The deed is done!

[shirlthegirl43]

I personally don't have the strength of grip to do the deed Snadger. We used to rear chooks for the table years ago and we had a butcher in to kill and dress them. If I could find a butcher to do that for me (actually, I might have now) then I would consider buying dual purpose eggs if we had a broody hen.

[Snadger]

I personally don't have the strength of grip to do the deed Snadger. We used to rear chooks for the table years ago and we had a butcher in to kill and dress them. If I could find a butcher to do that for me (actually, I might have now) then I would consider buying dual purpose eggs if we had a broody hen.

Unless you have a tame butcher Shirl I would think this would be uneconomical on a small scale? You could of course just chop the chooks head off, although I didn't want to do this as I had visions of a headless chicken running round spurting blood from it's neck.
The dressing is another matter and when warm the bird is very easy to pluck and there was surprisingly little smell from the warm innards. I couldn't identify one internal organ from another so I just binned the lot but I think liver and kidneys can be eaten as well?

[frias]

Whats the difference between doing it yourself and getting someone else to do it for you? It's only a big deal bcause you make it a big deal.
At least if you do it yourself you know it's been done properly and humanely.
You've hatched the eggs, if they are hens they will give you eggs for breakfast eventually, if they are cockerels you give the bird a good life, kill the bird humanely and prepare the bird for eating...........what's more natural than that?

No way would I have the strength as I have arthritis is both hands. Apart from that I just couldn't kill anything and certainly not eat a chicken I've had living in my garden as a pet. Couldn't eat the family rabbit either. To me it is a big deal. I've nothing against others doing it though. One of my old hens doesn't lay but she's still staying as a pet. I have broody who has been broody 5 times in the last year and is a pain in the bum at the moment. (I do feel like wringing her neck! lol) I am tempted to get some fertile eggs and even looked on Ebay last night. It's just knowing some might be boys. So in the end I couldn't press the buy button. Best scenario for me is if I can find someone with some fertile eggs and they can have the babies back when they are old enough to leave mum.

[shirlthegirl43]

We have one tame butcher friend and another friend who is a ministry meat inspector (not sure if that is quite the same as a butcher but I guess he would 'know a man who can')

[Snadger]

No way would I have the strength as I have arthritis is both hands. Apart from that I just couldn't kill anything and certainly not eat a chicken I've had living in my garden as a pet. Couldn't eat the family rabbit either. To me it is a big deal. I've nothing against others doing it though. One of my old hens doesn't lay but she's still staying as a pet. I have broody who has been broody 5 times in the last year and is a pain in the bum at the moment. (I do feel like wringing her neck! lol) I am tempted to get some fertile eggs and even looked on Ebay last night. It's just knowing some might be boys. So in the end I couldn't press the buy button. Best scenario for me is if I can find someone with some fertile eggs and they can have the babies back when they are old enough to leave mum.

Point taken about arthritis! On the pet issues my chooks are at the allotment, I see them every day but I can't just 'look out the window' at any time and see them, so maybe they aren't the same as pets to me?
I did hatch them from eggs though and I have a baby Dorking sitting in a box not 2 foot away from me watching me type at the mo, just as my other hatched chooks did in the past!
I suppose you have to do what feels right for YOU and until yesterday I wasn't sure I was ready for this hatching eggs scenario.........but now I feel I am!

[Hilary B]

On the occasions when I have had to dispatch a cockerel and I wasn't sure I had the strength, I used the 'broomstick' method more commonly applied to turkeys. All you need by way of grip is to hold the legs (one in each hand?) and if even that is too much, put a loop of string on the legs and hold by that.
I would think even arthritic hands could probably manage with that approach.
The emotional side gets easier with
a) practice and
b) sheer numbers
If you have 6 chicks growing up, and 4 of them are cockerels, you need to apply lots of 'logic' about giving them a good life and knowing it was done quickly, and with no cause for them to anticipate.
If there are another 6 smaller ones coming along, the logic is MUCH less effort, and if you know there will be MORE chicks as time goes on, it soon becomes 'no big deal'.

[frias]

The arthritis is my excuse and I'm sticking to it! I'm sure it is easier the more you do it and for people brought up on farms it's a way of life. I'm a townie with a few pets in the garden. My great niece is 10 years old and she bred meat birds last year. I've already had the lecture from her that at least you know where the meat has come from and you know it's had a good life. I agree but........

[Hilary B]

The arthritis is my excuse and I'm sticking to it! I'm sure it is easier the more you do it and for people brought up on farms it's a way of life. I'm a townie with a few pets in the garden. My great niece is 10 years old and she bred meat birds last year. I've already had the lecture from her that at least you know where the meat has come from and you know it's had a good life. I agree but........

I grew up in Outer London, and my daughter was born before I first kept chooks. My parents wouldn't even allow me a pet until I was 16, when my persistence led to them getting me a Scottie pup.
I wasn't 'country bred', but it was 'in my genes' as my Grandad (who I never met) was one of the country lads who walked into London in Victoria's reign looking for work. I wanted to keep animals, and I learned the realities (some of them the hard way) over the years. I hated the idea of killing anything for ages, but yes, the 'it had a good life' argument got through as far as my subconscious with sufficient persuasion.

[bluemoon]

At some point in the future I will hatch eggs, I will have to deal with the spare cockerels and I'm determined that I will be able to do it. At the moment though I'm not at that point. What worries me more than anything is 'doing it wrong' and ending up with a cockerel who is hurt and distressed. I'd feel far more comfortable if I could have someone who knows what they're doing show me the ropes, but it's a dying art.

[HayleyB]

but it's a dying art.

Erm, yep well said

[sheena]

Well done Snadger, it was very detailed and easy to understand.

I think I could do it, although I don't like the idea of killing one of my chooks, but I think I could quite happily do it for someone else.

There was a program on last week of a guy dispatching a chicken, they held it by the legs with one hand, and with the other held the neck, and smacked it's head off a step. It seemed quick and easy, and I think I could do it that way, but not the way you did it.

Well you know what they say... practice makes perfect!
It's BBQ season, Yay!!!

[Twinkle]

Thanks Snadger - that was a good and informative read.

I need to learn how to despatch - not because we eat them (all veggies here, just keep our girls for eggs) but in case of injury / sickness etc. Vets round here wouldn't generally treat a sick hen.

[lizzylemon]

I don't know if congratulations are the right thing to offer but I think you've done an admirable job. I was faced with killing one of our hens a few weeks back but passed the buck to a farmer friend who lives 'next door' (see 0.5 miles next door).

Ive done the plucking as it's not unusual to answer the door to a thunderous banging only to find dead ducks, pheasants etc on the door step (farmer knocking, not birds killings themselves just in case you're wondering) but no gutting yet as I've been told not bother with wild birds, just take the breast meat. But the next one is going to be a full 'prep' as I'm always a bit disappointed with myself for not seeing it through.

My friend uses the broom method which I'm interested in hearing more about - I can't quite see how it works.....and do you bleed birds or is it just larger animals? I noticed you didn't say.

Anywho, a job well done sir & thanks for sharing it in an informative, interesting and non-gratuitous style. I think if I'm faced with that situation again, then I might just be able to see it through after reading this.

[Hilary B]

I don't know if congratulations are the right thing to offer but I think you've done an admirable job. I was faced with killing one of our hens a few weeks back but passed the buck to a farmer friend who lives 'next door' (see 0.5 miles next door).

Ive done the plucking as it's not unusual to answer the door to a thunderous banging only to find dead ducks, pheasants etc on the door step (farmer knocking, not birds killings themselves just in case you're wondering) but no gutting yet as I've been told not bother with wild birds, just take the breast meat. But the next one is going to be a full 'prep' as I'm always a bit disappointed with myself for not seeing it through.

My friend uses the broom method which I'm interested in hearing more about - I can't quite see how it works.....and do you bleed birds or is it just larger animals? I noticed you didn't say.

Anywho, a job well done sir & thanks for sharing it in an informative, interesting and non-gratuitous style. I think if I'm faced with that situation again, then I might just be able to see it through after reading this.

OK, broom method is quite simply that if you arrange as follows, the broomstick takes the place of the hand which would otherwise hold the head.
What you do is
1) hold the bird by both feet so that when it hangs down from the hold, the breast is towards your legs. The bird will 'lift' its head a bit, lower it until the underside of its neck is on the ground.
2) you may need help here, get a broom handle (or anything of similar shape and size) rested across the back of the bird's neck, and rest toes of each foot on the ends.
3) press down a little on the broom handle while pulling upwards on feet. Stop pulling as soon as the neck goes floppy (the front of your feet will go down as the broom handle presses down to ground level).
4) lift feet from broom handle quickly, because there WILL be flapping and if the broken neck is still held, the head may come off, which (quite apart from upsetting anyone sensitive) tends to be messy.
That is it, the bird is dead.
There is no need to bleed, because breaking the neck by this method (or as Snadger did) means that it 'bleeds' into the head and the adjoining space in the neck.

Feathers come out easier before rigor mortis sets in. This is quickest in the wings and tail, slowest in the breast.

[Snadger]

...................... Well done. (I still think it's gonna rain on your barbie though)

Ah ha!!!!!! how wrong can you be..........a lovely balmy evening was enjoyed by all!