Helping small farm to process chickens - what to expect? (Update #19) - Page 2

[heathenmom]

We did a similar thing ... heard that a local farm was processing some chickens and offered our completely inexperienced services. They were VERY gracious, and very, VERY helpful. We'll be processing our own birds before too long and I'm so much more comfortable with the process now. I was really surprised at how not-grossed out I was by the whole thing. Instead, I was really proud of learning a new skill, and I'm grateful that we now have the knowledge to humanely butcher our chickens when the time comes (that was a HUGE hang-up of mine ... that I'd freak out and cause them more pain than absolutely necessary).

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by Chicky2

I'm glad you posted about this. And I'm glad you weren't traumatized. I don't think it's traumatizing if done correctly. But I *have* seen it done incorrectly, by my neighbor, and it was awful. It was the goat he butchered for our July 4 party. Must have been really bad karma in that goat because my MIL choked on a piece of it and died at our party.

OH my goodness.

[FarmerCathy]

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_a_chi...s_it_feel_pain

It's says they die after 3-4 seconds. The movement you see is the nervous system.

[heathenmom]

Originally Posted by Chicky2

I'm glad you posted about this. And I'm glad you weren't traumatized. I don't think it's traumatizing if done correctly. But I *have* seen it done incorrectly, by my neighbor, and it was awful. It was the goat he butchered for our July 4 party. Must have been really bad karma in that goat because my MIL choked on a piece of it and died at our party.

That's HORRIBLE! I'm so sorry for your loss.

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_a_chi...s_it_feel_pain

It's says they die after 3-4 seconds. The movement you see is the nervous system.

<shrug> I can't argue that they are in agony any more than someone else can argue that their execution is painless. I've never been a chicken, and I've never had my throat cut open either as a chicken or a human.

I do, however, think that people are good at convincing themselves of whatever they want or need to think to do something. Witness all the people who say that circumcision of a newborn doesn't hurt, "most just sleep through it."

I'm not making any arguments against meat or chicken slaughter here, I am a former vegetarian who eats meat and is still eating meat after seeing what I saw. I was able to watch it up close and I was ok with it. But I just don't have any need to pretend it was painless for the chicken.

What I needed to see was that the slaughter was mindful and respectful - and not torture, like for example when a machine screws up the cut and then dumps a live chicken into the scalder. I guess it happens all the time, and after all that tortured life and even more tortured death, the carcass just gets tossed as a loss (because it wasn't properly bled out and thus can't be sold for meat). A total waste, and it's just not ok. I didn't see anything like that. I did see death, though, and it's something everyone should look in the eye I think. "Instant, painless" death is probably mostly a myth, but that's ok as long as it wasn't inhumane. (I know v*gans would say that any death caused by a human is inhumane, and I respect that as well - I have my own definitions of inhumane).

[wallabi]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. We are planning our flock right now, and the planning and overseeing of the turning of the chickens into meat will be my responsibility - the processing part is daunting, but necessary. Reading what you folks have written is encouraging, so, thanks!

[mumm]

Interesting reading here.

A few weeks ago I spent afew hours processing at an MPPU. I was the one cutting off necks, taking out heart, gizzards, liver, lungs, etc and making sure the vent was cut off, etc. I did fine for a few hours but as more chickens were processed (I think we did about 450 birds) the smell, combined with the rising temps and my lowering blood sugard made me lose my breakfast. I went back and did a few more birds but my heart wasn't in it and I quit. I could have stuck with it but honestly, why? I was volunteering and I wasn't really needed. (Heck, they are a for profit company...)

My thoughts since then- I haven't eaten any meat and have trouble holding and petting my own chickens. I have been eating their eggs though. I smelt raw freshly dead chickens for several days even though I did a very, very intense showering when I got home.

You do get splattered with gore during the process. Just when spraying down your work space between birds your get leftover gunk spraying around.

I do think humans are meantto consume other animals and I'm sure I will again some day.


note- bad typing due to this being my first time using a laptop. flat keys are hard, and I'm not even nak! CAN'T control the touchpad well. duh...