We have 23 hens and 5 roosters, and we want to get rid of four of the males. (The gals are really taking a beating from these guys.) Fortunately there is a packing plant nearby that will do the slaughtering work for us cheaply, but I'm wondering if they'll taste any good since they've been eating Layena along with the rest of the flock. Should we separate them out and feed them some Meat Builder for a few weeks before sending them off to that Great Free Range in the Sky? Or does it matter with roosters, since by definition they aren't layers anyway?
They don't need a thing extra--probably would just add fat. CJR
I wouldn't send them out for slaughter. All you need is a sharp ax and a block of wood. Heat about 5 gallons of water on the stove to a good rolling boil and head out o the shed. If you drive two nails 3 inches long into the large block of wood about 1-1/2 inches apart. Leave enough sticking up to hold the chickens neck. After you catch the rooster, grab the wings and fold down tot he feet if possible. While holding the wings and feet in one hand, place the head betwen the nails and pull back slightly to hold the head in place. Make sure you positioned the nails toward the outside of the block to give you room for the neck to stretch out. (Either you can take the ax if your well balanced and do not want ot lose a finger or you can have an extra helper assist.) Now take the ax and severe the head from the chicken in one good blow. (Don't be light handed at this point.) Have an old 5 gallon bucket ready and stick the bird neck first into the bucket ...fast. The blood will drain and the bird will not be able to flop you or spray blood around.(The alternative is to turn them loose and let them run.)
Dear Goosemaster,
By Cjeanr on Sunday, January 28, 2001 - 03:13 am:
By Goosemaster_va on Friday, February 16, 2001 - 09:36 pm:
After about 1 minute set the bird aside and continue until you have slaughtered all the birds you can pluck in 30 minutes. This would be about 5 birds per session before the water gets to cold to scald the birds.
Place the boiling water in a clean 5 gallon bucket and dunk the bird into the hot water while holding the feet. Hold the bird under for about 30 seconds. Pull out and check the wing feathers witha good tug. If they coem out easily, remove the bird. Do not over scald the bird. Pluck fast and furiously. Take big hands full of feathers and the job will be over very soon. After plucking all is left is to remove the entrails. Take a very sharp knife and below the vent make a cut horizontially and around the vent. take care not to puncture the entrails inside.
Continue to remove the entrails and pull the feed tube from the throat through the opening in the back side. At the craw, make a cut and remove the craw and contents. Reach into the bird and remove the lungs from the ribs. The ribs will hold the lungs and they will not fall out. Rinse the bird ant your done.
This may sound complicated, but it's not. I took a city slicker green horn form Fairfax, Va. and in 1 hour and 45 minutes we had 16 5 lb. birds slaughtered and in the freezer.
Good luck
From,
Hay seed redneck and damn proud of it. Good Day!!
By Momofour on Saturday, February 24, 2001 - 11:15 pm:
Thanks for the detailed instructions! It's especially good to know that a city slicker can master this task. At this point we'll probably head out to the locker plant because we have four young children who are very upset at the idea of killing our roosters. (According to the kids, if meat and poultry comes on a yellow foam tray from the store, THAT's okay because somebody else did the killing. I guess this means that contract killing isn't really murder. Go figure.)So for the sake of family peace, we'll go with the hired gun for now, but the children will need a good dose of reality within a year or two! :-)
From Momofour