We just slaughtered our first bird.

[dichotomymom]

I ordered 25 day olds (pullets) back in March and got them on April 1st. The plan was to process 1/2 and leave the rest as layers (we'll see how that works). Unplanned, was one rooster who has been incredibly noisy cagey and very aggressive w/the females. We made the decision to go ahead and process him this weekend. Well, we just did it and dispite how cool and calm I thought I'd be, I wasn't. I cried like a baby for a good 5 minutes. I'm gonna do the females on a cooler day in the next 3-4 wks. Any advice on how to emotionally prep myself? Does it get easier?

 

[arlee453]

The first is the hardest, I think. It gets easier, but I suppose should never just be 'easy'.

I comfort myself knowing that my chickens live the wonderful life, no matter how long or short it is, and that they don't really understand what is happening to them and it is a very quick end.

 

[skeeter]

why not just sell them,pol pullets bring 15 bucks or so depending on breed

 

[dichotomymom]

We want the meat.....we feel that they are a more "conscientious" meat than factory raised. I just have to get over it I guess.

 

[greenthumb89]

why dont you trade some of your pullets for someone elses roos? you can check them out on how they are raised and you wont have to kill the birds youve become attached to and besides roos are usually bigger

 

[snowydiamonds]

I'd suggest a meat bird then. They grow so fast its like doing them a service to give them a great home for two months and then you get extra wonderful meat and they don't suffer from all the health problems. You can then really bond w/your egg layers for a longer time frame.

I felt some of the first flock of cornishx I butchered were so healthy and beautiful I wanted to keep a cock and hen. It was proof to my eyes when I butchered them with the others that if I'd done so, it would have been all for nothing as internally you can see damage when externally you could not.

Today, we butcher the second flock of cornishx along w/some very aggressive RIR's that I just brought home from their original home, just three nights ago- I won't feel sad about doing these RIR's, they are going to be put out of their miserable life and I'll still enjoy all my kind, cheerful and beautiful egg laying (purebred) flocks.

I plan on butchering the following weekend, too, the remainder of the poorly kept, canniballistic RIR's I recently got- when its time, its time.

I am also prepared to defend my favorites and most likely will keep a few way past time in the future...but those are the egg layers w/their roo's- unless there is no apparent cure for unwanted behavior or illness.

 

[dichotomymom]

I think I will go w/the cornish x next time (2 mos of knowing them vs. 4 would be easier. I do feel like this is a good thing I'm doing (raising them, butchering myself, knowing how they lived), maybe that will be enough to get me through the next time.

 

[snowydiamonds]

With the cornishx, they take a lot more effort in cleaning and are masters at making you think they are starving all the time. Make sure they have a lot of room to exercise and act like real chickens for their health and your great meat. You'll be ready to get them done by 2 months, they'll be ready, and even though a few will look beautiful on the outside, when you see the inside like pale livers, how heavy their breathing becomes, how awkward they walk...you'll do the right thing and get them in the freezer and onto the plates.

They really are no comparison to store bought- even if the feed/$/time conversion doesn't officially work in the positive, the quality makes up for it all.