Author Topic: Killing a hen (Read 6427 times)

Eagledance · « **on:** December 17, 2009, 09:11:08 pm »

So we killed our first meat hen last week and roasted it for a christmas party lunch.... yum yum yum!!
The issue we now have is - we (I!) plan to kill the next for Christmas dinner and our 6 year old son has said he wants to watch.

What do you think?

Ed

sandy · « **Reply #1 on:** December 17, 2009, 09:42:55 pm »

Depends, I used to go to the local livestock market and my children started asking if we eat the cows,pigs lambs etc and I felt they were going to get funny about eating meat, my brother went off meat for a few years as a teenager after visiting an ab?

Slaughter house...Then on the other hand, my grandchildren used to watch their dad gut and prepare stuff he had shot and also saw him kill the Turkey's at Christmas and according to my daughter, it was a bit like a horror film...BUT...they love their meat!!!

dixie · « **Reply #2 on:** December 17, 2009, 10:17:16 pm »

If he wants to and you make no fuss about it then why not? children are only horrified at things if the parents put the fear there! My son used to help my dad skin and gut rabbits, he was very proud of it! He's 9 now and doesnt really care to help anymore but certainly has no issues with it, HTH.

doganjo · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2009, 02:40:50 am »

At six years old i would question that - why does he want to be there? How much does he know of what happens - have you been talking about things in front of him and he has perhaps misunderstood? Think very carefully. I honestly do not think he should at 6.

chickenfeed · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2009, 07:16:27 am »

:)so long as its done with no fuss there is no problem with a child watching the kill. i was brought up that way as was my kids and now my grandson hes 3 he has witnessed 8 cockerals being killed and dressed so far this year and he has been to the slaughter house to take some pigs he will as we have grow up to understand where his food comes from and with a understanding of the food cycle he already knows the difference between layers and meat birds he is not upset or dissturbed by it in any way. a local butcher also brought his 6 year old daughter up to watch a bird being killed and back the next day to dress it as all the birds they sell come ready bagged.

if you bring children up so its a natural thing to do they will grow up with more understanding and respect for both animals and food.

i would explain to any child what they are going to see and make it clear if they want to they can walk away from it at any time at least any child being brought up will know not all chickens we eat come wrapped in film.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #5 on:** December 18, 2009, 09:49:24 am »

as long as its blood free and not to much flapping let them. they are on a farm so they need to learn what life is about. though 6 iis a bit young.

JulieS · « **Reply #6 on:** December 18, 2009, 12:17:03 pm »

I think it really depends on the child. My eldest wouldn't have been ready at 6 (actually I'm not sure he would be ready now at 19!! lol), but the youngest would have been very interested and ready at 6.

Personally if I felt he was ready I would talk him through what was going to happen first.

MiriMaran · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2009, 07:36:45 pm »

Mine have seen chickens being killed for the last couple of years. I explained everything very clearly to them about it being a clean painless death and also making it very clear that the flapping is just nerves after they are dead and its NOT the chicken struggling. As long as its explained clearly and your son still wants to watch I would let him and then do an anatomy lesson with the guts - that's my boys favorite bit. Harry currently has 1 ducks head and 1 Pheasant head buried in the garden which will in future be added to his bone collection! Children are very robust if spoken to in very clear terms.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2009, 09:40:48 pm »

yes they do like the messy bits. wanting to cut up the heads of the geese up was a little to far for us. guilt mainly seeing them staring up at you. the killing is fine the guilt is another. so i may end up with a veggie christmas dinner.

sabrina · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2009, 12:09:52 pm »

I think six is a bit young.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #10 on:** December 21, 2009, 05:45:00 pm »

How did you do it? Depends on the method, I would say. If he's going to watch the flapping needs explaining beforehand. My girls came with me when the drake was done but decided last minute not to watch the act. It was hard enough for me, but there was a lot of blood. I won't do (or rather have it done) it again the old fashioned way. I'm just trying to research humane dispatchers for our NHTT food group. Does anyone know where to get those?

scattybiker1972 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2009, 12:34:15 pm »

i got a humane dispatcher from ebay

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2009, 01:12:33 pm »

our younger son 10 was not very taken with the killing of the turkeys and four cockerels. he is usually hard as nails and very practical. this was his first time being involved. i do have to admit that it was rather bloody. stunned with a pellet through the brain and then beheading. no spraying so Harry's method does work but its not the cleanest. you must remember that most of the bird skull is not brain so if not a fan of the red stuff do it another way.