The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Q on July 24, 2015, 10:47:35 am
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I know that you are supposed to handle chickens quietly and calmly before culling but what if the bird doesnt 'come quietly'?
Should you continue with the cull or leave the bird to calm down & for how long?
My experience is that the bird becomes very wary and frets when you approach for weeks.
This happened to me recently when I managed to catch the wrong bird and then the one I wanted then took a few goes to catch after that - I wouldnt use the words calm or quiet for that one.
I do realise I should probably have waited rather than try to catch the second bird but by then It was already wary.
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I catch up any birds I intend to cull at night and put them in a strong cardboard box away from any other birds.
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I pen them with water but not food the night before and just chat to them in the normal way as I get hold of them then do the deed quickly and quietly.
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Thanks.
Doh - hadnt thought about separating them the night before. I do it in the morning before they eat though.
I usually cull them as they start crowing from the current hatch - usually amongst 5-6 birds which always winds up the rest of them.
I always take the unfortunate bird to a quiet corner out of sight of the others.
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Different coloured leg rings helps with identification and night time collection Q. Ours then go into a distant room in a covered cage and are despached before first light, which keeps them calm.
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Different coloured leg rings helps with identification and night time collection Q. Ours then go into a distant room in a covered cage and are despatched before first light, which keeps them calm.
What a sensible and considerate, and very thoughtful, method.
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I use an electric stunner (can't trust my wrists these days) put the "chosen few" in a dog crate covered over with a bit of dark cloth overnight and do the deed in the dimpsey of morning, before it gets light. Poultry not stressed, me not stressed beyond the usual and nobody around to say"Oooh! I couldn't do that :o" before going to Sainsbury to buy God knows how reared frozen chicken ::)
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yeah, usually get mine after they've roosted for the night and either do them then or keep them crated overnight and do first thing. Have my last two cockerel growers to do this weekend.