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

[Tomtommom]

Resting and brining makes a world of difference, as well as how long it takes for the bird to die.

Our first one was tough as nails... too much stress as we botched his dispatch.

 

[jajeanpierre]

You will know it worked because you will feel the neck snap.

Use doubled up nitril gloves when you process. You should not feel the need to wash your hands so much then.

It the wither, I have to use a hand cream called cetaphil moisturizing cream for dry, sensitive skin. It takes about three days to heal up all the cracks and it makes your hands nice and soft feeling. I only put it on at night since it is very oily. I buy the cetaphil from costco and look for one of their sales.

Thanks. I think I have those diagrams in Gail Damerow's book. I just wanted an idea of how quickly the death throes happened. Of all birds, this is the one I will be happiest to try something new with because he is such a jerk. It isn't that I want to cause this bird any suffering. I want his death to be as humane and stress-free as the favorite hen I whimped out on and took to the vet to be euthanized. It is just that if I don't do it perfectly, I won't feel any guilt when trying to learn a better way.

I think I'll get some latex gloves. I wash my hands so much processing because I skin them. If I touch feathers, I'll wash my hands before I'll then touch meat. Older cockerels and roosters are fairly difficult to get the skin off of. When I skinned my 6-month old Silkie cockerels, I just ran my hand between their bodies and the skin and it slipped off. That wasn't the case with my 11-month-old cockerels. Nothing comes off or out of an older cockerel/rooster very easily. Everything is a struggle. I was surprised at how much effort it took to clean them. Even getting the crop separated was a challenge especially with all the long rooster hackles.

I've done everything with my hands to try to keep them in one piece, even living in cotton gloves day and night and constantly slathering on good hand cream. Nothing worked until I discovered the root cause. (The skin cracks, dries out which shrinks the tissues, which spreads and then rips/cracks more tissue so it just keeps getting deeper.) I use liquid bandage which is basically medical crazy glue. That seals the crack, stopping it from drying out and getting worse so it can heal. The problem is that the liquid bandage can dry out the skin, too.... As long as I catch it early, I can heal them up quickly.

 

[jajeanpierre]

With a roo like that, I don't think I would use an unfamiliar method, he sounds willy! Do you have a cone you can use to control the flapping? We use an old road cone! If you wait until he has calmed in your arms, it will probably go much smoother. The cone helps calm since they are upside-down. I also cover their eyes which helps both of us. I think, with help, you could use the cone with the pellet gun. Good luck hopefully he goes quickly.

I think I'll try to use a pellet gun and a cone with him. I need to buy a road cone so the I never have to hear that awful rattling in a metal cone. I'll have a broomstick with me for back up in case I don't get the shot perfect. I've thought about taping eyes shut so they don't see. Falcons are much less stressed when hooded--everything calms down with them.

My fear of getting hurt by him in the slaughter process is partly just black humor. But he really does hate me, so I figure somehow his karma will get me, even in death. When I have slaughtered previously, I have hung them and then cut their arteries and stood back. I'm far from them when they go through their death throes. If I properly dislocate his neck at the first joint and then cut arteries, my face is very close to those wings and a feather/wing in the eye is a serious injury. (Note to self--wear safety glasses and use a cone.)

 

[jajeanpierre]

so I guess there's a learning curve here. Resting period? I think I cooked him just within or only minutes over the 45 min. He's VERY tough but i chalked that up to being mostly muscle since he was only about 4mon old. Is this a possibility or is it because I didn't rest him?

Four months old is not old. He was tough because you didn't rest him.

You should be very proud of yourself for actually slaughtering and processing your cockerel. There is no doubt about it, it is an incredibly emotionally difficult thing to do for most people who haven't grown up with it. I imagine it could difficult even if you grew up on a farm processing all your own meat. You should be very, very proud of yourself.

He had a good life, much better than his cockerel hatch mates who ended up in a shredder after they were hatched and sexed. I'm sure his death was a lot better than any slaughter-house chicken, too, even if you didn't do a perfect job.

I still haven't been able to order chickens to raise specifically for slaughter. So far, it is just cockerel culls from straight-run chick orders. I very much enjoy my chickens and their personalities (I have a lot of parrots, so am a bird person to begin with). If I truly love animals, I should be raising every single bit of meat I eat. I'm not there yet, but working on it.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I think I'll try to use a pellet gun and a cone with him. I need to buy a road cone so the I never have to hear that awful rattling in a metal cone. I'll have a broomstick with me for back up in case I don't get the shot perfect. I've thought about taping eyes shut so they don't see. Falcons are much less stressed when hooded--everything calms down with them.

My fear of getting hurt by him in the slaughter process is partly just black humor. But he really does hate me, so I figure somehow his karma will get me, even in death. When I have slaughtered previously, I have hung them and then cut their arteries and stood back. I'm far from them when they go through their death throes. If I properly dislocate his neck at the first joint and then cut arteries, my face is very close to those wings and a feather/wing in the eye is a serious injury. (Note to self--wear safety glasses and use a cone.)

When you use the broom method you don't have to cut the neck right away.
When I used this method I did the broom thing in my laundry room, then hung them and walked away for about fifteen minutes. When I came back they were all done with the death throes and then I bled them.

If you've got a spot ready to hang him from, and a loop of strong cord, you can wrap the cord around the rooster's feet when he's calm and before you jerk him up. Then put his head under the broom, jerk his body, and hang him right away. Wait until he's done kicking and you should be just fine.

 

[Tomtommom]

They had a fabulous deal at Meyer the other day. With shipping I could get 100 fry pan bargain chicks for $69! But... where the heck do you put 100 chicks that take a few months to become eating size?

 

[katbriar]

They had a fabulous deal at Meyer the other day. With shipping I could get 100 fry pan bargain chicks for $69! But... where the heck do you put 100 chicks that take a few months to become eating size?

You could put 25 of them at my house ;-)

 

[Tomtommom]

https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=FPBS

 

[MargaretYakoda]

They had a fabulous deal at Meyer the other day. With shipping I could get 100 fry pan bargain chicks for $69! But... where the heck do you put 100 chicks that take a few months to become eating size?

Here's what you wanna' do, see ..... Go on the interwebz and look for an abandoned house near you. Perhaps a forclosure? Bonus points if they have a barn or a pool. Double bonus points if they have both.
Now, take your hunner't lil' eating machines and stick them in the barn. Or the pool. Or the basement. Whichever works. Then put a HUGE bag of feed in there. Wait six to eight weeks. And return to reap your rewards! Cross yer' fingers the house don't sell in the between time.


*nota bene* If anyone actually follows this plan, let me know how it turns out. But don't say I'm responsible, OK? Thanks.

 

[ronott1]

Here's what you wanna' do, see ..... Go on the interwebz and look for an abandoned house near you. Perhaps a forclosure? Bonus points if they have a barn or a pool. Double bonus points if they have both.
Now, take your hunner't lil' eating machines and stick them in the barn. Or the pool. Or the basement. Whichever works. Then put a HUGE bag of feed in there. Wait six to eight weeks. And return to reap your rewards! Cross yer' fingers the house don't sell in the between time.


*nota bene* If anyone actually follows this plan, let me know how it turns out. But don't say I'm responsible, OK? Thanks.

I love it!

Great Plan!