This weekend....... *UPDATED WITH VIDEO*

[prov31gal]

once you have had a slaughter day or 2 at your house, by the end of the day you will be figuring out what works best for you and pretty much have a streamlined system going. for me its, pick em up by the legs and whack on the stump, birds are easy to knock out. whack with an axe, stick em neck down in the bucket, blood draind out , scald , ice dunk ,pluck, dress. sounds too easy when you just type it. now that i read it, but once you get the hang of it, and what works for you, its not so bad. you might feel like a criminal the first 2 birds, i did, but then you eat them and they taste so good, and you realise its not as bad as you thought.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

OP I didn't mean to offend or stir anything up. I didn't mean to sound like I had anything against it for other people, just that I don't know if I could PERSONALLY do it that way. After reading the rest of this post though...it doesn't sound like it would be as horrible as I first imagined. I know my grandma just wrung their neck by picking them up by the neck and slinging them around....which is very disturbing to see at age 8 or so. I just have my idea of how I'd want to do it. Maybe stunning isn't such a bad idea if it is more humane. I'm by no means an animal rights person, but I don't want them to suffer either. They should be honored with a side of dressing and homemade rolls if ya ask me, it's just getting to that point that I wonder about. I'm not totally inexperienced as I was told that I either pluck and help or not be allowed to eat when my grandma slaughtered her turkeys and chickens, but it has been a while. I was a kid about 8 or 10 years old, and haven't had much experience with it since then. I think she permanently scarred me

I'm actually looking forward to seeing how this turns out for you. Good luck!

 

[crazybarnlady]

yes, aren't we all scarred by our childhoods!

I grew up on a dairy/then hobby farm, and some of the procedures my dad did 30 years ago horrified me then, and horrify me even more now looking back on it! That's why I am so determined to take care of my animals "from the cradle to the grave", so to speak, and give them the most humane ending possible. To me the true goal of farming should honor the animal giving it's life for our food- it should have a good life, and when the time comes a good (humane) death- and provide a healthy, nourishing product. Not some commercial animal living in misery with no natural behaviors, jacked up on antibiotics so that it can live on it's own filth.... but that's the end of my rant...

I'm so glad the lady I bought my first chicks from reccommended this site! I have learned sooooo much here, and everyone is so helpful and interested in learning from everyone elses' experiences

 

[PacsMan]

Personally I think our culture is getting a little too Politically Correct and a little too soft.

Not that I think we should needlessly make our animals suffer, but the end is the end for them.
We all know back yard chickens taste better, and your stock enjoy a (much) better life than factory raised meat.
So c'mon people, buck up.

[stepping off my soapbox]
Quote:
Question;
After you stun them, and then chop off their head, do they flop? If so, is it less than if you don't stun them first?

Marty

 

[Linkoso]

Okey... It's done now... *oooh, so many posts* ... Excuse me if i read and answer a little bit later?

I'm so tired... >_<'' (It was not 7-8 ... It was 9 roosters and 2 quails... = I did 11 birds today... And the temperature is below zero (around -11 celsius, my hands, my back and... Oh, i'm so cold and tired x_x')!

Well and... We taped it... So tonight (or is it night there you live? ><'') or tomorrow i think the vid. will be on youtube.

 

[Linkoso]

Quote:
Question;
After you stun them, and then chop off their head, do they flop? If so, is it less than if you don't stun them first?

Marty

It's diffrent. Some of them don't flap and flop so mutch, but everyone does it. Some of them starting to flop when the head hits the object (then they don't flop so mutch when the head is of, and they dont "spray" you with blood

Beacuse they already had their "dead flopping time" )... Around 4 of the roos did it today = They died at once before i choped the head of.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Quote:
Question;
After you stun them, and then chop off their head, do they flop? If so, is it less than if you don't stun them first?

Marty

Yes they will still flop..

 

[Linkoso]

I have now added the video i promised. It's on the first page, first post by me (the youtube-link).

 

[pringle]

Hmm that really doesnt seem that cruel too me the bird gets knocked out or killed instantly then you chop off the head and it doesnt feel any pain, good job!

 

[CoopCrazy]

Quote:
I'll have to watcht he vid when i get home .. Work has Youtube blocked..


So what are your final thoughts on processing your own...