[gsc]

Very hot here in Egypt so middle of the day yesterday I was playing online trying to decide on the best method of despatching chicks and older birds.  (Well the heat is my excuse anyway - secretly I  can't wait to get back to my Incy )

This morning I suddenly thought about the grandkids who are really interested especially the older 2 who are 7 and 8.

I don't think we should hide the facts from them, Immy is especially bright and it would be difficult to hide that chicks had just 'gone' without concocting a whole fiction.

I think we have to tell them straight away but maybe not the details?  On the other hand I wouldn't be surprised if Luke doesn't ask how.

Would you change your method of despatch knowing this?

Not decided how yet anyway.  Hubby has said he will do the deed but I'm not sure if he's all talk yet.

[joyfull]

my two boys were bought up knowing that pork was pig, beef cow etc. My youngest went vegetariun when he was 7 as he decided if he couldn't kill the anilmal he didn't see why he should expect others to do it for him. He converted back to meat when he was 10 as he wanted bacon butties again. Children should know that meat doesn't get made at supermarkets. I didn't tell them about milk until they were a bit older as I believe milk is good for them and they didn't like soy milk. Goats milk and cows milk operates on the same way as egg production and culling cockerels at birth 

[gsc]

I must admit there are times when I've considered the ethics of becoming vegetarian but I suppose, like everyone else, I eat my favourite meat, lamb, without thinking too hard about where it came from - and that's having lambed about 300 plus sheep for a few years.

I suppose with children it's a question of what may be upsetting at too young an age.  We were worried when the childrens cat go run over but Luke wanted to see the body.  I think he was a bit young to have made a real attachment.  Maybe they are more resilient than we think some time.

I can recall many years ago when I worked at the RSPCA - I was 16 - and we had in hundreds of chicks that had been coloured blue, pink, green etc. to sell at easter.  We had to cull the ones that were injured or sick and the vet nurse just squashed the neck on the floor very efficiently, split second timing.

I think maybe by far the best if I can manage it.

Older is a bigger decision though.

[Wild Pony]

Mmmm, tough one.

You obviously know your children well enough to know how far to go with the info.
But keep it matter of fact, emphasise, if asked that they didn't suffer and the despatch was very quick (but do wash away the evidence, kids are cannier than any CSI). More than likely you'll be the one getting more het up about telling them, when all they'll give you is " oh right" and in the next breath ask whats for dinner they're starving.......leaving you with very soggy fireworks, loloolol
One other tip....never lie, you gotta have a good memory and little peeps will find you out and lose respect in you for doing so, especially as we keep on at them not to....just saying. 

[GrannieAnnie]

People who bring their children with them when they come here for chooks are divided into two camps.  Thos who want their children to knowwhere their dinner comes from and those who don't.

Next door neighbour won't bring their children round anymore to see the pretty little chicks in case I mention which ones are for eating!  My youngest daughter and Brian's youngest DIL don't want their children to know anything about it either, although our 13 year old granddaughter did pluck 1 feather when she was up here early in the year with her big sister who just said yuck! lol

Then there is the American chap who's 8 year old daughter was so interested in Brian gutting a chicken, she almost had her head inside the chicken asking him questions.  the American said to Brian, no, go ahead, explain it to her, I want them to know where their food comes from.

So it really is personal choice as to how much you tell them, and what their parents want.  Personally, Brian and I think children should be brought up to the realities just like we were in the 50's.  My Dad grew all our own veggies and when we had chicken for dinner, it was what Dad had grown and killed and Mum plucked and gutted

If I have to cull chicks, I do it similar to what you mentioned, only not on the floor, but over a harp edge like the side of the brooder ring, but for sick older chickens I prefer our wall mounted dispatcher.  Everything else Brian does with his electric stun gun.

[gsc]

Thanks all - I must admit if they ask and show interest I would certainly rather they know the facts, I know their mother is the same but I guess it really depends if you can handle the facts knowing you are going to carry on eating meat.

I think I prefer stunning for the older birds - is there a place where we can but one made for the job?

[joyfull]

the stunners are expensive and you need to know what you are doing to get the voltage right - Grannie Annie's Brian has been doing this for years so knows what setting for which type of bird.
For older birds I use a sharp axe but am thinking off going on a coarse to look at the broom handle method. Chicks I do the same as Annie and squish the neck over a sharp edge (after having had a disastrous time doing the necking method  ).

[GrannieAnnie]

Yes, Brian's stunner was £700+ !  But he's had a lot of use out of it in the 15 years he's had it.  I think the wall dispatcher would be better for you gsc, they sell them in Ascott's

http://www.ascott-dairy.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.ascott.biz%2f&WD=plucking%20machine&PN=Poultry_Processing_.html%23aPY109#aPY109

[gsc]

Gulp - £700 - yikes - hubby would disown me - I haven't told him about the second incubator yet.

The wall mounted dispatcher sounds a good idea but I have yet to get a wall 

We are still in discussions with the planners about what size shed, if any, we can put up.

Actually that might be a good selling point - they wouldn't want me dispatching and culling chickens in full view of the public footpath now would they  :blink: :happy:

[Tazzy]

So as my little Olive is now on her 7th day of sitting on a dozen eggs my question would be - how do you tell (and how soon) the sex of your new chicks? I'm prepared to deal with any cockerels but not sure how you go about it. I've read a couple of times in this post about using a sharp edge - is that to snap the neck or is it more gory than that. I would just want to be able to do it quickly and cleanly

[joyfull]

sexing chicks really depends on the breed, some such as silkies and araucanas can be terrible to sex (I bought one araucana as a hen and at 9 months it suddenly went through a growth spurt and started to crow and treat the hens  ), others you can tell at birth by their colouring and some at around 6 weeks.

[gsc]

I bought one araucana as a hen and at 9 months it suddenly went through a growth spurt and started to crow and treat the hens  )

mmm - guess I am landed with any Araucanas that hatch for quite a while then. :blink: