Chop or Neck Slit?

[LeghornJosh]

Curious on everyones opinion on the killing of thier meat birds.

Do you....

A) Chop the head off

B) Slit the neck and allow it to bleed out

C) Another popular/unpopular method i'm not familiar with?

Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[Tad]

I am a slicer, and let them bleed, it took a couiple to get the hang of it, but I like it a lot better than the chop!!

 

[PatS]

I'm a pop-them-in-a-cone and slit their neck kinda gal. I'm afraid if I chopped, I'd:

a) miss and have to chop again a couple of times to take off the head, or
b) chop off a finger by mistake

I have only "done" one chicken so far and the "killing cone then slit neck," seemed painless and as humane as possible, so that is what I'll do next time.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I've tried several different methods, chopping, yanking, pithing & slicing, & have settled on the neck slice as the method that works best for me & my birds. Chopping was too unsure & resulted in headless birds flapping & flopping on the ground. The same went for yanking, plus sometimes the whole head got yanked off which didn't seem humane. Pithing didn't have a certain result, I couldn't be sure the bird died instantly. But with slicing the birds stayed in one place (in the cone or just hanging from their tied-together feet) and I knew they were dead after the first deep cut, but their hearts continue beating reflexively so they bleed out more thoroughly.

I wish you great success with your meat bird endeavor!

 

[protodon]

I prefer slicing. It seems like the cleanest and most humane way to go about it. I think the previous poster kind of mentioned this but before I started processing my own birds, I was looking for someone else to do it. I found one woman who wouldn't take the time to do just 2 for me but told me the method I should try was to hold them by the feet, put their had on the ground, gently step on the head and yank up on the feet and the head would pop right off. I guess any method that separates the head from the body reallh quickly, would be humane. But that method just didn't feel right to me.

 

[dichotomymom]

I used to pop the neck, then slit and pop into a cone but now use hedgeclippers. I put one foot on the body and within seconds, the job is done.

 

[Randy]

Chop. One quick wack and it's done.

 

[Buster52]

I've tried several methods. For me, a quick, humane death is best. For me it's the

 

[LeghornJosh]

Ok i heard from an old farmer once that if you slit the neck and let them bleed out that the meat will taste better. Something about the "shock" to the body that comes with the axe swing? Or is it that the blood will almost all be pumped out?

Thanks for the responses guys! Anyone know where you can get those cones for less that 45-60bucks?

 

[Cedar Creek Lofts]

Slicing vs. Chopping.

Slicing is the preferred method, due to the heart continuing to beat and more blood is pumped out.