex muscovy ducks? I have 4 idk the sex of yet. I can't over winter 10 muscovy ducks, I can only keep 4-5. Help?

I might be able to help you sex the muscovys.

 

[Tomtommom]

It's all in how they sound I think, girls are very loud boys are quiet more of a hiss or mumble... Ladies "QUACK" loud. At least that's most ducks.

Not the scovies. The ladies will fly long before the gents will. And the gents tend to be twice as big.



3 ladies and a gentleduck.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: I'm interested in this method. Were you able to bleed them out okay?

 

[jajeanpierre]

Not a happy girl tonight.

Oh, the cat still lives. Talked to the vet--uncontrolled diabetes causes all the problems I'm seeing. We're going to try to get it under control. Maybe he'll live in the sun room over the winter during the day with a cat pot. Maybe I'll break down and put a cat pot in my master bath.

I just culled one of my big 9-month-old Ameraucana cockerels. He'd been just too rude with the hens, terrorizing them. I've still got another from the same hatch and three from a June hatch.

There is no way I wanted to slaughter first thing in the morning before my morning coffee. I don't want to kill any birds in the presence of other birds. I used to slaughter them behind the cabana, but I've erected another parrot aviary a few feet away and I am NOT killing chickens when my parrots can see, so I've decided to slaughter after sunset.

Nothing went really right with this bird, not that anything went really wrong. I just couldn't psyche myself up. I've been dreading it all day. My husband wanted to do it tomorrow morning but I'd put a whole day into dreading it I wasn't going to put it off. So, I got the bird comfortably hanging by the legs with my thick soft cotton rope. I grabbed the feathers on the back of his neck and pulled the skin tight, but I just couldn't find an angle that felt right. It just all felt wrong. So I kept readjusting my grip and feeling the jaw line and readjusting my grip.... Finally I counted to ten and still couldn't do it, and then just did it. He didn't spurt blood. I checked the wound and I swear I went down to the spine. I took a deep breath and did the other side and then blood spurted.

Did he take a long time to bleed out? It sure felt like it, but probably not. He actually vocalized as he was bleeding out. I've never had one make a sound as they bleed out, but he gave some soft sounds. I don't think he was suffering, but it just broke my heart. He had had some kind of a sudden toxic problem as a 6 or 8 week old chick where his liver had some issue and he was almost paralyzed for a day or two and slowly recovered over a couple of weeks. He was a big dopey cockerel and when he vocalized, I started to anthromorphize about what he was thinking. It just broke my heart.

After he bled out, I put him on the counter to clean him and looked at the neck wounds. They both seemed very deep. I cut right under the jaw on the side. Could he have been bleeding under his skin and I didn't really notice how much blood was coming out because it was pooling under the skin and it was dark? I pull the skin really tight, so when I cut, and release the skin, it will slide forward covering the deeper cut.

I have a thing about having to get the head off to make sure they are dead. I know, the bird bled out, went through death throes, but I still want the head off just to be sure. I was pretty upset, so didn't do a really thorough examination of the neck wound--I just wanted to remove his head.

I'd left him in my parrot aviary with water and of course he ate the spilled parrot food. I knew he would have food in his crop, but figured he was entitled to have that last day of pleasure. Of course, being a 9-month-old cockerel, his crop was difficult to separate and some spilled out. And my wrestling the crop away from the fascia forced crop contents further down his digestive tract so when I cut the crop away, a bit spilled out. His connective tissues were pretty tough, so there was not putting your hand inside his body and sweeping everything free. No, a knife needed to free some things and I nicked the bowel. I think right at the end when I was trying to get the guts out and low down by the cloaca, but still, not good. I don't think any thing spilled, but I assumed some did. I rinsed a lot. Oh, and I nicked my finger.

All around not a great Saturday night.

Suggestions on how long to age him, especially considering that I nicked a bowel. I have him in a salt brine now. Should that brine be changed? He was a 9-month-old free ranging cockerel.

Oh, I think I found out where that smell comes from. I think it is from the fascia that surrounds everything.

 

[LindaB220]

Not a happy girl tonight.

Oh, the cat still lives. Talked to the vet--uncontrolled diabetes causes all the problems I'm seeing. We're going to try to get it under control. Maybe he'll live in the sun room over the winter during the day with a cat pot. Maybe I'll break down and put a cat pot in my master bath.

I just culled one of my big 9-month-old Ameraucana cockerels. He'd been just too rude with the hens, terrorizing them. I've still got another from the same hatch and three from a June hatch.

There is no way I wanted to slaughter first thing in the morning before my morning coffee. I don't want to kill any birds in the presence of other birds. I used to slaughter them behind the cabana, but I've erected another parrot aviary a few feet away and I am NOT killing chickens when my parrots can see, so I've decided to slaughter after sunset.

Nothing went really right with this bird, not that anything went really wrong. I just couldn't psyche myself up. I've been dreading it all day. My husband wanted to do it tomorrow morning but I'd put a whole day into dreading it I wasn't going to put it off. So, I got the bird comfortably hanging by the legs with my thick soft cotton rope. I grabbed the feathers on the back of his neck and pulled the skin tight, but I just couldn't find an angle that felt right. It just all felt wrong. So I kept readjusting my grip and feeling the jaw line and readjusting my grip.... Finally I counted to ten and still couldn't do it, and then just did it. He didn't spurt blood. I checked the wound and I swear I went down to the spine. I took a deep breath and did the other side and then blood spurted.

Did he take a long time to bleed out? It sure felt like it, but probably not. He actually vocalized as he was bleeding out. I've never had one make a sound as they bleed out, but he gave some soft sounds. I don't think he was suffering, but it just broke my heart. He had had some kind of a sudden toxic problem as a 6 or 8 week old chick where his liver had some issue and he was almost paralyzed for a day or two and slowly recovered over a couple of weeks. He was a big dopey cockerel and when he vocalized, I started to anthromorphize about what he was thinking. It just broke my heart.

After he bled out, I put him on the counter to clean him and looked at the neck wounds. They both seemed very deep. I cut right under the jaw on the side. Could he have been bleeding under his skin and I didn't really notice how much blood was coming out because it was pooling under the skin and it was dark? I pull the skin really tight, so when I cut, and release the skin, it will slide forward covering the deeper cut.

I have a thing about having to get the head off to make sure they are dead. I know, the bird bled out, went through death throes, but I still want the head off just to be sure. I was pretty upset, so didn't do a really thorough examination of the neck wound--I just wanted to remove his head.

I'd left him in my parrot aviary with water and of course he ate the spilled parrot food. I knew he would have food in his crop, but figured he was entitled to have that last day of pleasure. Of course, being a 9-month-old cockerel, his crop was difficult to separate and some spilled out. And my wrestling the crop away from the fascia forced crop contents further down his digestive tract so when I cut the crop away, a bit spilled out. His connective tissues were pretty tough, so there was not putting your hand inside his body and sweeping everything free. No, a knife needed to free some things and I nicked the bowel. I think right at the end when I was trying to get the guts out and low down by the cloaca, but still, not good. I don't think any thing spilled, but I assumed some did. I rinsed a lot. Oh, and I nicked my finger.

All around not a great Saturday night.

Suggestions on how long to age him, especially considering that I nicked a bowel. I have him in a salt brine now. Should that brine be changed? He was a 9-month-old free ranging cockerel.

Oh, I think I found out where that smell comes from. I think it is from the fascia that surrounds everything.

Man, I feel your pain. A bad experience all around. BUT, it's over. He's gone and not in pain. I'd really doctor your finger good. You could keep him resting up to 5 days for an older bird. But 9 mo is not that old. As least 3 days. You found out what you did wrong and will be better the next time. That's what I did. .

 

[jajeanpierre]

Man, I feel your pain. A bad experience all around. BUT, it's over. He's gone and not in pain. I'd really doctor your finger good. You could keep him resting up to 5 days for an older bird. But 9 mo is not that old. As least 3 days. You found out what you did wrong and will be better the next time. That's what I did. .

I had a look at my finger and I don't think I nicked myself. I think it is just a crack from washing too many dishes and was made worse by my working it so hard cleaning this bird. There is a huge difference between a 6-month-old and a 9-month-old--evertthing is just so much harder. I'll be careful with the finger.

 

[fisherlady]

Not a happy girl tonight.

Oh, the cat still lives. Talked to the vet--uncontrolled diabetes causes all the problems I'm seeing. We're going to try to get it under control. Maybe he'll live in the sun room over the winter during the day with a cat pot. Maybe I'll break down and put a cat pot in my master bath.

I just culled one of my big 9-month-old Ameraucana cockerels. He'd been just too rude with the hens, terrorizing them. I've still got another from the same hatch and three from a June hatch.

There is no way I wanted to slaughter first thing in the morning before my morning coffee. I don't want to kill any birds in the presence of other birds. I used to slaughter them behind the cabana, but I've erected another parrot aviary a few feet away and I am NOT killing chickens when my parrots can see, so I've decided to slaughter after sunset.

Nothing went really right with this bird, not that anything went really wrong. I just couldn't psyche myself up. I've been dreading it all day. My husband wanted to do it tomorrow morning but I'd put a whole day into dreading it I wasn't going to put it off. So, I got the bird comfortably hanging by the legs with my thick soft cotton rope. I grabbed the feathers on the back of his neck and pulled the skin tight, but I just couldn't find an angle that felt right. It just all felt wrong. So I kept readjusting my grip and feeling the jaw line and readjusting my grip.... Finally I counted to ten and still couldn't do it, and then just did it. He didn't spurt blood. I checked the wound and I swear I went down to the spine. I took a deep breath and did the other side and then blood spurted.

Did he take a long time to bleed out? It sure felt like it, but probably not. He actually vocalized as he was bleeding out. I've never had one make a sound as they bleed out, but he gave some soft sounds. I don't think he was suffering, but it just broke my heart. He had had some kind of a sudden toxic problem as a 6 or 8 week old chick where his liver had some issue and he was almost paralyzed for a day or two and slowly recovered over a couple of weeks. He was a big dopey cockerel and when he vocalized, I started to anthromorphize about what he was thinking. It just broke my heart.

After he bled out, I put him on the counter to clean him and looked at the neck wounds. They both seemed very deep. I cut right under the jaw on the side. Could he have been bleeding under his skin and I didn't really notice how much blood was coming out because it was pooling under the skin and it was dark? I pull the skin really tight, so when I cut, and release the skin, it will slide forward covering the deeper cut.

I have a thing about having to get the head off to make sure they are dead. I know, the bird bled out, went through death throes, but I still want the head off just to be sure. I was pretty upset, so didn't do a really thorough examination of the neck wound--I just wanted to remove his head.

I'd left him in my parrot aviary with water and of course he ate the spilled parrot food. I knew he would have food in his crop, but figured he was entitled to have that last day of pleasure. Of course, being a 9-month-old cockerel, his crop was difficult to separate and some spilled out. And my wrestling the crop away from the fascia forced crop contents further down his digestive tract so when I cut the crop away, a bit spilled out. His connective tissues were pretty tough, so there was not putting your hand inside his body and sweeping everything free. No, a knife needed to free some things and I nicked the bowel. I think right at the end when I was trying to get the guts out and low down by the cloaca, but still, not good. I don't think any thing spilled, but I assumed some did. I rinsed a lot. Oh, and I nicked my finger.

All around not a great Saturday night.

Suggestions on how long to age him, especially considering that I nicked a bowel. I have him in a salt brine now. Should that brine be changed? He was a 9-month-old free ranging cockerel.

Oh, I think I found out where that smell comes from. I think it is from the fascia that surrounds everything.

. I'm sorry it didn't go smoother for you. I think we have all had those times that just 'nothing seems right' even when nothing actually goes 'wrong', but those times sure are miserable to go through. I know your flock will be much more settled tomorrow though.
I would let him set for at least 3 days, 4 or 5 wouldn't be too long though, I usually change the water after the first day anyway since it is often pink from blood. I wouldn't be overly concerned about nicking the bowel since you rinsed him thoroughly.
Make sure you keep your finger wound clean and I would use a triple antibiotic ointment on it for at least the first 24 hours. I have cut myself so many times cleaning fish I have lost count, but am still careful to make sure it is well flushed out and tended to afterwards. It just happens so quickly and the knife is so sharp... only time we could wish we weren't working with a super sharp knife!

Man, I feel your pain. A bad experience all around. BUT, it's over. He's gone and not in pain. I'd really doctor your finger good. You could keep him resting up to 5 days for an older bird. But 9 mo is not that old. As least 3 days. You found out what you did wrong and will be better the next time. That's what I did. .

x2!

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I'm interested in this method.  Were you able to bleed them out okay? 

I'm really new at this, and it was my partner who did the bleeding part, but ... I think so?
It's not as messy since the bird goes through the death throes before the bleeding. Much easier to keep the mess level down, especially since we don't have a cone yet.