Roo culling went bad!

[ikatiemay]

Sadly to say our attempt to cull our mean roo didn't go well. I hope someone can give us some advice to make this job easier for both parties involved. We used a high power pellet gun and after four hits he still flew away. We had to catch him and try to ring his neck. My DH is a hunter so the process isn't foreign. We could have uses a shotgun or 22 but thought we would spare the neighbors, the sound of guns makes some upset. We live in a rural area but houses are still close. Please send tips our way. Dinner doesn't taste very good tonight..........we unfortunatly had chicken thawed

 

[dolly85]

Get a block of wood and wedge two nails close together, just larger then the size of your roos neck. Insert roo's neck between nails, pull his legs out so he doesn't move, and use an axe to swiftly decapitate him. This in my opinion is the quickest, kindest way to butcher. I'm having a hard time picturing an adult trying to kill a chicken with a pellet gun, sounds like something an 8 year old boy would do.

 

[FarmingForFun]

Arguably the most humane way is to ring the roosters neck. Shooting the rooster with a pellet gun is probably in the top 5 most inhumane ways to dispatch at chicken. Some people buy killing cones but dolly85's suggestion sounds about the same.

 

[un-named543]

Oh gosh... do what is quickest for the bird, even if you have to wait until darkness to catch him. If you cannot do the hatchet, then put his neck under a broomstick, stand on the broomstick and yank his body qucikly and hard, upwards to break his neck.
Do it right. Do it once. Do it hard.
Swift death is best. The pellet gun is not a quick death as you witnessed.

 

[Crazyhenlady]

This why I can't kill a chicken ..lol I agree FAST, STRONG!!! If any hesitation get someone else to do it! Do pellet guns even kill? Guess I wouldnt know but If I had to kill a rooster I would get and ax and chop of his head QUICKLY! ..

 

[Farmin Momma]

Crazyhenlady you are the only person I have found so far that is so close to me! I know it is probably stupid but it makes me feel better that I am not the only one in this area!

I agree, I had to kill my first chicken today and the faster you doit the easier it is on everyone, chicken/roo included!

 

[Crazyhenlady]

Farmin Momma..where are you? There is another person ( whom I got 2 hens from) on here also who is in Lake forest Park. I've never killed anything..maybe a slug..? If I had to I would but I prefer not to.

 

[ikatiemay]

I don't like the process of having to make the decision and then carry it out either. We have had to put a couple of hens that were I'll down and yes the pellet rifle worked swiftly. This roo has been getting really mean lately and actually blinded our sweet black Orpington roo in one eye. He was rough on the girls too. I have been putting this off for about 3 months, I raised him from a chick he was now 3. I know this won't be the last time I face this decision and it will never be easy. I have had chickens 3 years now and some aren't laying anymore,I introduced some new ones last summer. What do you do with the old girls that don't lay? Thanks for the input I appreciate the help

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't like the process of having to make the decision and then carry it out either. We have had to put a couple of hens that were I'll down and yes the pellet rifle worked swiftly. This roo has been getting really mean lately and actually blinded our sweet black Orpington roo in one eye. He was rough on the girls too. I have been putting this off for about 3 months, I raised him from a chick he was now 3. I know this won't be the last time I face this decision and it will never be easy. I have had chickens 3 years now and some aren't laying anymore,I introduced some new ones last summer. What do you do with the old girls that don't lay? Thanks for the input I appreciate the help

We butcher them (decapitation with the nails-in-a-log method - I hold the feet, stretch the bird slightly, look away, and DH decapitates them with a hatchet). The birds are skinned, then I cut the meat off the bones, cut it into 1" pieces and pressure can them in pint jars. They get good and tender and you have cooked chicken handy for a quick meal of chicken over rice, stew, soup, sandwich meat, chicken salad, hotdish....
It's not an easy decision but at least you know that your chickens lived the best life possible with you and died a quick, painless death. Over the years I've learned not to name my food. This helps alot because then I'm not so attached. I just keep telling myself that this way I can get new chicks to replace the old ones.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Sorry you had a bad butchering experience. I was REALLY nervous the first time we culled our extra roosters. Even though I'd helped my family process chickens as a child, I'd never actually taken ones life. I did a ton of reading in the meat bird section. There is an awesome post with step by step pictures of how to kill, clean and process them. DH and I decided to use the nail in the log method. He used the hatchet, and I got the birds and hung them when he was finished. We say a little prayer for them before they go, thank them for the meal they're going to be providing us. If I have to cull a chicken by myself, I use the broomstick method. Both are quick and humane, IMO.