[shellroberts]

Hi Guys,
I hope this doesn't offend anyone.
I already have a few girls for eggs - yummy eggs and happy girls but was also wondering about raising chickens for meat. Does anyone know if there is a course which would teach me the correct way of culling and everything else that goes with it?
I'm keen on the idea that my egg girls are happy and 100% free range, so why not do the same for the dinner table.
Many thanks

[Stewart P]

Hi - not offended by your post.  We have a broody hen sitting on 6 hatching eggs and there's a good chance that any male chicks may grow up to face that destiny.

Culling is daunting and no end of sites will offer advice on the most humane method but I couldn't do it until shown how (i even took a very sick ex-batt to be put down by a vet at great expense because i didn't know how to cull). 

we went on a butchery course run by a lovely couple on a small-holding in Devon.  In between sessions on butchering half a pig I asked to be shown how to dispatch a chicken.  Very straightforward with a broom handle.  Plucking is straightforward, gutting however involves furtling around in very small bony orifices and trying to gouge out the slimy, squishy inards.  This is the most difficult bit especially if, like me,  you have a sensitive gag-reflex. 

There are courses you can find via Google but if you want to go the whole hog (no pun intended) I'd recommend this  weekend butchery course run by Simon and Debbie in Devon.  The course is very flexible and we took home half a pigs worth of meat and sausages as well as learning how to dispatch and prepare a chicken for the table.

[Aunt Sally]

One of our members (muntjac) wrote a good article.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=8581.0

[GrannieAnnie]

There are a few courses around, it depends a lot on where you live.  I know there is a lady who live down south, I think her name is Alison who travels around doing these courses, and I know some of our members say she is good, but the brain forgets things I'm afraid.

If we still had some chickens and you were near us, my partner is a licensed poultry slaughterman, and he would have shown you, but now we don't have the chickens, there's nothing to demonstrate on.  Sorry....

Found one, but he is in Wales

https://www.chicken-house.co.uk/green-valley-poultry-supplies/how-to-slaughter-chicken-training-course/