The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: DenisCooper on January 15, 2018, 09:24:55 am
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Morning all
I'm after some advice and help
From last year's hatching I've got way to many Cockerells and need to slaughter done, give some away.
I've never slaughtered a live bird so I am hopping that some close to the Staffordshire area might be able to help show me, I'm happy to pay for the time.
Also if anyone wants any please let me know.
Thanks
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I get mine shot.
Easier in my village to find someone with a gun than someone who can slaughter them properly.
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You get you chickens shot? Really?
Oh I thought only larger animals would get that kind of death.
I slaughter my own chickens and ducks using "killing cone" as well as rabbits.
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I'll have a look at a killing cone
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I went on a poultry dispatch course last year and we use the broomstick method. Look it up on YouTube. It work well and wasn't too difficult to do
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Broomstick method.
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I would use the broomstick method for ducks but find chickens heads come off too easily :/ or maybe I just have the strength of a bear :dunce:
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My OH shoots ours. I don't get involved, but he finds it 'less personal', less stressful, no flapping etc.
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You get you chickens shot? Really?
Oh I thought only larger animals would get that kind of death.
I slaughter my own chickens and ducks using "killing cone" as well as rabbits.
Where did you get the. One from and do you slit the throat?
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We use the. roomstick method after doing a course years ago.
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I had another smallholder show me how to do the broomstick method, skin and gut, best to do before you hatch but what's done is done.
Hopefully someone near you will be able to help or could try going on a course. Do you have a local smallholder group? You could join that and see if anyone could help?
Dans
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Where did you get the (co)ne from and do you slit the throat?
I found mine lying in a ditch at the side of the road. It's a nice orange colour :innocent: . I didn't get on with it in the end though - basically I just found broomstick method is far more consistent.
I would use the broomstick method for ducks but find chickens heads come off too easily
You only need to apply pressure until you feel the neck give, Clarebelle! That said, it's far better to go too far than not far enough!
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I had another smallholder show me how to do the broomstick method, skin and gut, best to do before you hatch but what's done is done.
Hopefully someone near you will be able to help or could try going on a course. Do you have a local smallholder group? You could join that and see if anyone could help?
Dans
not sure...ill contact some of the chicken breeders over this way and see if they offer any courses covering dispatching...
not sure if there are any groups over this way.
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I forgot to say but the birds are around 5.5 - 6 months old - would they be better used for long slow cooking?
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Looks like there was an active group there a few years back but doesn't seem to be active now.
Maybe add Staffordshire to the title of the post to attract the interest of people near you.
There's also a new Country Smallholders group on facebook, you could post on there to see if there is anyone local enough to show you how it's done.
As to the age it depends. Our first cockerels were 6 months old, we didn't hang them and they roasted up really nice. The next two batches were the same age, again not hung but really tough, they did slow roast ok though. If you're worried about toughness you could try hanging them after slaughter, if not then slow roast/cook to be sure.
Dans
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I forgot to say but the birds are around 5.5 - 6 months old - would they be better used for long slow cooking?
No, they'll be fine, but make sure to hang / rest them for 24h (can be plucked or skinned already) before jointing. Joint even a really young bird straight away and it's like leather.
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I've tried various methods, but I find the broomstick is the most consistently successful method, and is fairly swift. It's never easy though.
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Re neck breaking the quick old fashioned way .
Grab the chickens feet in one hand & their neck in the other , putting the neck about 2" behind the eyes between the middle & ring finger . Now put the neck across you knee as you stooping slightly and then stretch & twist the neck over your knuckles to break it by pushing your hands apart apart. You'll feel it break , keep hold of the feet till the bird stops flapping .. good for up to 50 or so birds in one go but it then starts to get physically tiring .
Re The broom stick method :-
An iron bar about 30 inches long is just as good , all you need to do is put the chickens neck under the middle of the bar & on a flat surface then . Stand on both ends at the same time no need to pull the chickens feet to separate the neck if your over six stone in weight . You might find it's useful to do this standing by a wall for support in case it's your first time & you get all emotional & queasy .
Once you've dispatched half a dozen chickens & eaten them it won't bother you even if they were former friends / pets .
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Re neck breaking the quick old fashioned way .
Grab the chickens feet in one hand & their neck in the other , putting the neck about 2" behind the eyes between the middle & ring finger . Now put the neck across you knee as you stooping slightly and then stretch & twist the neck over your knuckles to break it by pushing your hands apart apart. You'll feel it break , keep hold of the feet till the bird stops flapping .. good for up to 50 or so birds in one go but it then starts to get physically tiring .
Re The broom stick method :-
An iron bar about 30 inches long is just as good , all you need to do is put the chickens neck under the middle of the bar & on a flat surface then . Stand on both ends at the same time no need to pull the chickens feet to separate the neck if your over six stone in weight . You might find it's useful to do this standing by a wall for support in case it's your first time & you get all emotional & queasy .
Once you've dispatched half a dozen chickens & eaten them it won't bother you even if they were former friends / pets .
Great answer thanks - im sure once I've done a few I'll be fine....giving it a go this Friday evening.
Once they are dead I assume you slit the throat and let them bleed then pluck them?
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We have found that the time and effort for plucking a home-bred cockerel (Maran) is not justified for what you get once roasted.... so now we skin and take off legs and breast. Makes good curries and stews, and still provides a meal for family of four.
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Great answer thanks - im sure once I've done a few I'll be fine....giving it a go this Friday evening.
Once they are dead I assume you slit the throat and let them bleed then pluck them?
I don't know what others do but we would pluck then hang for a couple of days, then dress the carcass. We don't bleed them, the blood pools in the neck and gets cut off with the head.
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So I've just done my first one. Which wasn't too bad.
As I was looking over the bird I noticed it had a puncture wound. A dog got in the field last week (the owner came and told me) but it must have got this bird. Would it still be OK to eat or am I best to discard it?
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Might be better to discard that one, just in case!