Lesson One

This morning I had a good think about culling the cockerels and finally felt at peace with my decision to proceed. However as I know I am ever so slightly emotionally attached to the beautiful black male, I removed him from the shed early this morning and replaced him into the field. I am resolved to find him a new home, I think he is just too handsome to be killed and eaten.
The three males I finally picked are only a few months old, one buff, one large white sussex and a mongrel hybrid, and all three had been kept comfortable and quiet in the shed overnight.
Chris tried to wind me up this morning by intermittently whispering "chicken killer" when he ambled through the cottage,,.....I found it strange that in the film Julie & Julia last night, Amy Adams' character was tormented by her husband when she was try to kill a lobster, by whispering over and over again "Lobster killer!!!!"

Bill called down on time and immediately put me at ease with his relaxed professional approach to the culling. He used all of those techniques I employed in spinal injuries to coach inexperienced staff through stressful situations, and the whole "event" went ahead in a systematic and incredibly calm way.

Each cockerel was gently removed from the shed, and held until it relaxed. Then with a precise pull the cervical vertebrae was dislocated and after a few seconds flapping the bird was dead. It was as quick and as clean as that.

I placed the birds into a bucket of very hot water for a few seconds to relax the bird's muscles and then quickly plucked the feathers off before hanging it up . Bill explained that the birds would bleed into their necks and head and he would return tomorrow to teach me how to prepare the carcasses professionally before we can freeze them.

So that was it! within half an hour all three birds had been killed humanely, they had been plucked and hung and no longer resembled those pretty "boys" I was trying not to look at too closely this morning and I felt totally ok with it all. The trick is, I guess not to get attached to the birds I know I will have to kill...I made that mistake with the black cockerel, who I think deserves now to be named..........

I will call him Bill I think...