[Fifitrix]

Hello everyone!  How ya all?

I feel like a right user and abuser, just popping in here when I need help but my work hours have increased and I barely have time to look after the chooks let alone get onto this site  :roll: .  Anyway, have missed you all  

So my lovely chicks .... one is now a beautiful boy.  Absolutely stunning, speckled sussex.

Last week he started fighting with the one of the other chicks who is turning into a boy!  And today he started to crow!

So living in suburbia as I do he needs to go  

I did wonder if we could try and auction him or something but am I right in thinking no-one would want a cockerel?  (He's very beautiful   :oops:  )

So the other option is killing and eating him.  I know to all of you who keep your chooks as pets that might sound harsh but since I got these birds I kind of wanted to the full circle thing.  I feel it's the right thing to do.  I've read Muntjac's very good post on Killing Chickens but he says you need to be confident that you can do it and it's not the killing it I have the problem with, I'm worried I'm not strong enough.  It's a big bird you know!  I'm not sure I've got the strenght to hold it AND pull it's head down.

What do you think?  Have you got any good tips?

H E L P  M E ! ! ! !  :?    :roll:

(I'll post a pic of the handsome chap soon)

[Tessh]

Personally I use a hand held dispatcher (if I have to do them myself I try to get the OH to do it if possible) as I'm just not big enough to pull the necks properly. You can normally get them on ebay for around £20. They are sort of like a pair of pliers.

[poultrygeist]

Hi Fifitrix. Long time no see.

Have you tried freecycle to give him away ?
Or even the swap shop on our very own forum ?

Failing that, I've only ever watched Grannieannie's Brian doing the deed and he's very practised at it.

Hope someone can advise.

Rob

[Fifitrix]

Have you tried freecycle to give him away ?
Or even the swap shop on our very own forum ?

Oh OK, thanks for that.  Will get looking.

Hope all's well Rob, how are the ducks?

Fifi

[poultrygeist]

Have you got a week to catch up ??  

The mallard thread ran to 80-odd pages and vember has the thread for Titch and Co running nicely.
She took the 3 white ducks since Titch would have been vulnerable.
The browns were released into the lake opposite and we haven't seen them since November. But hoping for ducklings this year.

Rob

[Fifitrix]

Aw hope they come back  

Here's my beatutiful boy.  Been away so long can't remember how to post photos.  Hope it works.

[poultrygeist]

He's a lovely lad.

Did he get caught under a painter's ladder ?  

Rob

[Fifitrix]

:shock:  Do you not know your Speckled Sussex' from your Caught Under a Painter's Ladders? :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  

[MontyTom]

Hi. He is a nice bird. I would have him if you lived nearer to me, seriously.

The good news - I was at market on saturday and I have never seen cockerels sell so well. One actually fetched £17. Normally they get like a pound or so, usually for the pot. With breeding season around the corner people are stocking up, no doubt, and he looks a bit too good to eat.

As for dispatching - get an air rifle and shoot point blank through back of head. No fuss, really easy. Beats dislocating neck any day! Do it at night when dark and face bird away from you. Very low stress for both parties. First pellet does it, clean kill.

All the best whatever you decide!

[Foxy]

You're not wrong Monty- Ive seen a lot of  wanted ads for cockerels

Fifitrix try advertising in www.pekinbantams.com someone may need one

[Kate and her Ducks]

Personally I use a hand held dispatcher (if I have to do them myself I try to get the OH to do it if possible) as I'm just not big enough to pull the necks properly. You can normally get them on ebay for around £20. They are sort of like a pair of pliers.

My Aunt has used these in the past and I have seen them around a bit but I did read a letter about them from DEFRA somewhere that said they are not recommended as they can be unreliable and cause suffering. Will try to find it.

Neck dislocation

Dislocating the neck of the bird may cause rupturing of the spine and concussion. When done correctly, this results in the bird losing consciousness immediately and irrecoverably. However, it is difficult to achieve concussion consistently using neck dislocation therefore this method is not suitable for routine commercial harvest. It may however be appropriate for small numbers of birds or for emergency killing. A humane alternative is electrical stunning followed immediately by neck dislocation. Methods that crush the neck (e.g. pliers) do not cause concussion and are therefore unlikely to cause painless or immediate loss of consciousness. Their use is therefore NOT recommended. It is important that a technician applying neck dislocation is mentally prepared to carry through the whole procedure. Practice on dead birds may improve the confidence in application of this method. The various means of achieving neck dislocation are detailed in the HSA publication, Practical Slaughter of Poultry A Guide for Small Producers 2nd Edition (pages 17-20).

The full article is here.

http://www.hsa.org.uk/Information/Slaughter/Poultry%20slaughter.htm

[Tessh]

Interesting I thought once your spine was crushed you lost all feeling, but like I said I get the OH to do the table birds by wringing their knecks. I keep the dispatchers for emergencies, that rare occasion when a bird does need to be culled ( like when the neighbours dog got in  :evil:  ) and the OH is away as I think its better to have something available that I can use if necessary.

Tess

[Fifitrix]

Well thank you for all your advice.  I really appreciate it.  I have now found someone who will do it for me and am going to get him to 'show me the ropes' so that I know and feel more confident for next time.

It's a shame, like you said, he's beautiful and might have made me a mint but I don't know how long my neighbours would put up with the noise whilst I looked for a buyer and besides we're actually around this weekend so need something for sunday lunch!  :shock:       I have told the kids that there will be an option of sausages too.   :shock:  :roll:

[MontyTom]

You could always advertise him 'free to good home' on the practical poultry website too. forgot to mention that.

Hope you get the hang of wringing neck. Don't get too stressed with the flapping, it's normal.

[Fifitrix]

Well thank you again for all your advice but now I'm starting to feel guilty about killing & eating him.  Please tell me it's ok!  Am I completely heartless?  Am I being cruel to my kids (they are not especially happy but they do accept it needs to be done).  Is it cruel to kill & eat a pet?  :roll: