THis is the first year I have butchered my own stock. Always took it to Bloods--5 generations of butchrs!!-- and pt my heart on hold went into a mental freeze and helped DH load the lambs. THis year I sold a few animals on the hoof and the guys showed my how to butcher chickens, and sheep. CHickens I got better at--and I use a scalpel as it cuts the throat very fast. THe guys cut the throat on the sheep but I couldn't stay for that. In general I was in a mental freeze--I want the meat, but hate killing the animal. I say a prayer like the Native Americans.
What pocket knife do you use that holds up so well? DO you sharpen it?
The first one was the hardest for me, too!
But I was raising them to eat. That's why I bought all roosters first. I got 3 hens with them by the hatchery error in sexing, but I did this so I could see what breeds would be meek and which aggressive. I had heard stories about aggressive birds my mother ran in fear from when she was young and did not have any experience with before.
I knew I would have to eventually harvest them for food, but it took my 30 minutes with the first one hanging from a tree, with a knife in my hand before I could get up the nerve to do the do! I can't say it was easy, but it became easier, as I got more experienced at it. That's what they were for and probably not have been hatched, if not for food. I can't stand to give pain to any thing or anyone. I have a lot of empathy! Maybe too much. But I realize that if I buy meat at the store, someone had to kill it, so I should not be a hypocrite about it or become a vegan! Now that's just about me, I am not judging others!!! I think the biggest fear people have is that they are afraid they will botch the job and it won't be a quick kill. That was mine. I would suggest that the first one you plan to do, ask someone that is very experienced, you can trust, to stand by with a sharp knife ready to step in if you do! That should give you more confidence to be able to harvest what you raise to feed your family. I tell people that I give my livestock, the best possible and the kill is almost instantaneous, because I feed them, so they can feed us!!!
I know what you mean about the mental freeze. We did our own CX this past summer. I was in a frozen blind state of mind. We made it through all 26 in one day. The next morning I woke up and cried for a long time, I felt nausious the rest of the day. After the CX I couldnt bring myself to do the 2 BBWs I raised, I bonded with them a little and had a very big soft spot for them I couldnt do the deed I brought them to the farm up the road. This year we plan to process all our extra roosters also the CX again and I hope we can bring ourselves to try the Turkeys also. Only time will tell.
That's why I do not name my food or play with them. I can handle my animals fine, my hens even stand up, so I can take their eggs, because they know I am anyway because here I am ALPHA to them.
NO one has mentioned the toe punch-- it is done with chickens, can it be done with turkeys?? I was looking at the tom legs today and noticed that the state inspectors metal legbands are GONE--wasn't looking for webbing between the toes. Do turkeys have a spot to punch??
Now, I could not do that, as I feel putting a hole into a foot has to hurt and they have to live with. I don't think animals feel pain like we do, because God made them to be eaten and I feel that they do not feel emotional pain, except for dogs or possibly cats, that live right beside us as inside animals, I know they learn emotions from us, in their desire to please, as we got our emotions from God!
He dried off great and was up and moving the next day.
