Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ibicella 
Yeah, personally, I try to move calmly as I'm preparing and catching and just move swiftly and smoothly. It reduces stress on the chickens.
There is no really "nice" way to go through the process of dying. Not even animals (including humans) dying natural deaths usually get the idyllic "passing in their sleep" kind of peace we'd all like.
Personally, I've watched a lot of deaths, both animal and human, and frankly, I'd want a nice person to cut my head off.
I do this as well. Chickens are caught calmly and quietly off the roost the night before, trussed gently and get to lay in the deep bedding right in the coop with the rest of the flock. In the early morning, after the rest of the flock have vacated the coop to free range, those slated to die are gathered and dispatched with calm and quick efficiency. Any death is an ugly thing, but the manner and method go a long way toward making it more peaceful for all concerned. Even the one doing the deed.
I think that is another reason I prefer slitting the throats while the bird is cradled in a killing cone...no fast or violent motion involved, no sudden movements at all. Just a small and deliberate slice and the death. When there are many to kill, getting in the zone is easier when you have a sort of rhythm, little wasted motion and a quick process.