?? Do all dead birds flop and run around?

southernsibe

Songster
12 Years
Jun 15, 2007
350
1
162
kensington, maryland
I am going today to watch/help someone with four of her birds. I do not know this person particularly well, we are acquaintances and she offered to show me how to process. Since I am headed that way with my projects, I accepted. When she gave me the brief over view of what would happen, she mentioned that the birds will hop around and flap, generally run around. She explained that her husband knocks them out, not sure how, zip ties their legs, and then chops their heads off. Then the hopping/flapping/running around commences until they flop over.

My question is, does this have to happen this way? Is there a way to kill with out having this part go on?

Thanks for answering the new to processing question!!!
Rachel
 
I only know that when we process ours they get put into something that looks like a cone and their heads sick out the bottom and then chop their heads off so they don't flop around and bruise or damage the meat. It also makes the bleeding out process easier.
 
When my mother use to process a hen or rooster for Sunday dinner she never let them flop around, causes too much bruising...would hold onto the bird til they stopped...
 
No, that doesn't have to happen. When my dad used to process the family flock when I was small it was VERY UNCOMMON for the chicken to continue to flop etc.

Do some internet searching for humane chicken processing or butchering - I know I've read of some methods that are much better than others.

If you feel at all uncomfortable going to watch what happens at this woman's place, do not go, you don't want to imprint wrong or unpleasant things on your brain. Wait until you can watch someone who does it more professionally!
 
red - hen, That is what I am leary of, that I will go to this persons house and instead of learning something I will be horrified and never want to try it! From what I have researched on BYC and other places it doesn't have to be that way. I wanted to actually ask, just in case I was missing something and it was part of the whole process.
Thanks
Rachel
 
Most people I know use a killing cone and cut the throat rather than chop off the head. the cone prevents the flopping around and keeps the meat from being bruised
 
Its OK to be horrified by what you see. it is death after all. I would recommend that if you are that you identify what bothers you about the process and come up with ways to prevent it and make it a more humane process. If your taking the time to raise healthy food for your family its only natural to make the processing part as painless and humane as possible.
I would not let them flop around, as this can bruise the meat and even break wings. I tie their legs prior to cutting the heads off then hang the birds up by the feet to allow them to bleed out (into a trash can or else the yard will look like a crime scene).
No matter how bad it is I assure you that store bought chicken goes through a lot worse treatment and conditions and you will care for your birds with more compassion and humane conditions for the nourishment of your family.
 
You may just want to find a place in your area that will process them and then all you have to do is get them there and then pick them up all packed in ice when its over. Nothing better than that.
 
For what it's worth, my understanding is that it isn't "inhumane" for them to flop. They die instantly when you cut their heads off. It's some type of secondary nervous system that causes the flopping- not still being alive.
 
I am no expert on this but I was thinking about the same thing the other day.

Coulndnt you just give their heads a good whack against a log? I saw "The Nuge" do this once on tv and the chicken was certinly dead, and there was no flopping around.

Like I said I havent tried this but I also dont see the need for the headless flopping chicken thing.
 

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