Processing for BJ. From newbee to newbee...

[Ridgerunner]

Mary, I dont see anything at all wrong with your approach. Im sure you treat them well while you have them and they are being used when the time comes. That sounds very respectful to me.

Monty, great job. I think you did a great job of being clear, especially without photos. In something like this, that's hard to do.

I do some things a little differently but Ill not mention them. That would just create confusion. In something like this I think you need only one coach and youre doing a great job. Ill just set back and admire how well you are doing this.

 

[MontyJ]

I agree Vfem. If you can kill without feeling anything, you have lost your humanity. Dispatching meat chickens doesn't really bother me because I raised them for a purpose. To say I don't feel anything, would be a lie, but if I had to put my dog down, it would be an entirely different feeling. Shooting a deer, groundhog or rabbit also brings a little twinge, but that's a different feeling too. It's hard to describe the different emotions involved with taking the lives of various animals, but you know what I mean.

I don't think buying meat in the store is necessarily us loosing our humanity, as much as it is forgetting what humanity is. It's more of an "out of sight, out of mind" sort of thing. People know the meat they are eating was once alive, but without seeing the animal while alive, or witnessing the processing, it's easier to put that part of it out of their mind. It turns the meat into more a can of beans, than a once living, breathing animal.

I thought my 12 yo DD would have a problem with the whole chicken processing thing, and maybe she wouldn't eat them. She has surprised me on that note. She knows exactly what's going on and doesn't have a problem with it. I am so proud of her.

 

[HotPepperQueen]

My projects never stay small! We processed 89 birds total...we suffered a huge loss of 13 birds in week 5 due to a cat scaring the bejesus out of them causing them to pile.

I totally understand the "giving thanks" part before processing. I usually tell them the night before while they are eating their last meal that they are making a huge sacrafice for my family and I appreciate everything. Then the day of I usually go out there and have a moment of silence and give thanks once more. It's really corny but I feel a lot better doing it.

 

[bj taylor]

how do y'all "catch" your birds. do you take them off the roost during the night & put them in a box or something?

 

[MontyJ]

Mine don't have roosts, but I am considering short roosts for the next batch. Catching them is easy. After being off feed for the night, they come running as soon as I go into the coop in the morning. I just bend over and pick them up. I put the original brooder I built into the garden trailer and that's what I tote the chickens in. I cover it with an old blanket held down with a few bulldog clips. I don't think the clips are needed though. Once the blanket is on, they calm right down.

 

[ducks4you]

I tie mine up to a tree by their feet with baling twine. I slice the jugular and make SURE that there is a strong blood flow. I turn the head to make sure that the bird is bleeding out. The bird is out in about 15 seconds and usually gone in 1 1/2 minutes. The nervous system kicks in right before they go and they flap. Once the wings hang, the bird is dead.
I've tried using an axe, but I don't have a setup that doesn't threaten my left hand, so I don't bother with it.
I also don't bother anymore with the hot water bucket and the cold water bucket.
I slice off the dead bird's heads--always in group of two, bc I have two dogs--then slice and skin them. Last thing is to cut off the feet...for the dogs. I transport in the kitchen with a 5 gallon bucket and finish evisceration in my kitchen sink, where I have hot and cold water at the ready. The intestines and gall bladder go to the trash--we live in the country--and the organs go to the cats and dogs, except for the livers. I package my necks to make soup and stew, and freeze the body often with sage leaves inside, although I have sage in my herb garden growing.
We just ate two 2mo roosters that went to freezer camp about a week ago. SOOOO TASTY!!!!! If any of you hasn't tasted farm, backyard raised chicken, you don't know how tasty they are. It's almost gamey and a lot like a really good turkey.

 

[ninnymary]

Oh Ducks, I've never had a fresh home raised chicken and you make me sooooo want to have it!

Mary

 

[canesisters]

I just made a 'date' to help a friend process 6 chickens Saturday morning.
Trying to get excited about it... but kinda dreading it. It's something that I NEED to know about.... I'm just not real sure that I WANT to know about..

I was very upset when I sold my handsome rooster Hurra - not knowing for SURE how he was handled and everything. If I know how to process them myself, then I won't ever have to worry and wonder again. Also, it's knowledge that I'll need when I have to deal with a seriously injured or sick bird. To be confident that I can (quickly and humanely) kill one if necessary will, I'm sure, be something that I'll be grateful for one day.

 

[baymule]

One of the rules of having animals is: When you have livestock-you get deadstock. You have to be prepared to find your favorite cow/horse/sheep/goat/chicken dead. You sometimes have to watch helplessly as your beloved animal dies right in front of you and there is nothing you can do. You cry, get up, dust off your britches and get going again.

The point of this is that sometimes you have animals for food. You need to know how to put them on the plate. You need to know that day will come when they are not dying for no reason, but they are dying by your hand to feed you or your family. It is not fun, but you need to know how to do it. Good for you Canesisters, you will learn a lot in this process.

 

[bj taylor]

canesisters, let us know how it goes. I have yet to do it. I thought hubby was all on board to help me process 6 of ours. now he says nothing doing & insists we take them to be processed. i'm not happy about it at all but not ready to take it on by myself. cane, i'm envious that you've got someone who knows what they are doing & will be with you for the first time. i'm still looking for that person.