The horrible topic about the time to kill ?What about¿

[Quijote]

Dear friend.
I want to say goodbye to this "wire" in this forum. I apologize to have upset somebody with my coments and posts, but I started with wiches to talk about coops and how to build it in diferents climas, but my subconscient, perhaps tortured by thougts about many things from the life, drags me to introduce this shadowly topic and carve down on.
Though you don´t belive it, all your coments have enhance my poor mind and soul ilumination in this last stage of my life, even through a language which I don´t manage well enough.
I was a architect formed with pencil and rule as tools, and unable to adapt myself to enormous computer power that actually is sizeout human dimension.
My goal is actually to design a coop, a good coop that I could build with my hands where chikens are happy.
Thanks.

 

[geoff40]

Easier? On you, or the bird? Ask yourself that.
There are a multitude of modern contraptions and items used in the slaughter of a chicken. But in reality, the old way is the best. Hatchet, chopping block. You pick up the bird gently, and while you cradle it someone else slips a rope around the feet, the rope is tied off at the other end, so it will hang by the feet in a moment. It prevents the bird from going anywhere after the deed. Then quickly put the bird down on the block, hold the head down, a little stretch and one quick, firm chop. Be sure the hatchet is sharp. A good, sturdy cleaver also works well. Its a little nasty, but it is humane. A lot harder on the person than the bird. The whole thing, from picking the bird up, to the chop, only takes a few seconds, if you have 2 people working together. I don't let the birds that will be killed in a few minutes see the others before them getting killed. I don't use cones, or any other method. I don't slit throats as this method isn't instantaneous, and I think it is very important that it is. Even for a chicken.
Stand back, the bird will bleed a lot for a few seconds. The bird will now hang by the feet while the blood drains. It doesn't take long. It usually flops and the wings will flap a bit.

As others have said, you can always have someone else do it for you.

 

[Quijote]

Quote:
Very clear exposure and very clever answer to the joker.
If I were chiken I´d rather die on this wise so clear expalined for you. I thing I could´n do it though.
Regards.

 

[partsRheavy]

?!Para que!?

Well then look at coop plans and designs and/or post in the Coop&Run section. Winter is the perfect time to build a new henhouse. Just be sure to protect from predators and use hardware cloth!!

Si solamente quires decir o muerte de gallinas y come de gallinas se puede venir a la mesa de comida de "Guiso de Gallo."



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[Avalon1984]

For what it’s worth, any animal you own will die eventually. What you don’t know until the end if just HOW it will die. I lost a horse over thanksgiving. It was a 3 year old filly, was fine at noon on Friday, came down with a severe colic 20min later. We nursed her until Sunday morning because the vet said to not give up. Truth be told, I should have just shot her Saturday for I would have saved her a lot of unnecessary suffering but we believed until the end she would pull through. That said I have yet to find somebody that had a problem ending an animal’s life if needed, whether it be out of the animals suffering or for processing. If you have chickens, inevitably you will have sickness at one point or another and what will you do if you have a chicken that is suffering with no chance of survival? I know I would have no problem putting it out of its misery, even if it means emotional discomfort for me. Ending an animal’s life because of suffering shouldn’t be for our comfort, but for that of the animal and something one should do as a responsible animal owner. I feel the same about slaughtering my excess rooster. They have a great life and their end is quick. They feed my family and we in turn do not have to depend on large industrial farms for our meat.

I also don’t believe farmers are bitter. They may come across a bit abrupt but most farmers I know are just very black and white people. They take care of their animals and deal with hardship, life and death on a daily basis. They are the ones to make decisions about an animal’s well being. They put their heart and soul into raising and caring for an animal and have to be the ones to end the animals life if needed. I am grateful that we have farmers who get up every morning and deal with these kind of emotions. Losing my horse tore me apart and thankfully I have only a limited amount of animals that could become sick and die. I cannot imagine going through this with hundreds of cattle or thousands of chickens.

 

[emerald eyes]

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My husband did the deed to our 12 meat birds while me & my sons were away. I think it was easier on the kids not to see the carnage (and me), but we knew when we purchased them that the would be slaughter, as they were cornish hens. We even named them all "dinner". At 8 weeks old, they were having a hard time walking (they were huge) and were laying down alot. It was then, we knew it was time to slaughter them. I have cooked them in stew & whole..and I gotta say, it's amazingly good chicken. I am not sure about what I am going to do with my spent layers (we have named them, and spent lots of time admiring them); however a fox & raccoon culled the flock to only 3 over the summer and I think slaughtering them would be more humane than letting them get ripped to peices. Are free ranging chickens tougher since they run and gather all sorts of backyard goodies? My 3 laying hens haven't produced an egg in over a week, I think my husband might think about culling them next.