Rachel & Eli and Chase & Andrew all came over to help dispatch and process most of the cockerels. We butchered the 5 standard males (Red Sex Links or Leghorns?) that had been freebies and 6 of the bantams (2 Silkies, 2 Golden Sebrights, and 2 Red Pyles). I'm keeping the Cuckoo Maran that was supposed to be a pullet, the beautiful black and red Old English Game, the Black Japanese, and one of the Golden Sebright cockerels. They are just so cute that I wanted to keep a few around. There is one more Silkie that I'm unsure about, but s/he has been spared for now.
Eli got the honorary first kill, then Rachel and I split up the rest. The bantams were so small that they slid right through the cone, so she chopped their heads off. There was a moment when I laid out a bantam for her, holding its head still in one hand and the body in the other, and she raised the cleaver, and I had the thought that she might miss and take my fingers off. She didn't, of course, but I had a panicked moment as the bird spurted blood all over me, and.... she cut off the rest of their heads by herself while I helped Chase and Andrew with plucking. I'm not sure if that counts as passing or failing the trust fall.
From set up to clean up, everything was done in 3 hours, and we had a good time. We all went out for lunch together afterwards.
I'm pretty sure that once the current pullets are old enough to lay and be let out of their coop (and therefore have access to the other girls' layer feed), I will use the second coop to raise broilers. We all desire a mechanical plucker, though.
The keeper bantams were roosting in the tree that overhangs the chicken area last night. Before we started butchering, we chased them down in the run and clipped their wings. This evening they were back in the tree. Damn it.
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