Struggling with killing a chicken

[goats-n-oats]

Hi all, I killed a rooster today. He was aggressive but I had to let him out of the dog crate to put the dog in. He immediately started fighting with the other roosters. I swatted him with a 1x1" wood pole to get him to back off, but apparently it was just too hard and just on his eye. He struggled and died a minute later. It was awful. All the barn animals were watching. I eat commercially processed chicken every day, and raise chickens for this purpose, but am not sure how to proceed with killing animals. How do you reconcile?

 

[3KillerBs]

While it would, of course, have been better to cull a problem cockerel/rooster in a planned and intentional fashion, it sounds like this fellow was asking for trouble and ended up getting it.

The need to deal with excess and/or aggressive males is one of the downsides of raising chickens.

As one of our respected members frequently advises, if you can't bear to eat him then plant a rosebush on top of him.

 

[raingarden]

If you eat him it will turn an accident into an accomplishment.

 

[1cock2hens]

First time I accidentally killed a chicken was about 23 years ago, I hardly remember it, in time you will hardly remember this. We all do foolish things and react in ways we aren't proud of, just use this as a learning experience. Next time you have a problem rooster you should probably just cull it when you see the problem instead of letting things escalate and get out of hand. You will feel better

 

[ChickyWhicky]

Sounds like it was an accident. Dont beat yourself up over it. Forgive yourself and move forward. Accidents happen and dwelling on them will bring you no peace.

Also sounds like your roo was a bit of a meanie... Maybe this was not such a bad ending. You may have ended up culling him anyway. You could consider it a blessing in disguise.

And for the record, if it helps console you, I have whacked my roo (more than once...or twice...) with whatever I happen to have nearby. Sometimes they need whacked.

 

[SmiYa0126]

I'm so sorry I had an incident where I caused a hen to aspirate and she died. The pain lessens with time. Your consolation is that it was fast

 

[Mrs. K]

It is hard at first. At first I bought chicken and mixed it up with the home raised chicken. It is a fact of life that most people have stepped away from. But eventually one becomes confident and there is something satisfying in providing for yourself.

I have had chickens for a long time. I know it has to be done. When I plan it, I distance myself from them, those are the chickens I don't watch and laugh at their antics. Then I just do the deed. Once they are dead, it has never been hard for me to finish the processing.

Mrs K

 

[Tonyroo]

Some people can't reconcile, this is based on individual backgrounds or beliefs. So they don't engage there flock that way.

But all things have a purpose, so trying to rationalize the situation for the purpose, helps. For your own mental health and the reason your killing them.

 

[sdm111]

It wasn't in anger, but I thought (incorrectly) I might be able to teach it to stay away from the other roosters. I have 5 purebred roosters in the larger barn, and all the other hens (and a few cockerels) are in their private garage/coop. This sixth rooster, whom I spoke about in another thread, was bred by my flock last summer. I gave him to a neighbor as a chick, and for whatever circumstances, he exited that neighbor's property a few weeks ago, as an adult rooster, and I received calls from other neighbors saying they saw one of my roosters running in the street. I was able to catch him and bring him to my property, but he immediately started beating up my peaceful roosters and cockerels among the hens (yes drawing blood on their waddles). I put him in a dog crate for two weeks in the larger barn with the other adult roosters, but he beat them up too through the wire. I just didn't have enough cages for all the special needs animals (this rooster and my adolescent Anatolian shepherd).

He needed to be culled for all parties involved. Your other chickens appreciate not being beat

 

[Mrs. K]

Really not that big of deal. If you have a knife that is sharp you can harvest, but if not, dispose of him as you see fit. Death happens. No need to feel guilty. You did not torture him, he was torturing other animals. If you were going to harvest him anyway, just a change in time does not make it worse or better.