Electric chicken stunner

I think for myself, a killing cone, a bleed immediately followed by pithing, might work best for me at first. I watched a video of a woman who slaughtered her chicken by placing the hen on her back in her lap, calming her and then quickly decapitated her by pulling off the head. It looked quite humane, but I think it would require more confidence and experience than I possess.
I'm thinking a somewhat automated killing device made affordable for the average backyard flock owner would find many takers. I was planning one years ago, just a restraining 'box' (vague use of the term there) that stops flapping, struggling, jumping etc, and something like a guillotine attached, in an enclosed segment so there's very little risk to the human.

I've pulled off chook heads before, if anything it's even quicker and more humane than chopping them off, far less messy too, and often there's absolutely no reaction from the chook. I think the blunt trauma injury to the spinal cord caused by an axe or knife blow produces all that flapping in many cases, but even chickens that die of old age or chronic illness tend to go into spasms and struggle and backflip too, so doubtless you couldn't eradicate it completely whatever your methods, short of sedative overdose. Restraining the animal would help.

Best wishes.
 
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I was thinking of processing my meat birds this year but I'm not sure if I can dispatch with a knife. I was watching a Gordon Ramsey show where his birds were stunned with a electric stunner then dispatched with a knife, I feel like it's more humane for the chicken...and probably a bit easier on me. Does anyone use a stunner, where do you get them, and is it even common practice here in the states? thanks for the info, ~Anthony
https://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/national-chicken-council-brief-on-stunning-of-chickens/
 
Ok, read the article. Basically, no. If you are comparing it to a conveyor line process where the birds throats are cut, stunning first is more humane.

For an at home situation, the article lists the MANY things you have to make sure of to get a proper stun. The chances of someone who processes 50 birds a year messing up a step (is the bird's head wet? Does the stun go right to the brain and nowhere else? Is the birds whole body grounded? Do you test voltage between every bird?, Etc) is HIGH and any mis-step can cause a lot of suffering. Basically it is only humane when done in a high-production environment that can automate the process, as compared to throat slitting alone.

The article discusses other methods of stunning, and specifically says a captive bolt to the skull causes instant death without suffering. Very few of us have a captive bolt gun, but a pellet gun or hammer have the same effect.
 

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