A question regarding killing your birds...

[picklespickles]

my gma shot hers in the head. her dad was a wringer. i'm a neck snapper. find what works for you for whatever reason and go with it.

 

[mizauntcathy'shenhouse]

I'll have to try the road cone idea. I usually hold the chicken between my knees, grab the neck, cut and drop it into a 5 gallon bucket...this keeps it from flopping all over the yard and catches most of the blood.

 

[Miltonchix]

I just finished butchering 4 about an hour ago.
I will ALWAYS hang them by the feet and using a SHARP knife cut their throat. Less flapping and flopping and they bleed out nicely. Basically, they go to sleep and only know they're dead when they can really fly again.

 

[lostsoulhelpmejebus]

Quote:
I inherited a bizarre object...a waist tall metal stand that has cutouts for 6 metal cones ( the cones are metal but look like a safety cone with the tip cut off). My cousin explained that you insert the chicken headfirst into the cone...place the cone into the table...then slit the chickens throat with a bucket beneath them and bleed it out. I had been using the wood block with 2 nails and making dh do the deed...once dispatched I take care of the rest of the job; just can't do the offing. Not sure if I can cut the head off or slit the throat.

Can I ask for your technique for neck snapping? Father-in-law has explained how he used to do it when a young man but not enough detail I guess

 

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
Depending on where you live there may be ordinances about firing a gun. Nobody wants to get fined for dispatching a chicken.

I found a good video showing the modified "broom stick" method.

(viewer warning!)

I've done the "axe" method, it worked ok but next time around I think I'll try either the throat slit or the modified broom stick.

 

[the1much]

last time i did,,, i TRIED to slit its throat :| wifers got me a new knife , there i stood,, head in hand,,

think the new knife was a bit sharper then my old timer

 

[chicken mamma]

whoa just watched the youtube broom stick method, I think I'll stick to letting my fiance do the deed. Here I was before we bought them all "i'll feed it and pet it and love it and walk it twice a day and even kill it" yeah right. Him and his friends usually make a day of it. I have the girls inside making the rest of dinner drinking wine and talking about the boys, while they stay out side doing the killing, cleaning and plucking.

 

[mikarod]

I honestly can't believe this isn't used more often than what I'm reading.

GOOD METHOD:

Tie the legs of the bird together with rope, handkerchief, whatever. Tie the wings back on the bird, with a rope, handkerchief...whatever. Make sure it's snug.

Put an air gun (I usually use the pellet because it flattens out once it leaves the barrel) RIGHT on the birds head. Shoot. Once bird stops flopping, hang upside down and cut off head...

SIMPLE. Easy and the bird bleeds out as well if not BETTER than the axe method.

 

[picklespickles]

okay. so the neck snapping. well...................this for me works on younger ones. i think it could be done on a older larger one, but not by me. my hands are small and i'm not that comfortable with it yet.

i sort of hold them close to me so that they are calm. i take deep breaths so that they feel less stress since i feel less stress. then, just sort of take the neck, pull, twist and pop. they die instantly. from start to stop is five seconds tops.

i'm not sure if this is a plus or a minus, but it should be noted. with a young one, i wind up taking off the head at the same time. the first time i did it was totally by accident. it just sort of twisted off in my hand and boy was i freaked. i tossed it in the sink and raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.

it was freaky, but at least i knew without a doubt that the post mortem flapping was truly post mortem.

i'm not brave enough yet to use this on a larger one as i know from expereince how darn strong they are. i think it could work, just not sure i could do it quickly enough without getting alarmed myself and thwarting the whole procedure.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
The older ones take much more torque and a couple of tries to get them gone. I've rung and rung on older birds to have them get up and run across the yard with their heads on sideways!