How do you cull chickens?

[Dragonfly Farm]

So I have to put one of my hens down. I been prolonging it. I have an empty milk jug. Gonna hang her upside down so she goes to sleep and cull.

Here is the thing- I have never done it before. I was curious if there is a video on it?
We did a neck pull on an injured chicken. My husband said that was very hard to do and she didn’t go the first time. I did watch a video on that.

I might have to go find a farmer and ask them to do it- sigh.
I guess I will put on my big girl boots and figure this out. I don’t want the hen to suffer anymore- she has a bad leg- nests on the floor and walking is hard for her. She is in pain for sure- we call her gimpy. She has been this way for awhile but lately it has progressed. It is time.
The cold will just make her aches worst.

If you know of a video on this? I tried YouTube. And they skip the deed. Do I use an ax or knife and sorry if I being blunt. I will probably cry my eyes out after this.

 

[Dragonfly Farm]

So I have to put one of my hens down. I been prolonging it. I have an empty milk jug. Gonna hang her upside down so she goes to sleep and cull.

Here is the thing- I have never done it before. I was curious if there is a video on it?
We did a neck pull on an injured chicken. My husband said that was very hard to do and she didn’t go the first time. I did watch a video on that.

I might have to go find a farmer and ask them to do it- sigh.
I guess I will put on my big girl boots and figure this out. I don’t want the hen to suffer anymore- she has a bad leg- nests on the floor and walking is hard for her. She is in pain for sure- we call her gimpy. She has been this way for awhile but lately it has progressed. It is time.
The cold will just make her aches worst.

If you know of a video on this? I tried YouTube. And they skip the deed. Do I use an ax or knife and sorry if I being blunt. I will probably cry my eyes out after this.

I can’t possibly tell you except that I took my 15 year old Buff Orp to my vet for euthanasia. They gave Pat the death jab and let me sit with her in the clinic’s break room till she died. She sat in my lap, making tiny chicken cooing sounds for 1/2 hour. I sat and wept. Very peaceful, no stress on either of us. Good luck. I can’t imagine doing it myself (which is probably why Beakie is still alive and gobbling home made smoothies 2xday)

 

[raingarden]

Hold the chicken like you would a two-handed hammer and whack her head against a post or table a few times. At that point she will be either unconscious or dead. You can finish her off without further drama or excitement.

 

[KimberJoy]

So I have to put one of my hens down. I been prolonging it. I have an empty milk jug. Gonna hang her upside down so she goes to sleep and cull.

Here is the thing- I have never done it before. I was curious if there is a video on it?
We did a neck pull on an injured chicken. My husband said that was very hard to do and she didn’t go the first time. I did watch a video on that.

I might have to go find a farmer and ask them to do it- sigh.
I guess I will put on my big girl boots and figure this out. I don’t want the hen to suffer anymore- she has a bad leg- nests on the floor and walking is hard for her. She is in pain for sure- we call her gimpy. She has been this way for awhile but lately it has progressed. It is time.
The cold will just make her aches worst.

If you know of a video on this? I tried YouTube. And they skip the deed. Do I use an ax or knife and sorry if I being blunt. I will probably cry my eyes out after this.

Sweetie your going to need your Big Girl britches and yes hang her upside and when she is calm quickly place her on a stump or cutting surface and then yes use the ax and not softly or she will suffer. Otherwise go ask your farmer neighbor. Other solution is take her to the vet and have them put her down.

 

[3KillerBs]

I’m surprised that this method hasn’t come up. I use ether (sold as carburetor cleaner). I hold the chicken and stroke her, while holding a cloth with the ether over her peak. She quickly ”goes to sleep”.

That wouldn't allow a person to harvest the meat and make full use of the bird but might do for a pet bird or a sick one that couldn't be eaten.

This bird seems to be flapping a hell of a lot longer than a bird whose head was cleanly cut off.

It's just a nerve reaction. When I broomstick a bird and there's a fist-width gap in the spine the bird is certainly dead. The vigorous flapping is actually my signal that it was a quick, clean kill because the ones that don't go so well don't flap as much.

My apologies if this is a dumb questions, but why not take her to the vet to be humanely euthanized?

It's expensive and not all vets do chickens.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

If you haven't already done the cull, I find the hatchet on a chopping block the easiest. Get your block and axe ready. I am assuming your axe is already sharp. Hold her to yourself and speak calmly. Holding her upside down, she will trance calmly. Set her head on the block...say a little prayer for peace and chop the head off with one hard, firm chop. The axe should stay in the block from the force and hold the hen steady with both hands on the ground. She will try to flap and struggle. It is normal. Nerves releasing death. She is gone and out of pain. These movements are not felt by her. Blessings you can give her peace. Prayers sent your way.

I haven’t done it yet- Augh!
I would like to harvest the meat.
Also don’t know if I should because she has white poo on her but, maybe because she doesn’t roost. Idk.
I would like to get knowledge on this.
Torn between hatchet and broomstick.
Getting home now- so we will try to this.
All of my hens have slowed down in egg production 2.5 to 3.5 years old.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I use a kill cone and a clever

 

[Chachechee]

This is a very sad discussion in a way that many will not understand. This is in addition to how we all feel for the person (BigBlueFrog) who felt saddened for a suffering chicken, and then feeling inadequate to deal with killing it. The real sadness is that it indicates the state of mind that comes from being so long and so far from the farm. By that I mean, there is now a generation that simply has the relationship between humans and live food sources so far removed from what existed for literally thousands of years to be from the viewpoint of someone still from the "farm" as pitiful.
Not that there is any fault implied, not that genuinely caring for one's animals isn't to be admired, and not that there is really anything that can be done about it.
Example: It's Sunday and family is gathering at Grandma's for dinner. She chooses to prepare, and serve her highly praised fried chicken with the turnip greens and corn-on-the-cob that everyone loves. As soon as she gets home from church she goes out to the chicken yard grabs a fat broiler by the neck, and as deftly as she and all the generations before her did, wrings its neck and while the bird is expiring grabs another until she has the makings of the dinner that is only an hour away.
Imagine showing this person, perhaps an hour or two later in the afternoon, this thread. Can you see in your mind's eye the expression of almost disgust on her face? She will probably feel sorry for and understand the "city girl's" position as she is, after all, a grandma. But, like this writer, she will also probably feel the loss of when life was simpler, the methods of food procurement, and the right relationship between human and animals was considered normal.
We've lost so much.

(The lamentations of a very, very old person who rejoices in having lived when America was great.)

 

[Bigbluefrog]

I use a kill cone and a clever

So the deed is done. No tears. It was time.
We were going to use the cone but my husband brought me a knife and a wood ax .
I didn’t like the tools we had so the broomstick method was used. It was quick and effective. Was surprised the head did come off. So I know she was gone and the body was running around quite a bit. I looked at my husband and said I know she is dead but this is weird.

Before the culling, I held her in my arms and talked to her. Gimpy, you been a good egg layer…. I thank you for giving us food and laughter. The last few weeks have been hard on you- and we walked through the yard and then my husband I took care of her.
For the tender hearts - don’t read on- after she was gone I wanted to see the anatomy. Her crop was hard and full of grain not sure if that is normal. It was pretty hard.
Gonna have to check on the other girls now- sigh.
I didn’t find any eggs whatsoever inside her and we were pretty thorough. Took the breast meat and part of legs. Cooking for stew. Idk if I will eat it or not.
Just didn’t seem right to just bury her.
Thanks again for all the support.
Gonna say the broomstick was pretty simple.
Big girl boots are outside- gonna have some wine. Being a tough farmer gal has taken its toll.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

So the deed is done. No tears. It was time.
We were going to use the cone but my husband brought me a knife and a wood ax .
I didn’t like the tools we had so the broomstick method was used. It was quick and effective. Was surprised the head did come off. So I know she was gone and the body was running around quite a bit. I looked at my husband and said I know she is dead but this is weird.

Before the culling, I held her in my arms and talked to her. Gimpy, you been a good egg layer…. I thank you for giving us food and laughter. The last few weeks have been hard on you- and we walked through the yard and then my husband I took care of her.
For the tender hearts - don’t read on- after she was gone I wanted to see the anatomy. Her crop was hard and full of grain not sure if that is normal. It was pretty hard.
Gonna have to check on the other girls now- sigh.
I didn’t find any eggs whatsoever inside her and we were pretty thorough. Took the breast meat and part of legs. Cooking for stew. Idk if I will eat it or not.
Just didn’t seem right to just bury her.
Thanks again for all the support.
Gonna say the broomstick was pretty simple.
Big girl boots are outside- gonna have some wine. Being a tough farmer gal has taken its toll.

This is a very sad discussion in a way that many will not understand. This is in addition to how we all feel for the person (BigBlueFrog) who felt saddened for a suffering chicken, and then feeling inadequate to deal with killing it. The real sadness is that it indicates the state of mind that comes from being so long and so far from the farm. By that I mean, there is now a generation that simply has the relationship between humans and live food sources so far removed from what existed for literally thousands of years to be from the viewpoint of someone still from the "farm" as pitiful.
Not that there is any fault implied, not that genuinely caring for one's animals isn't to be admired, and not that there is really anything that can be done about it.
Example: It's Sunday and family is gathering at Grandma's for dinner. She chooses to prepare, and serve her highly praised fried chicken with the turnip greens and corn-on-the-cob that everyone loves. As soon as she gets home from church she goes out to the chicken yard grabs a fat broiler by the neck, and as deftly as she and all the generations before her did, wrings its neck and while the bird is expiring grabs another until she has the makings of the dinner that is only an hour away.
Imagine showing this person, perhaps an hour or two later in the afternoon, this thread. Can you see in your mind's eye the expression of almost disgust on her face? She will probably feel sorry for and understand the "city girl's" position as she is, after all, a grandma. But, like this writer, she will also probably feel the loss of when life was simpler, the methods of food procurement, and the right relationship between human and animals was considered normal.
We've lost so much.

(The lamentations of a very, very old person who rejoices in having lived when America was great.)

I have a photo of my grandma with a freshly plucked chicken in her hands for dinner. She had 15 mouths to feed and times were tough.
I admire her strength - chickens were their main food source during the depression era.
The reason people have broilers is because they know the animals are well cared for. And most farmers are very humane with their livestock.
I grew up in the city but now we are surrounded by farmers and hunters and with tough times coming- yes we all know it is coming… I been trying to learn as much as I can. I am willing to learn. Thank you for your insight.