The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: melodrama on September 20, 2011, 02:27:05 pm
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I did my first chicken kill today. From our Hubbards, there were 2 males that I thought looked about right, had a friend come to show me the right way on one bird and then I did the other myself. I plucked and gutted one and plucked the other which is still hanging. I was feeling so nervous about it this morning and woke up early worrying. thankfully I think I managed very well, it was clean and quick (the killing not the cleaning). On the first one I ripped the skin >:( when plucking but managed not to on the other. I am very pleased with myself as it was the quick killing that was making me nervous as I didn't want to cause undue stress or pain to the bird. I think I achieved that and am now looking forward to cooking them up and tasting them. They weighted out at about 4lbs 11 -5lbs. As i am a first timer can you guys please tell me if that is decent enough? The girls are a little smaller so am going to give them a few more weeks. Thank you.
Melanie
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should have mentioned that was the dressed weight (though Im sure you all guessed) x
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Well done Melanie, you've just achieved what I hope to do in the near future, probably next spring. I'm nervous and havnt even got the birds yet. Sorry cant help on the weight but sounds not bad to me. Hope they taste divine. At least you know they have had a healthy happy life. :thumbsup: :chook:
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The weight is about the same as mine. You should feel really proud of yourself. Now you get to enjoy the taste of real chicken.
The meat will be much more dense than supermarket offerings, even the free range stuff. I also think there is more colour in the brown meat which tastes quite different from the white. Don't forget to boil up the bones for soup stock. Well done!
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Well done! It's never a nice job but knowing you can do it efficiently takes away a lot of the stress.
My dual-purpose (Sussex & Wyandotte) cockerels kill out betWeen 41/2 and 5 lbs and I think that's fine :)
The meat is wonderful - much 'gamier' than supermarket cottonwool chicken ;D
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Well done Melanie.
Quite a lot of you are too young to know - but what they taste like is WHAT CHICKEN USED TO TASTE LIKE WHEN I WERE A GAL!
There, I've said it. Who cares, police officers have looked like schoolkids for years now.
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Don't let the hens run on too long or they will get fat and you'll be removing lumps of yellow fat from inside the body cavity (hope no-one's eating scrambled eggs for tea :o). Also our last ones were laying at 13 weeks and that didn't make cleaning them very pleasant.
I'm sure you will enjoy proper chicken, though.
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Well done! not sure if I could actually do it myself.
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Well done Melodrama :trophy: Very impressed.
Well done Melanie.
Quite a lot of you are too young to know - but what they taste like is WHAT CHICKEN USED TO TASTE LIKE WHEN I WERE A GAL!
There, I've said it. Who cares, police officers have looked like schoolkids for years now.
That is such a funny post!
Ian
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Well done, I'm impressed!
What method did you use? I'm very cross that I can't bring myself to do the job.
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I wring (pull and twist actually) cockerels necks and use a broomstick for drakes and ganders.
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I dislocated the neck and then cut the arteries. It wasn't nice, as you would expect, but at least I knew it was quick and clean and they didn't really know what has happening to them. My daughters birthday is on Thursday so we are having friends over for our official tasting ;D
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I've been killing my own poultry for about forty five years and I still have to steel myself and have a large brandy beforehand :chook: :chook:
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Well done :thumbsup:
So far I have dispatched 2 cockerels and 2 ducks, all with a broomstick. It's not a pleasant job but the first was definitely the worst.
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When you start to enjoy it, it's time to stop IMHO :)
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You all have my utmost respect. I just wish that I had the round dangly things to get some meat birds and then do the deed myself, but I havent. My OH is even soppier than I am so its no good pinning my hopes on him.
So as I say, you all have my repect and envy that you can do something that I cant. Id rather walk down a flight of stairs with no rail and that is saying something as I have a real phobia about stairs. Takes me ages to walk down a set, and Ill ONLY do it holding on tightly to a rail, if I dont have one, I get a panic attack!!
What a saddo!
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Growing up on a farm which had 10,000 Turkeys every year,obviously us kids were also brought into pluck them,when a little older,we had to catch them and do the deed ourselves with the machine-cone dispatcher.As a child I never seemed to have a problem with it,only there were lots of pluckers there,I also used to do some of the evisceration and earn lots of pennies.
What happened to me,Since starting my own smallholding I have had to cull a few ducks and chickens and like Melodrama says,I have to have a large tonic beforehand.I also tell them I am sorry and I promise it will not hurt,then sob after I have done it!!! :'( (awww,she is a soft at tripe really)
After a while of calming down,I'm ok-but get jolted with guilt when I see it hanging there in the mornings.I am fine after it has been eaten though!
So,Melanie,Well done!! :D
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I've been killing my own poultry for about forty five years and I still have to steel myself and have a large brandy beforehand :chook: :chook:
Sylvia, How many brandies is that over 40 years??? hic.....
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I've been killing my own poultry for about forty five years and I still have to steel myself and have a large brandy beforehand :chook: :chook:
Sylvia, How many brandies is that over 40 years??? hic.....
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A fair few bottles, I should think! My ma had to have a good, strong cup of tea before she did the deed, much cheaper but it wouldn't work for me :D
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This is going to sound really daft but, When it has to be done I take them to look at something nice in the garden, I talk to them gently then stroke the little fluffy flap over their ears to make their eyes droopy and tell them what a good chicken they are before I do the deed. At least I know that they are relaxed and unstressed which makes me feel a bit better about it. The next trick is being as fast, efficient and humane as possible.
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That is not daft Bright Raven but very kind and thoughtful :bouquet: I always make sure the one killed is out of sight of the next one in line and that the blood is washed away between each one even though I'm told it will make no difference. I say how can anyone know.
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Bright Raven I do the same thing I will take them into the garden away from the other birds and sing to them before I ring there necks, them when I am in the house preparing the birds I always have to listen to the 3 tenners CD that is cheeper than Brandy ;D
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Very well done, Melanie, I've been trying to pluck (sorry freudian slip) up courage for years since my hubby died. I really want to breed my own table birds. Policeman are children aren't they, surely.
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well done!!
i got one step closer today, red-dog caught and killed a rabbit tonight so whilst it was still warm i wrung its neck, you can definitely feel it break. so much easier to try on a dead bunny, no way can i hurt it!
i thought it was going to be a feat of strength, but it was surprisingly easy.
every day a school day ;D
ps red-dog got fluffy bunny for tea, such a good girl!