Question about butchering

[pln_lod]

I am about to round up a few surplus roosters to send to the freezer, but my farrier (Horse foot guy) said that because here in SC we have sandy soil, you have to feed them for 6 weeks somewhere where the cant eat any dirt. Is this true, or, is he pulling my leg?

 

[DawnSuiter]

I don't know and have very little experience but that sounds like malarkey to me!
did he say why???

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm in the NC Sandhills -- as much sand as the beach.

I don't own any chickens of my own, but last year a friend taught me to kill and clean chickens and those random, yard roosters were just fine.

I have decided that I don't have enough use for gizzards to bother cleaning them in the future since it was more trouble than it was worth, but surely the sand they pick up from the ground is no different than the grit in the feeder?

 

[TedsFarms]

A good week flushing is a good thing along with weaning them off of some chow.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
Details, please?

I just place my "candidates" in a separate cage 12-36 hours before butchering. I put them in at night, so it's easier to catch them & it doesn't stress them by being chased. I don't give them feed & even place the cages where they can't reach the grass to eat. But I do give them plenty of water to drink, & shade.

This helps make their crops & most of their intestines empty by butchering time.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

We're in the NC Sandhills, kill and eat my culls all the time. Not a single issue.

-Kim

 

[jaku]

He's probably referring to sand being in the crops of your birds. That MIGHT be an issue if you were raising them on the beach, but just because you have sandy soil, I can't imagine you'd notice a difference. My soil is also nearly all sand.

In fact, now as I think about it, when I'm butchering a partial batch of birds, instead of the whole flock, I put the ones that are going into my dog run, (which is like a beach- no grass,) so the others can eat. In there, they have nothing but sand and water, and it's never been an issue.