DIY HUMANE way to Kill Slaughter Chicken (Stun-kill, Gas)

[bachbach1]

"Chickens are standing free watching the beauty of the world" OMG, wake up man you are loosing it. We are good caring, and kind people, still what is real is what is real, chickens standing free watching the beauty of the world, that isn't real. It is close to poetry, and darn good poetry type stuff, I must say. But these rowdy, fighting little barbarians that KFC serves up (me too) Something like "The roo stood majestically looking for either another chickens butt to kick, or his next lady friend, and just hoping he gets to kick come butt at the feed trough" Now that is real. Placing human emotions or levels on animals happens on cartoons, but it cant happen in real life, they are not wired complex enough. Their brains are so so very basic, eat, sleep it roost at night, procreate, fight, drink water, sit on egg. It reminds me of where the term bird brain came from.

I have talked to so many people through the years, and the average person freaks on killing their own food. That is a modern development, so if it is foreign to you, it is you that have departed from nature, and what must be done to eat. It isn't pretty it isn't supposed to be, but I would rather eat meat I raised than store bought. I know exactly what I have, and I think I appreciate it more too. No animosity, ill thoughts, or tension meant at all here, just thinking about what is real.

 

[uaj0sh]

I've come a long way in my understanding of this, These are both 'humane ways'. The real question your asking is which can you "Feel Right" about?

In either case your killing an animal for its purpose, to feed your family. There is nothing wrong with that. The most humane way I have experienced for chickens is to hold it and slit the throat, and let it bleed out. You need to make sure you have a very sharp knife, that you pull the feathers up with the knife, then slice, or you'll have to hack through the feathers and cause unnecessary pain to the animal. I like these fillet knives(http://www.walmart.com/ip/Berkley-7...f48&bucket_id=irsbucket002&findingMethod=p13n) for two reasons. 1) they are cheap and cost effective to replace frequently and 2) they are easy to sharpen, and process the animal with after the fact.

This method allows them to pass out, as they die, with minimal pain inflicted, but it takes a while for the chicken to actually die (up to a minute). This process does several things, 1) causes the chicken to pass out. 2) completely drains the blood and hormones from the animal by allowing the heart to beat longer, this benefits you as you don't end up ingesting the adrenaline etc that the chicken produces during the event. 3) The bird is easier over all to handle, and to collect the blood and remains as to not attract pr editors to your other birds.

Decapitation is also a humane way, the bird feels little to nothing in the process, but to make this method effective, you again need a very sharp knife or probably an Axe. You want to make sure the head comes entirely off quickly. You will also want to bind the feet, and ensure you can either hang the bird quickly to drain with Gravity and the heart pumping, to get all the blood out as quickly as possible. This method I find is much more difficult to control the collection of blood etc. While its to some tempting to chop the head and let the chicken run around the yard, this is not advised as it spreads blood throughout the yard increasing chances of drawing predators to other chickens, and per the research I've done doesn't allow the hormones to exit the bird..

Hopefully this information helps! Good luck processing, and make sure to brine your roosters for best taste.
~Josh

 

[galanie]

Honestly, and this has been said over and over again in the thread (as has all of the other comments and points of view), if you are planning this elaborate gassing thing, then just don't. Either get someone else to "off" your birds or buy your meat at the store. I too feel throat slitting is best but lopping off the head, breaking the neck, whatever might be your thing. Just do it. Or don't. But please don't even go there when it comes to the ridiculous things like gassing. You're trying to do that for YOU, not for the chicken.

 

[bachbach1]

Agreed, if you don't have the stones to off the bird you are in the wrong game raising chickens for meat. If you are going to off the bird, just do it, the act isn't bad, or evil, the bird doesnt even know what death is.

 

[OrpObsessed]

I have never been able to do it any other way than put my boot on top of their head/neck and jerk their feet up really hard till the head detaches. That way I don't see their eyes, my hands never make contact with the head, just the feet, and it's over very quickly.

 

[RogerShoaf]

I too wanted an electro stunner untill I found the price

You could make one. I think it takes something on the order of 40 volts to stun the chicken unconscious. If you took five 9 volt batteries a push button and attached a couple of probes attached to a plastic clamp you could zap the bird knock it out and then slit the throat.

Benjamin Franklin attested that birds killed by electrocution had very tender meat.

 

[bachbach1]

Electricity is a pretty vial way to off a bird, or try to stun it, I mean it is medieval. Snap its neck or chop its head, men have been doing it that way for century's. There is no kind way to kill something. The kindest thing is fast.

 

[RogerShoaf]

Electricity is a pretty vial way to off a bird, or try to stun it, I mean it is medieval. Snap its neck or chop its head, men have been doing it that way for century's. There is no kind way to kill something. The kindest thing is fast.

Medieval? I think not, the bird is there one minute alive and happy and then a sudden jolt renders it unconscious. This takes a matter of milliseconds, then before the bird comes to, it's ready to pluck.

 

[Beekissed]

Medieval? I think not, the bird is there one minute alive and happy and then a sudden jolt renders it unconscious. This takes a matter of milliseconds, then before the bird comes to, it's ready to pluck.

Hopefully there is a death somewhere in between the stunning and the plucking......

I think if there is a "coming to" during that process it automatically negates the humanity of the method.

 

[donrae]

Hopefully there is a death somewhere in between the stunning and the plucking......

I think if there is a "coming to" during that process it automatically negates the humanity of the method.