discernable difference in meat quality or taste depending on dispaching method?

I have always slit throat, then we used the lops to remove head. We had problems with the cone and never had luck with it, they were either too big or they flopped out. We did use a large cone. We go to a processor now.

To tell if the killing method made any difference, the birds would have to be identical.  Raised the same way, fed the same, dispatched at the same time.....

It could be done as an experiment, if the birds were carefully marked then cooked exactly the same way at the same time for a taste test.

I chop with an ax.  Birds bleed out well.  Some flap so hard it dislocates wings.  I suspect a cone would help with the wing issue.

What I think makes a difference is keeping the birds calm.

No matter how you actually kill the bird, you still need to hang it and slit the throat and let it bleed out. We've slit throats, cut heads off, popped necks, no difference. You just need to let it bleed out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbbyDog 

Has anyone tried keeping the birds in the dark to calm them up to the point of going to the cone?

We did not do this.  We have handled the birds regularly - a weekly weigh-in to record growth patterns - walk amongst them 3x/day for feeding and water re-supplies - sit and watch/talk with them.  So they are VERY used to our presence and 'interference' into their daily routines of eating, growing, sleeping in the sun, sleeping in the shade, scratching, chasing bugs, etc. 

So for us to walk into the pen with the scale and the little plastic table it sits on (so we can read it easier!), set that stuff up, then start weighing them - that's completely 'normal' in their lives.  They're used to the scale, used to us being among them, used to this little trouble.  What was new - was after being weighed, some left the pen via the gate.  And didn't come back. 

Wasn't so bad when we were taking out the 'mean' roosters (leaving the 'nicer' ones for another session).  But they're now down to 1/2 the original flock, and they're getting nervous! 

My DH and I just processed 10 XC (first time for both of us)  Tried what we thought was a 'really' sharp blade with the first one.  Did not go as well as we would have liked.(wasn't BAD, just more traumatic to US than we would have liked:)  Got some disposable scalpels 3 days later to do the other 9.  Worked like a charm.  Our chickens were also used to us being in their space and handling them.  We processed ours at 8 weeks.  REALLY wish we had done it at 6 weeks.  They averaged 6-1/4 lbs.  Next batch we will control food amount and process sooner.  Live and Learn!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbbyDog 
Has anyone tried keeping the birds in the dark to calm them up to the point of going to the cone?

Our kids go collect birds and put them in 5gal buckets (with plenty of air holes of course).  The buckets sit in the shade until we are ready for more birds.  They are usually very calm this way though they are pretty calm even without the buckets.  The buckets just make it easier for the kids to load up eight or more at a time.