[Caralou]

I would strongly recommend anyone thinking of dispatching chooks to attend an appropriate course and I would recommend the Kill Pluck Gut & Bone course run by Alison at Hook Farm in Hampshire.

THe courses sell out quite quickly but are well worth it and (dare I say) a lot of fun!

www.chickenkeeper.co.uk

Check out this thread I started about the course a few months ago

I'm in total agreement, excellent course and shows you just how to do the deed and then how to prepare the bird as well. Very informative and worth attending.

[muntjac]

seem to remember doing an article on this subject

[Aunt Sally]

seem to remember doing an article on this subject

You have indeed Munty and excellent it is !

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

[Aunt Sally]

Have you still got all your fingers ? 

Just the middle one left

Second public warning

[Caralou]

seem to remember doing an article on this subject

A very informative article, but nothing is as good as being shown and taught first hand to avoid mistakes  .

[Hensington]

Have you still got all your fingers ? 

Just the middle one left

Second public warning

aww come on twas just a joke, an ice breaker... I'm getting the impression that a sense of humour is not de rigeur around ehre:) I'll keep it more serious in future.

[Aunt Sally]

No ice to break around here Hensington.

... and we do like funny things 

[Hensington]

If it offended I'm sorry, thats a genuine apology as it really wasn't intended to upset or offend.

[Aunt Sally]

If it offended I'm sorry, thats a genuine apology as it really wasn't intended to upset or offend.

Apology accepted

[North Devon Dumpling]

seem to remember doing an article on this subject

You have indeed Munty and excellent it is !

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

Sadly the pictures on this item that Munty did don't work anymore, can you refresh it.  We really have got to learn to do this properly (have done the broomstick method but have reservations about it for some reason).  Sadly Hook is too far away from us, anyone know anyone who does chicken dispatching courses (just that bit not the plucking etc, I can do this) in the Holsworthy/Okehampton/Bude/Bideford area?

[Sassy]

seem to remember doing an article on this subject

You have indeed Munty and excellent it is !

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

Sadly the pictures on this item that Munty did don't work anymore, can you refresh it.  We really have got to learn to do this properly (have done the broomstick method but have reservations about it for some reason).  Sadly Hook is too far away from us, anyone know anyone who does chicken dispatching courses (just that bit not the plucking etc, I can do this) in the Holsworthy/Okehampton/Bude/Bideford area?

There are usually loads of courses offered in your area. I have gone back through my Country  Smallholding magazine but could not find the article I want. You could try emailing  the Yarner Trust. I think it may be them that do a course where there are chickens that are already dead to practice on, this is good as you know you cannot hurt them (they have been dispatched a different way leaving their neck intact). Their email is info@yarnertrust.org or call 01288 331692 they have a web site as well. If I have it wrong I am sure they will be able to point you in the right direction.

I'm really jealous because I would love to live near enough to be able to do the course

Good luck

[North Devon Dumpling]

Thanks Sassy, I had a look at the Yarner trust but they don't seem to do anything along these lines specifically.  There is a course that is run very close to us which is about preparing meat birds (so of course has the dispatching bit first), I don't want to do the plucking and dressing bit but I might give them a ring to see if I could come along for the first day which is the dispatching bit.

After I wrote my post we decided that we had to do the deed and OH managed very well, but I think I would still like to see it done by a 'professional'.

[SkipRat]

Just watched "Gourmet Farmer" on Sky and two woman were showing a bloke how to dispatch chickens, they used a home made Killing Cone, it seemed very easy and effective to do.....

[ManicMum]

It depends if you & the kids think of him & the girls as "family" or "farming" (do you use "him" or "it"?) - it would be a shame to do the deed and spend the time preparing and cooking him only to find none of you fancied him!!

He's very beautiful - worth trying to find a home first, surely, as it appears people are currently looking for breeding cockerels

[joyfull]

Mine are pets (all have names) but if you breed your own chickens you will usually get more than 50% cockerels in each hatching. Rehoming spare cockerels is very difficult so  culling is the only way. I will eat my boys however OH won't - he is fine eating anybody elses birds but not ours so next time I will have to cull pluck and gut where he can't see them and then serve the meat up