BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Fire Ant Farm]

Oh, goodness. I'll probably go with decapitation, then, because I am much too wussy to have them watching me while I slit their throat.

I've done cervical dislocation before, and it seemed as close to instantaneous as it can get. The flapping is a bit freaky but I can tell by the way they're moving that it isn't a conscious struggle to get away.

Yep, haven't done cervical dislocation, but with decapitation, it's done instantly. I THINK (not sure) that technically, cervical dislocation is slightly higher up on the "humane" meter compared to decapitation (by a little bitty bit), but it can be hard to do cervical dislocation correctly, and decapitation is sorta straightforward, however you do it. ( I think I was reading something on this from a British site, which regulates how they are dispatched based on this sort of info).

With this Husky thing, you put the curved part around the front of the neck, and the blade comes form the back. Since one of the first things that is severed is the spinal cord (rather than going front to back where the windpipe is severed first), and since these things snap shut quickly and easily, it's FAST.

- Ant Farm

 

[BantyChooks]

Yep, haven't done cervical dislocation, but with decapitation, it's done instantly. I THINK (not sure) that technically, cervical dislocation is slightly higher up on the "humane" meter compared to decapitation (by a little bitty bit), but it can be hard to do cervical dislocation correctly, and decapitation is sorta straightforward, however you do it. ( I think I was reading something on this from a British site, which regulates how they are dispatched based on this sort of info).

With this Husky thing, you put the curved part around the front of the neck, and the blade comes form the back. Since one of the first things that is severed is the spinal cord (rather than going front to back where the windpipe is severed first), and since these things snap shut quickly and easily, it's FAST.

- Ant Farm

Makes sense, thank you.
Since we can't ask the chickens which way feels better, we just have to guess...

Where do you put the cutter? Where you would slit the throat, or farther back?

 

[BantyChooks]

Just for reference, here's an amazing link on cervical dislocation---it made it so much clearer as to how to do it correctly.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2017/02/how-to-humanely-euthanize-chicken-by-dr.html

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Makes sense, thank you.
Since we can't ask the chickens which way feels better, we just have to guess...

Where do you put the cutter? Where you would slit the throat, or farther back?

The semicircle part goes around the front (and fits all the way around). Then you just squeeze them shut. Easy Peasy.

 

[BantyChooks]

Where on the neck, I mean. Does it not matter?

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Where on the neck, I mean. Does it not matter?

Oh. I just do it enough below the bottom of the jaw so I'm sure it's just neck I'm cutting. I think I did it about one centimeter down or so...

 

[BantyChooks]

Oh. I just do it enough below the bottom of the jaw so I'm sure it's just neck I'm cutting. I think I did it about one centimeter down or so...

Thanks!!

 

[DesertChic]

@Fire Ant Farm - Okay, I'm convinced. Next trip to the hardware store I'm buying a pair of those pipe cutters.

And yes, all that flapping is the last fight or flight message that was sent from the brain to the body. The chicken doesn't have time to register any pain. My mother-in-law used to revel in sharing her stories of having her sons cut of the chickens' heads and then watch the bodies run around the yard headless until there was no signal left. I've witnessed that once. I prefer to keep them restrained.

 

[Molpet]

Oh. I just do it enough below the bottom of the jaw so I'm sure it's just neck I'm cutting. I think I did it about one centimeter down or so...

ok how would one sharpen it? or do they have replaceable blades?
I use a long handle game lopper, like a limb lopper and wondering how to sharpen it too LOL

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

@Fire Ant Farm - Okay, I'm convinced. Next trip to the hardware store I'm buying a pair of those pipe cutters.

And yes, all that flapping is the last fight or flight message that was sent from the brain to the body. The chicken doesn't have time to register any pain. My mother-in-law used to revel in sharing her stories of having her sons cut of the chickens' heads and then watch the bodies run around the yard headless until there was no signal left. I've witnessed that once. I prefer to keep them restrained.

Make sure you get the right type. I searched all over and there are so many different ones it's confusing. I got these specific ones based on @lpatelski 's recommendation, not sure other types would necessarily work as well. MANY of then are ratcheting (advance the blade a little bit with each squeeze) and you don't want that. These are at Home Depot - they were about $15.

ok how would one sharpen it? or do they have replaceable blades?
I use a long handle game lopper, like a limb lopper and wondering how to sharpen it too LOL

Yes, you can get replacement blades. Now that this has gone so well, I think I'm going to order some to have on hand. (But the last cut was as sharp as the first, so hoping they wouldn't dull quickly).

I'm thinking this would be easier than a lopper because you don't need to deal with the long handles...

- Ant Farm