Does anyone have a favorite brand or type of knife they use for culling?

[maxpedley]

You should never slit a chickens throught without a stunning device as It is the most inhumane way of culling. Nech dislocation is definately the only way you should kill a bird if you don't have the corretc kit for killing quickly and humanely. Slitting a chickens neck can take up to 3 minutes to die whereas breaking the neck is instant. And I know what I'm on about as I used to work on a turkey farm where everything from hatching to boxing up and sending to shops took place. We used stunning to before killing any birds and it took around 4 mins for each bird to bleed out.

 

[LilyD]

You should never slit a chickens throught without a stunning device as It is the most inhumane way of culling. Nech dislocation is definately the only way you should kill a bird if you don't have the corretc kit for killing quickly and humanely. Slitting a chickens neck can take up to 3 minutes to die whereas breaking the neck is instant. And I know what I'm on about as I used to work on a turkey farm where everything from hatching to boxing up and sending to shops took place. We used stunning to before killing any birds and it took around 4 mins for each bird to bleed out.

You are definitely entitled to that opinion but I can tell you it doesn't take 3 or 4 minutes for killing any of my birds since I am with them the entire time. When I first started out I would slit both sides of the throat leaving the windpipe intact and hold them in my lap while they expired. I was able to maybe count to 20 or 30 before their heart stopped beating but way before their heart stopped they are passed out from blood loss. If you ask any EMT or anyone who has ever had a main vein or artery injured. You feel very little pain when you are bleeding out because there is not enough blood pressure you feel numb and kind of spacey and then you go from that to passed out. Since the razor is very sharp it's like cutting yourself with a razor in the tub. I usually don't feel it until I look down and realize I am bleeding every where.

Don't get me wrong I know there are different ways to process and I think everyone has the right to choose the way that works for them, but I am still going to slit the throat and I can't afford to spend money on a stun gun. The large roosters and turkeys I do you cannot kill by neck dislocation (or at least I can't because I am 5 foot nothing and have a torn rotor cuff and arthritis) slitting their throat works for me so that is what I will be using and I am sure there are many others here that would agree with me.

 

[Mahlzeit]

You are definitely entitled to that opinion but I can tell you it doesn't take 3 or 4 minutes for killing any of my birds since I am with them the entire time. When I first started out I would slit both sides of the throat leaving the windpipe intact and hold them in my lap while they expired. I was able to maybe count to 20 or 30 before their heart stopped beating but way before their heart stopped they are passed out from blood loss. If you ask any EMT or anyone who has ever had a main vein or artery injured. You feel very little pain when you are bleeding out because there is not enough blood pressure you feel numb and kind of spacey and then you go from that to passed out. Since the razor is very sharp it's like cutting yourself with a razor in the tub. I usually don't feel it until I look down and realize I am bleeding every where.

Don't get me wrong I know there are different ways to process and I think everyone has the right to choose the way that works for them, but I am still going to slit the throat and I can't afford to spend money on a stun gun. The large roosters and turkeys I do you cannot kill by neck dislocation (or at least I can't because I am 5 foot nothing and have a torn rotor cuff and arthritis) slitting their throat works for me so that is what I will be using and I am sure there are many others here that would agree with me.

Hey Lily,

I agree with you, does not take anywhere near 3 minutes. I had a question do you knock the bird unconscious before cutting the throat? That's the way my grandfather has always done it and how I learned to do it. Was just curious. Thanks and happy new year!

 

[LilyD]

Hey Lily,

I agree with you, does not take anywhere near 3 minutes. I had a question do you knock the bird unconscious before cutting the throat? That's the way my grandfather has always done it and how I learned to do it. Was just curious. Thanks and happy new year!

No I don't knock them out before I cut their throat. I have a razor knife so I hang them upside down and after a few seconds they go really quiet like they are in a trance. Then I do one quick cut on each side of the throat leaving the windpipe attached. After maybe a count of 8 to 10 they close their eyes but are still breathing just not responsive or looking around. By 20 to 30 seconds depending on the size of the bird they are having their muscle spasms and then they go stiff and are dead. I leave them hanging for about 5 minutes or so each bird before taking them to the next step. We tried many of the other methods for killing but nothing else seemed to be as quick or as peaceful as simply just cutting the throat and getting the job done.

I guess if you are worried about how sharp your knife is or that they might move if you use an ax then hitting them on the head would be a good idea to do just for your own peace of mind. Since my birds are handled from day one and sometimes even carried by their feet or laid on their backs on the ground they are pretty used to everything and aren't scared of being picked up or carried upside down or like a baby. We try and desensitize them to as much as we can before the big day so it's not traumatizing for them.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mahlzeit]

No I don't knock them out before I cut their throat. I have a razor knife so I hang them upside down and after a few seconds they go really quiet like they are in a trance. Then I do one quick cut on each side of the throat leaving the windpipe attached. After maybe a count of 8 to 10 they close their eyes but are still breathing just not responsive or looking around. By 20 to 30 seconds depending on the size of the bird they are having their muscle spasms and then they go stiff and are dead. I leave them hanging for about 5 minutes or so each bird before taking them to the next step. We tried many of the other methods for killing but nothing else seemed to be as quick or as peaceful as simply just cutting the throat and getting the job done.

I guess if you are worried about how sharp your knife is or that they might move if you use an ax then hitting them on the head would be a good idea to do just for your own peace of mind. Since my birds are handled from day one and sometimes even carried by their feet or laid on their backs on the ground they are pretty used to everything and aren't scared of being picked up or carried upside down or like a baby. We try and desensitize them to as much as we can before the big day so it's not traumatizing for them.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the response. It's interesting the different number of ways people cull their birds. I grew up around my grandfather doing it the way I described so that's the way I feel most comfortable. Now to choose the right knife for myself to do the job.

 

[SmokinChick]

How do you knock a chicken out? I would think hitting it soft enough to not fracture its skull would be hard to do. And if you hit it harder then you do fracture its skull which would defeat the painless method you are trying to achieve. Just kill the thing! There are several methods to chose from. Throat slice, decapitation or neck dislocation etc. Just pick one and do it.
So many people here try to make it harder than it is. IMO

 

[Elke Beck]

How do you knock a chicken out? I would think hitting it soft enough to not fracture its skull would be hard to do. And if you hit it harder then you do fracture its skull which would defeat the painless method you are trying to achieve. Just kill the thing! There are several methods to chose from. Throat slice, decapitation or neck dislocation etc. Just pick one and do it.
So many people here try to make it harder than it is. IMO

I agree. In fact, I think sometimes people dither over the method so that they can put off doing the deed.

 

[Mahlzeit]

How do you knock a chicken out? I would think hitting it soft enough to not fracture its skull would be hard to do. And if you hit it harder then you do fracture its skull which would defeat the painless method you are trying to achieve. Just kill the thing! There are several methods to chose from. Throat slice, decapitation or neck dislocation etc. Just pick one and do it.
So many people here try to make it harder than it is. IMO

It's really not that hard to render it unconscious. You get a feel for it and you have to hit it quite hard to fracture their skull. Harder than you think. It's what I grew up around and feel most comfortable with.

 

[yogashmoga]

I just culled my first roo and didn't have the guts to render it unconscious. It was my preferred method, but was instructed otherwise by an experienced friend who supervised (cone and bleed.) I saw many posts about people who weren't successful at knocking the bird out, and that freaked me out.

I should have tried. The whole experience was traumatic. We processed my little boy (pet, named, loved) last night. I feel pretty scarred.

I'm sure I would feel better about the decision had he been an aggressive bird. He was sweet and awesome. Just too noisy. And no takers on rehoming.

My girls called for him all day today. This SUCKS!!

 

[Owingsia]

Personally I use a 6 inch fish filleting knife. I keep it very sharp. I dont need to change out anything with this knife. I slit the throats with it and process the chicken with it. It cuts tendons etc... I lope the neck off with a pair of pruning shears. (Neighbor uses a hatchet: Not to kill but just to lop of the head as we both slit throats)

I dont got for a brand more so I go for quality. I once had a cheapo German steal knife that worked wonders but lost its edge fast and had to be sharpened about every 3-4 chickens. I think brand will be up to you but thats just my two cents on this one.

Remember Sharp is best. When you think its sharp... sharpen it some more.