101 Ways to Kill

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Ok, please tell me how you "off" your birds to butcher, specifically chickens and turkeys. Quail with scissors is easy but the larger birds are more difficult. I keep thinking there has to be a better way...

 

[Weeg]

Sharp loppers for branches. Put them up side down in a cone, then, lop.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I like the broomstick method too. Less mess. Usually. Sometimes the head pops off

But I hold them upside down briefly to calm them or stun them or whatever so they don’t flap around too much and then lay them on the ground, put a pole or broomstick or whatever you have on their neck, stand on it, then pull up on their legs.

 

[Molpet]

Chickens and 6 month turkeys, I use PVC pipe cutter, with them in a cone. Older turkeys I use loppers.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use the hatchet and stump method.

 

[Ruthster55]

Sharp knife. Bucket beneath.

I have a slightly strange or humorous story about this.

When I was a little fatter, I would just sit in a chair, take the bird, massage under the wings for a moment, turn it upside down between my once-thunder thighs, and do the deed with the knife, draining into the bucket. Needed a firm stroke, but as long as my thighs held the stunned chicken, OK.

Moved abroad a few years ago. No HFCS and the overall diet is less fattening.

Tried doing the chair method a few months ago, and it did not work! Could not hold the chicken firmly enough to do the deed. Not weakness, but lack of grip.

Had to order a cone and mount it to a tree at around chest height.

Sharpen knife before, put chicken head down in cone, drain into bucket. Beware of cats.
.

I haven’t butchered a chicken for several months because I am happy with the flock the way it is, and after a personal tragedy, I just don’t feel like it.

I did send some mistakenly-purchased non-productive hens to Christmas dinner down the road, though. However they do it is their own business.....

 

[3KillerBs]

I've only used the broomstick. It wasn't difficult.

I am going to try the cone and sharp knife to see how it compares.

 

[RoosterML]

I like the broomstick method too. Less mess. Usually. Sometimes the head pops off

But I hold them upside down briefly to calm them or stun them or whatever so they don’t flap around too much and then lay them on the ground, put a pole or broomstick or whatever you have on their neck, stand on it, then pull up on their legs.

@KDOGG331 you should be doing those two things at the same time. Not standing then taking a sip of coffee then pulling on legs. Same time!

 

[RoosterML]

I've only used the broomstick. It wasn't difficult.

I am going to try the cone and sharp knife to see how it compares.

Broomstick is a much faster method for the bird.

 

[iwltfum]

I use the carotid artery cut. Right below the jaw bone and hanging upside down in a cone over a feed trough full of pine shavings. Me and 2 other people do 60-70 in a day a couple times a year that way. I think I'm reluctant to try any other method because we have a good system down. We can butcher that amount of birds at a rate of 3.5 minutes per bird so I know it can work quickly if you do it correctly - takes a bit of practice though. If only butchering a couple at a time, it could be worth it to try a few different methods to see which works best for you and then you know for next time.