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

[rebrascora]

Thanks for the moral support and tip. I've been doing them indoors but it's a dirt floor, so when they start flapping, the dust flies everywhere, which was partly why I made the cone. I also find it distressing to see them flapping.... I know... I'm a shocking wuss!.... so dropping them into the cone after dislocation was easier on me. I actually find it really difficult to handle the head at all, so bleeding them after they are dead is still very difficult. I'm ok with plucking and eviscerating but for some reason handling the head gives me the heebie geebies. So far I haven't found any difference in the meat between bleeding them and not bleeding them although when they are necked and hung a bit of blood tends to congeal in the dislocated neck cavity area. Is bleeding them really so important/necessary?

I will try a twist and perhaps a double pull next time just to be extra sure thanks..

 

[ronott1]

Thanks for the moral support and tip. I've been doing them indoors but it's a dirt floor, so when they start flapping, the dust flies everywhere, which was partly why I made the cone. I also find it distressing to see them flapping.... I know... I'm a shocking wuss!.... so dropping them into the cone after dislocation was easier on me. I actually find it really difficult to handle the head at all, so bleeding them after they are dead is still very difficult. I'm ok with plucking and eviscerating but for some reason handling the head gives me the heebie geebies. So far I haven't found any difference in the meat between bleeding them and not bleeding them although when they are necked and hung a bit of blood tends to congeal in the dislocated neck cavity area. Is bleeding them really so important/necessary?

I will try a twist and perhaps a double pull next time just to be extra sure thanks..

I understand the head part.

I hold them until they stop.

Have you considered tying the wings?

Bleeding is important but they will still bleed out for a couple of minutes after they die.

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks for the moral support and tip. I've been doing them indoors but it's a dirt floor, so when they start flapping, the dust flies everywhere, which was partly why I made the cone. I also find it distressing to see them flapping.... I know... I'm a shocking wuss!.... so dropping them into the cone after dislocation was easier on me. I actually find it really difficult to handle the head at all, so bleeding them after they are dead is still very difficult. I'm ok with plucking and eviscerating but for some reason handling the head gives me the heebie geebies. So far I haven't found any difference in the meat between bleeding them and not bleeding them although when they are necked and hung a bit of blood tends to congeal in the dislocated neck cavity area. Is bleeding them really so important/necessary?

I will try a twist and perhaps a double pull next time just to be extra sure thanks..

Gloves...a nice glove on your nondominant hand for handling of the head will help you get over the feeling of handling the head. I've never liked handling the head either and it may have something to do with the tactile sensation of the comb/wattles, but using gloves will help. I use regular medical gloves most of the time when I process, so that's the gloves I use but one can still put on a regular work type glove for holding of the head during the cut of the neck or removal of the head.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Thought I'd give an update on the 2 roos... I ended finding them a home, I gave full disclosure of what ailed them, he said he would treat them and that they would be free range along with 100+ other chickens at his mother-in-law's farm, but something about how he handled them made me think otherwise... and he had 100 broilers. at least they will probably be eaten by someone experienced, instead of me fumbling it and making them suffer. I'll never know, I'll just pretend they are happily running through grass fields now.

BUTTTT I still gotta learn if I want to hatch eggs.... so i'll STILL be hanging around.

thats great bubbles!

I'm afraid things didn't go well for me this time, just after I thought I was building my confidence up a bit.

It all started relatively smoothly. I lifted the first bird down off the roost after dark and he was quite quiet and calm. Carried him to the feed room, held him by the legs, placed his neck under the broom shank, stood on it and gave a sharp pull... all done in a few seconds. He flapped as expected and I dropped him into my carpet cone to contain the death throws whilst I bedded down the horses in the adjoining stable. Came back a minute or two later and there was still some struggling, so I waited a bit longer and it stopped but I was horrified to see that he was still breathing and I realised he was still alive. It took me all my courage to grab his feet, pull him back out of the cone and give him a second and thankfully this time, effective "yank under the shank"
I really wanted to walk away at that point but I had set myself a target of at least 2 or 3 as it has become a welfare issue for the hens and I couldn't let it go a day longer. I went back and got the next one. He was in an awkward place to get to but I had him ear marked as being the worst offender against the hens. I have chased him off one or two of my favourite hens several times in the past couple of weeks and he has been really wary of me as a result. Of course, the moment I got hold of him he screamed blue murder. My horses who had been happily munching, came clattering out of the stable to see what the commotion was.... if there hadn't been a storm raging, I'm sure half the village would have heard. None of which did anything to calm my nerves of course. Thankfully I made a better job of necking him, but by then I needed to be home with another very large glass of rum and coke sliding down my neck. Even after that I had real trouble getting to sleep that night agonising over my incompetence at dispatching them quickly and quietly. I still haven't brought myself to process the carcasses but I must do so, otherwise it will all have been in vain.
Processing the next ones will now be even more challenging mentally and emotionally, knowing that I had that fail and the rum and coke may need to be consumed before hand for "Dutch courage.

On a positive note, the chicken peach and broccoli crumble made from my neighbour's hens was absolutely delicious. I hadn't made that recipe for years and it really hit the spot. The slow cooked meat from the hens was really tender and moist and I will be cooking that again in the very near future. so maybe that will give me a bit more incentive to dispatch the next ones.

@fisherlady

Thanks for the info re canning the meat in bulk but it seems that the equipment necessary is expensive and not readily available here in the UK. I had not even heard the term used before until joining this site, as it is not a technique widely used (if at all) over here.
I am finding the slow cooker is doing a really good job though and I'm happy to continue using that or maybe even two together to cook the main torsos after removing and freezing the leg portions. I love the fact that the meat just falls off the bone after it has been in the slow cooker and the stock makes such great soup.

sorry you had a time with that rebrascora I wonder if perhaps you could make use of a rabbit dispatcher and use this and duct tape if it would work better for you if you dont use the knife method.... I am not sure how you do this, you still need to bleed out no?

this may not just be the thing for you to do, maybe its just something someone else has to do, and you can do the other parts of this process?

 

[Double Kindness]

I've lost 4 cornish x meat chickens this week from apparently dropping dead., like the breed is known to do around this age of 8 weeks old.

2 happened this morning.

I need to start to process on my own. I mean I have done it once by myself.. but it's been a while and of course I'm crying already. Even though these are specifically meat chicken to eat.. I usually only pluck. My bf does the killing... but he's at work and we're both sick on top of things.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I've lost 4 cornish x meat chickens this week from apparently dropping dead., like the breed is known to do around this age of 8 weeks old.

2 happened this morning.

I need to start to process on my own. I mean I have done it once by myself.. but it's been a while and of course I'm crying already. Even though these are specifically meat chicken to eat.. I usually only pluck. My bf does the killing... but he's at work and we're both sick on top of things.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

you got this!!!! how many do you have to do?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

So sorry to hear you had two die but as you say they are nearing the end of their healthy life span anyway, If I can dispatch strong healthy cockerels with potentially many years ahead of them (and I'm the softest person I know)

then .

YES ....YOU CAN DO IT!!!

My motivation is the welfare of my hens when the lads are pestering the life out of them. Perhaps yours needs to be that it is a welfare issue for these birds. You are terminating their lives quickly instead of them possibly suffering with heart failure and joint problems. Do it with love and kindness and respect....

I'm also very independent and I use that to help me.... that I'm not relying on someone else to do a job I can't face because I'm mentally too weak to do it myself. It helps to buck me up a bit.

Good luck

Barbara

 

[fisherlady]

What they said!!
You can do this, it's never 'easy', but that just helps keep us respectful of where our food comes from, in my opinion.
Look your birds over, pick one or two which are the least active or any with combs that look purplish or bluish, or if their skin does. The poor color is a sign of heart failure. Inactivity can be from heart failure or leg pain....Knowing you are dispatching them before they get sicker should help you out, like rebrascora said.

Good luck, and always remember, you aren't alone in how you are feeling....we have been there and we do understand, we can't be there in person but know we are in spirit.

 

[Double Kindness]

Thank you for your words.

I'm going out side now and looking over who needs to go the most urgently. I have about 30 cornish x broilers meat chickens that are 8 .5 weeks old and we're out of meat in our freezer.

And I'm out of my custom 23% protein non gmo organic gluten free feed I have milled by the 1000 pounds. It's time for them to go.

It's just a lot of work while I'm sick.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Thank you for your words.

I'm going out side now and looking over who needs to go the most urgently. I have about 30 cornish x broilers meat chickens that are 8 .5 weeks old and we're out of meat in our freezer.

And I'm out of my custom 23% protein non gmo organic gluten free feed I have milled by the 1000 pounds. It's time for them to go.

It's just a lot of work while I'm sick.

awwww I hope you feel better

do you have help?