slaughtering near other birds

[Sunny Side Up]

I really don't think it bothers them if they see their fellows being processed. Besides, I keep them caged the night before so they can't reach anything to eat, so there isn't a lot of running around & chasing on harvest day, I just reach into the cage. And I get the birds nice & calm before I hang them to slice & bleed, so there isn't a lot of squawking or fussing. Whatever the birds see doesn't seem threatening to them.

All the layers like to circle the cutting table while I work, hoping to be tossed some tasty tidbits from inside the carcasses. I give them all the organs except the intestines.

 

[danielbrown]

They really have no idea whats going on. If they did they wouldn't be right there circling like a school of sharks waiting for something to fall to the ground.

Somethings weird and funny about seeing chickens play keep away with a chicken head.

 

[twentynine]

Chickens are animals as caring owners it is natural to give our animals human qualities. Do chickens understand what happened to the cull, I don't think so. But, I do know that when I killed in front of the coup the other chickens would become aggitated. Smell of blood? Who knows?

Rabbits are even worse.

My practice is to shield the coup from my killing activity, truck, tarp, whatever.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I think chickens would be alarmed if they heard the culled bird squawking or saw it thrashing around, just as if they saw a flockmate being caught by some other predator. But I don't think they have much sense of smell, or none at all, they wouldn't react to the smell of blood. Usually it attracts them and they want to get in there and peck at it. When I dispatch my meat birds it's very quiet & calm.

But I do the job far away from the coop anyway, so any neighborhood predators that might be attracted by any lingering smells won't be tempted to break into the coop. Anyway, I do a neat job and collect all the blood, feathers, skins & extra body parts in plastic garbage bags, to put out by the curb right away.

It must be a different story with rabbits, they rely more on their sense of smell and probably would be more aware of other rabbits being butchered nearby.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
Have you done it with ants? The other ants FREAK out when you do it? Sorry...morbid fascination...

I don't do it where the other birds can see. Just my preference.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I think the ants give off some kind of signal, must be a scent, when they're being threatened or killed. It alerts the others to the danger and they go on the offense.

You can step in/near an ant mound and the ants will swarm all over your legs. But they don't begin to bite until you squish the first one. So I try to brush them off gently instead. Then run get the insecticide!

 

[farmin'chick]

Okay...so my biggest roo snuck into the scrap pail and grabbed a discarded testicle, then ran around the farm with it in his mouth, laughing......they ARE morbid little dinosaurs!

 

[muell112]

My boyfriend just butchered 10 of our 12 cornish crosses yesterday. I was worried about it being a scary experience for the others so we would go and shoot the .22 in the back yard so they got used to the sound. He said they were more curious than anything, and when I got back everyone was totally fine, eating out of my hand etc. Today they it's like nothing happened. So, I wouldn't worry too much about it - if you are calm and normal around them they will likely not think too much of it.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I butchered 5 roosters in the back yard on Sunday afternoon. I had already let the layers out of their pens to free-range for the rest of the day. Some of the hens were gathering under the hanging frame before I even began processing. One of the roos slipped off the hook after he was sliced & technically dead, but still flapping & able to move across the yard. There were about a dozen hens who swarmed around him & began pecking at him hard.

I had to ask them "Is it this bird in particular or do you just hate all roosters?"

 

[scooter147]

I use the stump and hatchett method and in the past a big roo will get away from me after decapitation and the other chickens attack it.