Culling - Break Neck Method - BEWARE - NOT A PC JOKE - NOT KIDDING

[MRNpoultry]

If I ever get meat chickens I'll use a different method.

 

[okiechick57]

Oh PC. I can't even imagine.......so sorry.......... this is why I chicken (no pun intended) out of culling anything.....someone else will have to for me........glad I have friends for that..... must have been so hard on you !

 

[FarmGirl01]

The best way I have ever found to work for me was to pull the neck to dislocate it. I hold the chicken and place the bird on the ground. Still holding the feet, I put a axe handle on top of the neck. I then stand on the axe handle with one foot on each side of the chickens head. The neck is pinned on the groud by the axe handle. I slowly pull up on the feet until I can feel the neck pop. The bird will start to flap its wings and will die very shortly. Then you can slit the neck and bleed out the chicken. This method seems to work for me.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Interesting responses. Thank you everyone for sharing your experience on
this very uncomfortable subject.

The hatchet method, while messy, is my prefered way. The "cut the vein" method
seems good too. I'm afraid I'll mess it up. Whatever method works and prevents
any suffering is ok with me.

Someday we'll have to have to all discuss: "Does the bird really die instantly
when the head is chopped or it's bled out?" I swear those eyes are looking
up at me from that decapitated head on the ground.

Don

 

[lacyloo]

I have to ring there necks which is fine with me becuase im worried i will miss with the hatchet, and I personally would not want my throat slit....

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

Okie dokie then I think I will ......or.....I should say I will have my hubby to use the hatchit or I here a 22. works well to the back of the head method. ( first timers....can ya tell?)

 

[wegotchickens]

When I was a kid mom had us kill most of the roosters, since that was almost all we had. She didn't trust us kids with sharp objects, so we wrung their necks. After you whirl it and get some moment you sorta pop you wrist like you're flicking a towel at someone. The head stays in your hand and the body flops to the ground (and all over the ground). It's messy but quick once you get the hang of it, and works on even the toughest old birds. Very rarely would the head not snap off, but after the wrist pop is was dead regardless.

Mom told us later that she learned the same way of killing chickens when she was a kid.

Have to admit I made a point of being the one to kill the banty roo. He was bad to flog me when I wanted to tend my NH Reds. Really ticked me off. Never been so glad to kill a critter in my life.
When I watched Cold Mountain I rolled on the floor laughing at the rooster killing scene...

 

[Kitsune]

I always used the neck break method after my first experience with culling where someone used a hatchet, I watched the heads afterwards, saw the eyes still moving, the gasping motions and just didn't feel like I could do that, I'd broken chicks necks before and when I tried it on a 2yr old bantam it worked fine too. Then I tried it with a standard bird that was less than a year old - holding it in one arm and pulling and twisting with the other like I did with the bantams - it didn't work and I had to get someone else to hold while I pulled and it still took way too long. I'm going to try the stick across the back of the neck method next time but I will have the knife or axe ready in case!

 

[MissPrissy]

Ringing a chickens neck is not just grabbing the chicken and twisting the neck. The neck is held like a handle with the head toward the wrist. The 'ringing' is using the weight of the chickens body and whipping the chicken around in a circle causing the neck to twist and break.

For lack of a better way to explain imagine you are holding a firework sprakler in your hand like we did as kids and wave it in a circle.

Sorry you had a less than good experience, PC.

 

[KYBOY]

I do it exactly like Missprissy said. The head is only handle for the weight of the body. A few quick "twirls" and the deed is done. Imagine your carnking a meat grinder. that motion only your spinning the body.