I process and feed my family and friends:
Extra roos
Meat birds including Cornish, Rangers, and fryers(standard roos)
Ducks
Turkeys
Quail
Deer
AND YES, SILKIES! Extra silkie roos I don't find homes from make
excellent small pots of soup. Many Asians claim they have medicinal
value too. I choose to believe it.
Now my layers are like family and do not get eaten. They will grow
old in my laying flock. Those birds are pets to us and get special
treatment. However, if we had no food I would do what I had to do.
i could kill them but if i smelled the entrails i couldn't eat it, i used to chop up and fry chicken every saturday for like 8 yrs but i couldn't gut it
I have not yet processed a bird, but I plan to in about 5-7 weeks (we have 7 meaties in the brooder right now). When I first started looking into chickens, I said there was no way I would process my own birds. I have changed my mind about it though. I have looked a pictures and videos on how to do it, and I have a friend who has dressed game birds who has agreed to come help. The layers we have gotten were picked with egg laying and meat production in mind. We fully plan on processing our layers when they get to be about 2-3yrs old.
I raise 30 cornesh cross every spring for the table. I would also eat my egg layers if that what it took to keep my family feed. Plus I process myself.
I haven't in a long time but yes I would. Would probaly have to have some instruction on the cleaning though- I always managed to get out of the gutting- I was always the one who killed them and then I helped pluck them too. I've read some post about people skinning them feathers and all. If I get some that I decide to process I will probaly look into that way. I haven't killed any animal in a long time ( except snakes , mice and bugs) but It didn't use to bother me that much.