Dispatch roosters.

[Camile]

HI everyone,

I've been given 3 Rhode Island Roosters on Friday .. one of them is gorgeous so will keep him as a breeder for the table birds.

And the two of them I intend to eat them .. but .. you have to cull them first.

So how would you personnaly do it ? in the most human way possible for the animals. So less stress and suffering. And giving the pros and cons.

I was thinking of "hypnotizing" them first ... and then do the bad deed .. because I'm a softy but can't take any longer the "pre-packed pre-cut chicken" from the shop ...

Also, what hens would you recommend to breed with a lovely Rhode Island Rooster in order to have a good table bird ?

Thanks,
Camile

[Martin]

The classic cross for a Rhode Island Red was with a light Sussex - it gives an excellent "dual purpose" bird - egg laying ability, and the cockerels eat well! 8)

[Shirley]

You can do it by hand or use a despatcher... I haven't tried myself but David did it by hand on a couple of ours and now wants to get a despatcher..... (stoney/other Aberdeenshire folk - do you have one??)

http://www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk/sundries1.html - you might be best off with a wallmounted one for larger birds.

http://www.ascott.biz/item315.htm

[Stonehead]

You can do it by hand or use a despatcher... I haven't tried myself but David did it by hand on a couple of ours and now wants to get a despatcher..... (stoney/other Aberdeenshire folk - do you have one??)

http://www.domesticfowltrust.co.uk/sundries1.html - you might be best off with a wallmounted one for larger birds.

http://www.ascott.biz/item315.htm

I usually use a hatchet but I do have a lot of practice. I hold the bird by the legs with one gloved hand and hold the hatchet in the other (ungloved, so you don't slip). With one movement, I flick the chicken so it's on its side with its head resting on the chopping block and at the right moment (when the neck is at full stretch), chop! Downsides are blood, wingflapping and a lack of skill can be horrible, if not dangerous. Upside is that it's very quick, the head is off and you can hang the bird from a piece of wire immediately and drain the blood out very quickly.

For sick birds, I either wring their neck (for small ones) or use a humane dispatcher (large adults). Make sure you have the right sized dispatcher for your bird (some are adjustable) and if you're using a hand-held one, make sure you have sufficient hand strength to do it fast and clean. You can use these methods for killing eating birds, but you must cut through the neck (not necessarily removing the head) and drain the bird of blood immediately.

Another method - but I don't have the equipment at the moment - is to use a large cone of metal. Drop the chicken in head first so its head sticks out the bottom, then use a sharp knife to stab through the beak into the brain. No wing flapping, no struggling and quick draining of blood. However, it does take practice to get the knife strike right.

One thing that is an absolute must - do not kill a bird within sight, sound or smell of the rest of your flock. Take the bird to your killing area, and do it quick and clean. If you're doing another bird, remove the carcass of the first one; bring the next one through with its head covered, and again do it quick and clean.

Stonehead

[2steps]

I have been thinking about this as I would like to raise some table birds too. I don't feel very confident about doing it my hand. I know how to, I'm just worried about making a mistake A friend of mine suggested shooting them but I'm not to keen on owning a gun either...
I have read many times about a method using a broomstick to break the birds neck - you lay the bird down and place the broomstick over its neck holding it with you feet and then sharply pull the bird up. Sorry, thats not a great descripition

[Camile]

Cool ..

Thanks for that ... I'm still wonderring what methods would be best for me ..

Do you think hypnotizing the bird (head under the wing and shake gently) would help at all ?

Because then I can use a hatchet or dispatcher to do the bad deed ... and the birds shouldn't be struggling, and won't see anything coming .. what do you think ? But I just don't want to do any mistake because otherwise the poor thing will suffer ... wich I don't want ..

And for the breeding .. so Rhode Island Rooster + Light Sussex Hen seems to be a good combination .. is there anything else as well ? to get good table birds ? because I'm thinking about getting the rooster 2-3 hens .. so different breed might be worth it ...

Thanks again ..
Camile

[Muddypause]

Well, that's another method of hypnotising chickens that I've heard of (actually, I think 'mesmerising' would be a more suitable word, wouldn't it?). The other two I've heard of are

• 1) Draw a chalk line from left to right, pick chick up and hold it so that it is looking at one end of the line, and then move it slowly, still looking, to the other end
  
  2) Hold chick so that beak touches ground, draw line straight ahead of it, starting at beak and going away from it.

No idea if any of them work - only saying what I've heard.

[Wombat]

I've heard of No2 but not tried it. (Mesmerising chooks............ Anton Mesmer would be so proud!)

Nev

[Aberlemno]

My husband used to "do the deed" just as Stonehead described, when we had surplus cockerels. Messy, but instant.

[Camile]

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would let you know that we despatched the 2 roosters on Saturday.

It all went well and they weren't moving of flapping within 30 sec.

We attached them by the back legs against the wall .. then I stunned them with a metal bar .. and then it was the knife through the "mouth" to let them bleed.

I was really stressed out before doing it .. but some locally made (from my village in France) plum alcohol from 1988 helped a lot for that.

I will now enjoy one of them tonight stew in cream and veggies (poule au pot as we call it) ... and the other one is going for a Coq au vin.

They are 2,4 and 2,8 Kg .. so not bad .. organicaly growned and there wasn't a sign a decease or any worms or nothing ... so I'm glad it all went well ...

I'm actually looking forward to the next one .. who will be a roasting bird ! yummie !

Camile

[ina]

I was really stressed out before doing it .. but some locally made (from my village in France) plum alcohol from 1988 helped a lot for that.

I love that! How to despatch a rooster: With a large drink...

Well done, anyway. (I probably would have needed a whole bottle! )

[Millymollymandy]

I'm glad you managed that Camile, I know you were not sure about being able to do it a while ago. I know I couldn't but I wish I could!

[maggie144]

hi there

Never dispatched chickens before, although i have to learn cos i intend to dispatch some of my muscovy ducks, for the freezer.

Bit of a softy me so any advice on how to do it would be appreciated. or should i get someone else to do it for me.

any offers!! haha

[Camile]

Hi Maggie,

I'm more than a softy myself .. but still managed to do it ..

The best thing is to get someone that has experience to show you .. and it's actually not that hard ..

It's more heartbreaking than anything .. but SOOOO tasty !

Camile

[werain]

My hubby has tried all ways to dispatch first rung the neck..didn't like that so next time chopped the head right off....yak so now he shoots in the head.
The cone sounds ok ....daft silly question though will a road cone be ok you know the type i'm on about them red and white things that seem to have put up camp on our roads.
Tracy