Why do I beat myself up about butchering a few cockerels.

[Mtnboomer]

I'm planning on getting into butchering of other meat sources like pig, turkey, rabbit, and deer.

Rabbit is easy. Slit the skin on the back and pull in both directions. Its so thin, it will tear right down to wrists and ankles. Then just cut off legs and head at fur line. Open the body from anus to neck without puncturing any innards. Livers and hearts are good to keep. Soak in salt water in the fridge for a few hours changing the water every 4 hrs depending on how long it soaks.
Main uses of rabbit gives you 5 pieces (4 legs and back with ribs trimmed). Or you csn cook it off the bone to be used in soups and stews.
Turkey is just a big chicken. Only trick there is getting a kettle big enough for the scald.
Deer is like beef, only some cuts are just too small to achieve. Its also very lean and cooks quickly. Main cuts are the "backstrap" running along top of spine, loin (inside the pelvis), shoulders (good for stew meat cubes, burger, even a roast), neck (roasts, stew cubes, or burger), ribs (add rib meat to burger), hams (top round roast, steaks,stew cubes, burger), shanks (lower ham to top leg joint used as a roast) and organs (heart, liver, and kydneys).

Hogs can literally be eaten from head to tail or the rooter to the tooter. To get the full use of the animal, you'll need to have someone show you in person. Look up how to make scrapple and puddin'. Those are 2 of my most favorite things to eat on butcher day!

 

[Cryss]

I butchered a deer myself that had been hit by a car right in front of my house in the night. Fortunately it was hit in the head or I may not have tried it. Didn’t get much sleep cuz it took me all night into the next day. It was quite an experience. My biggest problem was bits of hair sticking to the meat. That took hours to clear.

 

[Tre3hugger]

My first real challenge with this came with raising meat rabbits last year. Man are they cute. But I'm proud of you not just for taking care of your flock, and doing the deed, but for having the humility to confront and talk about the feelings you are experiencing. If anyone enjoys this aspect of animal raising, they probably should be nowhere near an animal, but it's a necessary cycle. Thanks for giving those cockerels a good life and a noble death.

 

[Mvan42]

Again I want to thank everyone for the support. Yesterday I saw a post similar to mine here and posted the link so that person could read the comments here. Although it has kinda turned to a hunting thread but I love it. Fall is may favorite time of year just for the aspect of being able to go into the woods and enjoy what God created for us. The hunt is great to..

So again thanks it has helped me to stop beating myself up.

 

[Mvan42]

I butchered a deer myself that had been hit by a car right in front of my house in the night. Fortunately it was hit in the head or I may not have tried it. Didn’t get much sleep cuz it took me all night into the next day. It was quite an experience. My biggest problem was bits of hair sticking to the meat. That took hours to clear.

It takes practice that’s for sure.. I have been doing it or at least watching before I was allowed to hold a knife.

My first real challenge with this came with raising meat rabbits last year. Man are they cute. But I'm proud of you not just for taking care of your flock, and doing the deed, but for having the humility to confront and talk about the feelings you are experiencing. If anyone enjoys this aspect of animal raising, they probably should be nowhere near an animal, but it's a necessary cycle. Thanks for giving those cockerels a good life and a noble death.

They are cute.

 

[Mtnboomer]

I butchered a deer myself that had been hit by a car right in front of my house in the night. Fortunately it was hit in the head or I may not have tried it. Didn’t get much sleep cuz it took me all night into the next day. It was quite an experience. My biggest problem was bits of hair sticking to the meat. That took hours to clear.

Practice will help. If temps are below 45 degrees, let the deer hang (age) for 3-5 days. You can go even longer but its rare to get consistent temps for that long any more here in va.
You should have little hair on the meat once you have more experience gutting and skinning and what little there may be should brush off easily after aging.

Awesome to hear you gave it a try and a perfectly good animal wasn't wasted!

 

[Teneniel]

My training is in ecology and I really wish more people would hunt deer. They’ve lost their apex predators here in the NW and they’re destroying forests.
Thank you to all the hunters who take the time to find the connection to the hunt. Our ancestors were careful to thank the animal and it’s wonderful to see people still being thoughtful about their food, whether wild or hand raised.

 

[archeryrob]

Butchering a deer is not that hard, but it does take time. It helps to have a gambril and a hoist. You can get simple ones on Amazon cheap. I use a trailer winch and double pulleys from my kayak hoist.

My daughter loved watching this video to learn how to break a deer down. We break it down, wash it in the garage and throw into meat tubs for trimming, sealing and grinding in the next several day. I age in the fridge more than hanging.

I post this picture of my daughter cutting out round roasts everytime guys say its hard to butcher a deer.

 

[archeryrob]

Rabbit is easy. Slit the skin on the back and pull in both directions. Its so thin, it will tear right down to wrists and ankles.

And oh so good, best eating critter in the woods. Everything like Rabbit!!!!

 

[Mtnboomer]

And oh so good, best eating critter in the woods. Everything like Rabbit!!!!

I made a bbq rabbit with a homemade mustard based sauce that i came up with on the fly a few years ago. Now its my wife's preferred way to eat it. She slso LOVES squirrel biscuits and gravy!