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

[Erebus]

Pretty much backs up what I was thinking. Thanks for your perspective.

 

[BoomChickaRocka]

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very very well said! THERE IS A REASON why things have always been done this way.

 

[GBov]

As one who uses loppers or a dispatcher, how do you cut just the arteries and NOT the windpipe? They are pretty close together!

 

[BoomChickaRocka]

i wouldnt use loppers i would use a knife

 

[GBov]

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You misunderstand lol!

I use loppers! They work a treat to take the heads off.

How would one use a KNIFE to sever the arteries without cutting the windpipe?

 

[Erebus]

The problem with decapitation is that it's painful. The moment you compromise the spinal cord it sends loads of pain signals to the brain.

If you slice the neck, the wound is so clean it barely aggravates the nerves and by the time the cut starts hurting there is hardly any blood getting to the brain and the bird loses consciousness.

That said, decapitation is quick... it only takes a few seconds for the bird's brain to lose consciousness... it's just a painful few seconds as opposed to a fairly painless few seconds....


if you get my meaning.

 

[BoomChickaRocka]

in my experience between the flopping of a bird when it is cleanly decapitated and when the arteries are cut the amount of flopping is relatively the same. when the arteries are cut it is delayed if you do it right, after about 10-15 secs when the brain starts to lose consciousness it commonly starts to flop around. When you take the head clean off it flops around immediately, and the bleed out time is alot longer because the heart stops pumping. I feel like for me the hatchet, decapitation method is alot simpler (its tough to miss a chicken neck) but you need to let the bird hang for alot longer. With the conscious neck cutting, especially if the bird is not stressed, the time to bleed out is ALOT shorted, but you need to make sure you hit the right spot.. there are ALOT of videos online that illustrate this method well. As for GBOV the spot you're looking for is just below the ear( above if the bird is hanging) below the bottom of their jaw, You will feel the soft spot and where the esophagus it is considerably harder than the jugular . you wont really be able to do it with loppers,

 

[warmfuzzies]

I don't really have an opinion on which method is most humane if they work right the first time. However, we had a lot of trouble getting clean cuts with an ax. My butchering friend and I both tried and botched it, the poor things were still alive with half their neck chopped through. Then she got her hubby to come and try it and he did a worse job, it took him 4 or 5 blows. I said enough of that, I am doing it the way my daddy did. I hung them buy their feet, stuck a knife in the neck right in front of the backbone, and slit the entire thing from bone out. They shut their eyes and fell asleep.

If your aim is off or you aren't strong or your ax is dull, slitting is much better. It's easier for me, too. Nice and fast and calm and simple. Now, loppers would be a different story, if they were big and sharp it would be pretty hard to mess that up. But as far as the ax vs slitting debate goes, for me there is no question anymore. JMO.

 

[Illia]

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I cut it ALL. Why not? I use loppers to plain and simply decapitate the animal ; quick death, nothing gets messy. (except wherever the blood drains into)

 

[Illia]

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Actually decapitation is. Using an instrument like loppers - There is no waiting til all the blood drains, no stress of the animal during that time, no need to pass out, natta. The animal instantly has no connection between the brain and the heart or any other part of the body that allows it to live, feel, see, breath, or beat the heart.

The way I've done it for a long time now is simply hanging the chicken, making sure it is calm, fit the loppers over the neck, and make a quick close. The head either comes off immediately or if the blade isn't sharp enough, all comes clean but a small segment of skin, but still, the bird is instantly dead.


I don't see how it is considered any longer of a process than bleeding, both require the blood to drain, and making a quick cut of the head, not much longer, plus, I often take the bird down as soon as it stops dancing, and still, the blood sometimes is draining while I start skinning. Doesn't matter, since the bird is dead.

Draining a bird through simply bleeding isn't as quick as people like to think though. You don't lose consciousness as quick as you might hope. If you consider a similar scenario of bullfighting, a bull loses a LOT of blood, and I mean a lot, during an entire fight, and never loses consciousness. There isn't that much difference, and you'll see it, if you've seen a bullfight. If a bird struggles, it usually is from panic and the feeling of being drained. Ever lost a lot of blood? It is an odd feeling, and eventually turns to a stinging, numbing feeling. Being upside down in the process - Really stressful.

Oh and I don't mean to drag on, but, my birds flop 1-3 immediately after I cut the head, as stated previously. Drained birds usually lose go at 12 seconds, often more. Big difference in "humanity"

To me a big importance is the bird being under minimal stress. Present the bird when it isn't flapping and scared, and kill it in a manner so quick it didn't even see or understand what just happened.