Broomstick method question

[ChocolateMouse]

Din, you did good and what you describe is VERY absolutely normal. What you did probably resulted in a near-painless and very quick, humane end.
It's very normal for bodies to spasm as they die. I have butchered dozens of chickens and rabbits, and comforted other animals as they passed away. Every single one of them, no matter how sick and immobile during life, has what's commonly known as "death throes". It's just a normal process of life, it's basically just energy leaving the body. Death is ugly and we try our best to make it less so, but that's the reality of existing in a world with death.
If you're concerned that it was still alive because it was moving, don't be. I have had a rabbit, head off, skinned, gutted, washed, just meat on bones, and in my crockpot that was STILL moving as the water started to simmer. There was obviously no way that animal was alive, it didn't even have a heart to be beating, it's just one of those bizzare parts of life.
In the future, it's a good idea to restrain the animal as it's dying, for your comfort and it's. A cloth sack with a hole you can run the head through is effective, or a cone you can hang the bird upside-down in. You can also use a pair of sharp, heavy, shears to lop off the whole head while upside-down. Faster than cutting an artery and draining blood.
But what you did was exactly right for how to put a chicken down using broomsticking. Their necks are very fragile and often times the head comes free. I take it as a good sign. Too much hesitation and they don't die as quickly. I'd rather the head come off than not be certain that it's been killed quickly and painlessly.
I'm sorry you had to put your chicken down. But you did a good job and reacted appropriately to your situation. And next time you'll be able to handle yourself with more confidence for your birds sake.

 

[Junochick]

I honestly think the only drawback to this method is that I would not want to use it on something I wanted to eat. I don't think there is technically anything bad that would happen if you gassed a meat bird, but for some reason it makes me hesitate...

I agree with you about using it for meat , I wouldn't .but to end suffering on a sick animal it works quickly.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

@DinB I'm sorry for your loss. Yes, the first culling is very difficult. Every culling is hard, but if you are a chicken keeper, the sad fact is most vets don't treat chickens and you have to be strong enough to do what is right for an animal when it is in misery. Good job screwing down your courage and thinking beyond your emotional grief to do what was right for your bird.

To add to the thread, I'll relate my experiences.

I've used almost every method, except the starter fluid, which honestly, I think I'll try next.

If you want to eat the bird, then the best is to get the cone and slit the carotid artery or use an axe to chop off the head. It is best to drain the blood out for eating.

The axe is immediate death, the carotid artery slit is a bleed out, which took a bit longer than I expected (I was used to the axe in butchering chickens). The disadvantage to those methods is it produces blood, sometimes a lot, especially the carotid artery bleed out. So be prepared with a catch bucket.

For bloodless methods, when it is a sick bird I don't want to eat, I prefer either the broomstick or dry ice method.

The broomstick when done correctly is quick and produces immediate death. When not done perfectly, you end up struggling with a flapping bird and several retries to often either suffocate slowly (crushed larynx) or beheading (yuk). I am not perfect with the broomstick and have a bad back which can make it trickier for me.

Therefore, since I often must do the deed alone, I usually use the dry ice method. Please do not confuse this with the CO2 killing method of large commercial factories where they slowly raise the CO2 levels in a large building to suffocate a large group of birds which can take nearly 20 minutes. (That practice is being condemned in the industry).

I am recommending submersion into high levels of CO2 (similar to fire extinguishment). One gasp produces unconsciousness. Death is within minutes through painless suffocation. (Generally less than a minute with a 5 to 6 pound bird).

Get a 5 gallon bucket. Place about 1/4 pound of dry ice at bottom of bucket.
Pour about 1 cup warm water over ice.
Place something like styrofoam over ice but which still allows gas to escape
Place lid lightly (to prevent it blowing off with expansion of gas).
Wait a couple of minutes for a huge cloud of CO2 to build.
Place bird in bucket (styrofoam keeps it from sitting on dry ice, a comfort)
Replace lid (with a corner loose to allow escaping gas to prevent lid blow off)

The bird will take one gasp in panic then is unconscious. Fluttering stops within 1 minute, maximum (most are still at 30 seconds). Bird is dead. Leave in bucket for several minutes to assure deed is done.

No pain. No blood. It does require driving to the store to get dry ice each time as dry ice cannot be stored in normal freezers (it melts).

Of all the methods I've used, the dry ice is the easiest and most painless for both bird and myself. You could still eat the bird as it is simply CO2 (carbon dioxide).

But I like the idea of the ether. I could keep a can of that in the cupboard for those sad but necessary times when culling is the only option for the sake of the animal.

Good discussion thread about a hard but necessary fact of chicken keeping.

LofMc

 

[aart]

I honestly think the only drawback to this method is that I would not want to use it on something I wanted to eat. I don't think there is technically anything bad that would happen if you gassed a meat bird, but for some reason it makes me hesitate...

When you're killing for met it's best to slit the throat for the blood to drain. Cervical Dislocation is for euthanasia(killing a sick bird that you wouldn't want to eat) not for slaughtering for meat.

 

[lazy gardener]

When you're killing for met it's best to slit the throat for the blood to drain. Cervical Dislocation is for euthanasia(killing a sick bird that you wouldn't want to eat) not for slaughtering for meat.

Aart, can you elaborate for me on why you wouldn't use cx. dislocation when processing meat? I have always used it for ALL birds, whether being processed to eat or culled to be buried. However, I NOW have a sharp knife and did the carotid slit today. If a sharp knife is available, I think I prefer this method, even though it is messier.

 

[aart]

When you're killing for met it's best to slit the throat for the blood to drain. Cervical Dislocation is for euthanasia(killing a sick bird that you wouldn't want to eat) not for slaughtering for meat.

Aart, can you elaborate for me on why you wouldn't use cx. dislocation when processing meat? I have always used it for ALL birds, whether being processed to eat or culled to be buried. However, I NOW have a sharp knife and did the carotid slit today. If a sharp knife is available, I think I prefer this method, even though it is messier.

Says right there, "for the blood to drain"...maybe I should have added "for the blood to drain" better.
The reason I don't do a carotid/jugular slit on a single sick bird that needs to be euthanized is because of the bloody mess that I don't want to clean up.

 

[duluthralphie]

Says right there, "for the blood to drain"...maybe I should have added "for the blood to drain" better.
The reason I don't do a carotid/jugular slit on a single sick bird that needs to be euthanized is because of the bloody mess that I don't want to clean up.

I could not agree more, I also will not eat a sick bird so in their case I want a fast painless death. On a bird for human consumption I want the blood out as fast as possible and as humane death as possible. Good Answer!

 

[lazy gardener]

When I do a broom stick, I immediately follow up with decapitation. but, I'll be doing a comparison between birds processed this year via carotid slit and last year via broom stick/decapitation.

So, Aart, thanks for answering my ?.

 

[BantyChooks]

When I do a broom stick, I immediately follow up with decapitation. but, I'll be doing a comparison between birds processed this year via carotid slit and last year via broom stick/decapitation.

So, Aart, thanks for answering my ?.

How do you decapitate? Just keep pulling after dislocation, or another method?

 

[Mrs. K]

Good advice up above. It is tough, and the first time is the worst. However, it is the "coop" de grace. Way better than just wishing the bird would get well. I have used the broom stick method, and I too pulled the head off, I did not want to half way do the job. I use a razor blade now, mine just get quiet and kind of tired, and go to sleep with just a little movement.