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

[TaraBellaBirds]

No offense taken. This is, after all, a thread about processing the birds.
There is a thread on BYC all about learning how to caponize. It's an excellent thread, and many people on it are reporting that they're teaching themselves to caponize with extremely good results. Some are even caponizing so as to be able to keep their roosters as pets.
And every once in a while someone gets on that thread and tries to convince everyone there how horrible caponizing is, without actually having read enough of the thread to really understand the discussion.
Now, THAT'S annoying, LOL.

Yes ma'am I took a class from that thread. The OP of that thread and the Teacher are informed and avid 'chicken lovers'. And yes the trolls can be taxing but kind of amusing at the same time. For me it is all about information and education and most trolls have little of both!

And consider the alternative. They die young. Period. I like the opportunity to give them a long happier life. Capons can be put with baby chicks and will mother them. Imagine the fulfillment of the poor male. People have been doing this for over 2000 years. Capons have very happy lives. Eating and chilling out, then maybe a nap.

My very first little capon is a beauty so far and has become a pet for my 6 year old son! His only other option for life would have been the table. I will not tolerate aggression in my flock, so caponizing is the perfect tool for making sure that ALL of the roos I hatch have the best quaility life I can give them. Some will be sold as pets for city people that can't have crowing roos, and some will become dinner (which was exactly where they were headed to begin with).


And I'm done LOL!

 

[ronott1]

I am working on processing a couple of cockerels and decided to use the broom stick method. It is a lot simpler and less messy for sure. When I cut for bleeding, I could feel where the neck snapped and death was very quick.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I am working on processing a couple of cockerels and decided to use the broom stick method. It is a lot simpler and less messy for sure. When I cut for bleeding, I could feel where the neck snapped and death was very quick.

Good to know, as I've been contemplating this method. Did they bleed out okay?

 

[ronott1]

Good to know, as I've been contemplating this method. Did they bleed out okay?

Yes, they bled out very nicely.

The break is right at the base of the skull so it likely snapped off the lower brain stem. Quick and painless.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Thanks, I might have to try that.

DH just took care of 4 cockerels for me. The first on the chopping block (literally) was that highly annoying Cream Legbar cockerel. On the 3rd one, a Barnevelder, DH said, are you sure on this one, he's pretty. Ummm, yeah, I'm sure. (only have like 15 others out there) This method works well for him, not a peep out of them. It doesn't work for me though, so that is why I'm thinking broomstick method. Maybe I'll practice with the hatchet, after they are dead from the dislocation so I know how to do it if I needed to.

Waiting for my water to boil to start my job, the plucking and gutting.

One Barnevelder that made it to the cull pen, will be leaving the cull pen alive and joining the flock again. He has blossomed and is probably one of my best cockerels this year. Just goes to show that you don't want to cull them too early.

 

[offgridhermit]

I am working on processing a couple of cockerels and decided to use the broom stick method. It is a lot simpler and less messy for sure. When I cut for bleeding, I could feel where the neck snapped and death was very quick.

What is the broomstick method?

 

[ronott1]

What is the broomstick method?

It is a way of breaking the neck as a kill method for processing.

 

[Tomtommom]

I am so glad people are using that method!

 

[jajeanpierre]

It is a way of breaking the neck as a kill method for processing.

I am afraid to do it with an older bird, especially a rooster. I have an older rooster who is such a jerk that I will have no qualms about trying something new to dispatch him when his time comes when the younger cockerels settles down and starts guarding and watching over the hens).

Has anyone done this with a large fowl two-year old rooster? Any tips?

 

[Tomtommom]

You can do it with a rooster. No problem. They calm down upside down.

My hen was 1 1/2, no problem whatsoever.

Step on one side of the stick to hold it in place, then step on the other side with your other foot and jerk quickly at the same time, keep pulling until you feel a pop and hold your bird through it's flapping.