SLAUGHTERING QUAIL

[chickbird]

HOW MANY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO KILL THEIR QUAIL FOR EATING. I AM NEW TO QUAIL RAISING AND STARTED IN IT TO PRIMARILY EAT THE QUAIL. I HAVE SLAUGHTERED 5 BUT I FIND IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TAKE THEIR LIVES. I'VE USED THE METHOD OF STUNNING FIRST AND THEN HEAD REMOVAL, BUT HAVEN'T DONE ANY MORE.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

the best way that i have seen it just to do it quick and painless. Its still a little hard at times, as i care for my birds and have my favorites, but it has to be done.

I use a pair of brand new clippers, very sharp, hold the bird in my hands and put the clippers open at the base of the skull where the neck connects. Making sure it will be done in one clip, make the cut, the whole head is off instantly and the brain is dead as well with all feelings. Instantly. there of course is some shaking b/c of the nerves firing, but there is no pain. as i am not religious i thank mother nature for my birds each time i kill one.

hope this helps

 

[Mek]

I'm Evil ... I make my Dad do it.
Every time I try to do it I make a bad habit of kissing them and then I make some excuse not to do it.
Processing them I am fine... I don't use gloves any more.

 

[TwoCrows]

You are not the only one. I have kept Bob's for 5 years and just can not find the courage to take their lives. It is not that I am scared of dead things, gore or the blood. But rather that after keeping them for so long, I have come to understand that they all have personalities, desires, awareness, and thought processes. They have also become more like "pets" to me. I hatched MOST of them, and knowing what I know about them, the act of killing them would take away all that I have put into them. If I felt they were lower on the scale of awareness of life, like lettuce, or garden flowers, then I would probably be able to butcher them. The drama that killing them would cause would out weight the meat afterwards.

So I totally understand where you are at. However, now that you have already butchered 5 of them and if you can manage to get past this early stage of shock, maybe you can learn to separate yourself early on from your quail and go on to grow them for food. I really wish I could separate myself from my bobs. It must be done early on in the stages of keeping quail. I wish you all the best of luck!!

 

[bfrancis]

Pets are hard to dispatch.
What we do on our farm, regardless of quail or chickens...we have the breeder pens or pet pens. We get to know their personalities, habits, and querps. But once the chicks are put into the grow out pen, we call that, "The food pen" and then we never get attached to those. They are fed, watered and have great living conditions...but we never get the attachment. It makes slaughter day easier.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

Its hard for me everytime i do it now. the first 5 birds were easy as i bought them as adults. all the birds that i butcher now are birds that i have hatched, raised, cared for and loved.

its hard, i just know it has to be done, and do it

 

[Tikkajazz94]

I find quail easier than when I had Chickens. But I never butchered one I hatched and raised. But I Hug the birds, kiss its head, Say 'Thank you' and Head comes off, skin it, Field dress it, and done.... Now I found a Easier way on field dressing which is cutting the spine out and all the guts come out.... Do a Little rinse and there you have it....

 

[mochicken]

That is one sad thing about being so attached to birds, its hard to do. I know I have chickens that I wouldnt kill just for a meal but if I was starving they are alllllllllllllllllllllllllll food lol

I have about 35-40 quail right now and I will have to process some soon but I dont think I will have as much of an issue with them, my wife on the other hand refuses to eat them lol

 

[sixshooter60]

Its really hard for me to understand people that cant process animals that are meant to be food...I do understand how its hard to put down a beloved dog or a cat or even a horse . Some of these animals have been a part of your family and been a buddy but as for chickens or quail or hogs or cattle i have no problem with processing them . I guess growing up living in the country all my life it just seems normal to do it.. I guess if i felt the way that some do i would not even bother to raise animals for food. with the rising price of feed and building material sometimes i wonder if its really worth it but then i think about how some of the meat you buy at the supermarket has been raised and processed and i think its worth it in alot of ways.. One is the animals i raise to eat have a good life until its time .they are not grown in a small pen with no room but to eat and drink and can barely turn around.. mine have plenty to eat and drink and lots of room and a good place to sleep. and another reason is i know when i eat it just exatly how it was raised and what it ate and how it lived so it makes me feel better knowing all this.. just my two cents worth...

 

[rittert3]

I think the main issue here, sixshooter, is where people have raised quail or other animals, as pets ,like a cat, dog, or horse. In my mind an effort should be made not to get attached to animals intended for slaughter. I've had some pretty unconventional pets, so I can understand this and I'm sure I'll get a little attached to my breeder birds. But like Bfrancis said my birds will be seperated into breeders that are ok to get attached to and the birds I'm growing out to sell or butcher.