Processing chickens by throat cutting

[Bryce Thomas]

I am going to be processing some chickens in about a week, and last time decapitation was super gory for me, I want to try something new. I hear that slitting the throat horizontally just above the bottom beak while holding their heads down vertically in a cone works very well. I'm alright with seeing blood, but seeing the roosters head come off and the body violently spasming was just too much for me.

Also one other question, do I have to stick the knife into the throat with the blade facing towards the ground like seen in B? Or do I just grab the chickens head and with the knife facing towards the birds neck and just slice into it? Also, how do I know when the stop? I hear im supposed to cut the veins and jugular but not touch the vertebrae. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks

 

[aart]

Make sure you knife is very sharp. I hold the head in my hand and pull the neck straight. Starting just under the ear where the skull meets the neck. Place the blade of the knife against the neck. With where the handle and the blade meet under the ear. With a slight down pressure, quickly draw the blade across the side of the neck from back to front. That will cut the veins and not remove the head.

This^^^

Convulsions are part of dying, it's going to happen no matter how you kill them.

Get the knife between the feathers as much as possible before going for the kill cut.
This blog shows very clearly where to cut:
http://ramblingredneckmom.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-process-chickens-at-home.html

 

[Silexian]

Make sure you knife is very sharp. I hold the head in my hand and pull the neck straight. Starting just under the ear where the skull meets the neck. Place the blade of the knife against the neck. With where the handle and the blade meet under the ear. With a slight down pressure, quickly draw the blade across the side of the neck from back to front. That will cut the veins and not remove the head. They will still have some convulsions, but not as bad as when the head is completely removed.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I use the broomstick method and I found it easier once I realized that the really STRONG spasms came from the birds where I'd gotten the fastest, cleanest, easiest kills.

If you think of it as a signal that the kill was fast and merciful it helps.

I do this as well. I hate the sight of my birds spasming after we break their necks, but the stronger spasms help me to know that it was quick and that they likely felt very little if anything. I don't like processing, but it helps to process it like "this was a clean one, I know how to do this now" instead of taking in how the body is currently behaving after the killing blow

 

[U_Stormcrow]

This^^^

Convulsions are part of dying, it's going to happen no matter how you kill them.

Get the knife between the feathers as much as possible before going for the kill cut.
This blog shows very clearly where to cut:
http://ramblingredneckmom.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-process-chickens-at-home.html

^^^ this.

Nevertheless, I still prefer to decapitate. To each their own.

 

[aart]

^^^ this.

Nevertheless, I still prefer to decapitate. To each their own.

I slit both sides of neck then hold head until they mostly stop twitching then take head off with pruner instead of wrecking my knife on bone.

 

[CNJ]

What do you do with the bucket of blood after processing?

I put a trash liner in my bucket, the blood turns into a gelatin. I put it with the guts. Then I double bag it and put it in my freezer. I take it out on rubbish pick up day.

 

[3KillerBs]

Convulsions are part of dying, it's going to happen no matter how you kill them.

This.

I use the broomstick method and I found it easier once I realized that the really STRONG spasms came from the birds where I'd gotten the fastest, cleanest, easiest kills.

If you think of it as a signal that the kill was fast and merciful it helps.

 

[aart]

Can you explain the broomstick method?

Unfortunately, it's easier demonstrated than explained.

Cervical Dislocation is shown in this video at about 1:00,

Click the 'Watch this video on YouTube'

it's the only CD video I've found that doesn't remove the head.

-Notice the slight divot in the ground under the stick and neck, this will keep the bird from being choked.

-Notice that she slowly stretches out the neck and legs before giving the short sharp jerk that breaks the neck close to the skull, this is key to success IMO.

I've found this technique to be very effective.

 

[trudyg]

My only comment to cutting the throat is to move the feathers out of the way, especially with a cock. They are so tough and, before I knew this, I ended up cutting a big hole in the skin and missed the jugular completely. Bird was watching me with a gaping hole in his throat. Not good.