Duck & Chicken killing cone size?

[nao57]

What's the ideal size to cut the tip cone opening for a duck and chicken killing cone? I'm making one of these but wanted to check the hole size. You would also be surprised that most of the videos on Youtube talk about how to make these but laughingly don't tell you the size of the cone. If I cut it too big the thing will be ruined and the bird will slip through. But also I'm worried about having a hole side at the tip of the cone that is compatible for both ducks and chickens.

To be fair, i have to eat. I want to make my own groceries. But I do try to save as many of my birds as I can. But no matter what I do, you can't keep all the drakes.

Thank you.

 

[iwltfum]

Inch and a half or 2 inches is all you need. Enough for the head and neck to fit through. the shoulders of most birds will not fit through a 2 inch hole. For turkeys you might want to go 2.5 inches.

 

[Mountain Roost]

In my experience a cone good for a pekin duck is not the right size for a cornish meat bird. You may want to make one (or more) for each species.

For large ducks you want the shoulders to stay in the cone and the neck come out. Cornish meat birds are so wide at the shoulders and have a relatively short neck that I find it difficult to use a cone (but many people have figured it out). I am sorry that I don't have sizes to offer. Maybe cut a cone smaller than you think and test fit it on one of the ducks? and the same for chickens.

Are you using a road cone or a metal commercially available one? I have done ducks in orange road cones and they wanted to slip out slowly (hole could have been a bit smaller), but we were still able to chop the head without issue. We mounted the cone to a 2x6 and then used paracord to hang it on a tree, top of the setup at about hip height. This way we weren't hitting the tree trunk with the hatchet. We stuck a cornish meat bird in there once and his head didn't even come out the bottom. We use a two person system to do the cornish, but that is a lot to explain and not the topic of the thread!

 

[Alaskan]

You could also skip the cone... we string the birds upside-down with the twine from hay bales. Just a loop around their feet, and then through a wire fence.

By the time they are all strung up, they are pretty calm.

I haven't noticed any problematic bruising.

We just walk down the row and cut their heads off. We wait a bit for them to drain, then process.

I know the videos often have all sorts of "stuff". But twine and a freshly sharpened knife are all we ever use.

It doesn't have to be high tech or complicated.

 

[Leigh47]

Cut their heads off with what? The sharp knife you spoke of? Could you please recommend what brand and type of knife you use and how you keep it sharp? Do you cut their throat first to bleed them out or just cut the whole head off for this purpose?

Would excellent poultry scissors be an option to kill and remove the head and allow the bleeding out?

 

[Alaskan]

Cut their heads off with what?

I use anything I have. I just root about until I find a number of knives. Anything will work as long as it is sharp. I prefer a knife that fits well in my hand, with a blade short enough to work with easily. A pairing knife works fine, or skinning knives, or a standard fixed blade belt knife/pocket knife. A folding pocket knife works well too (IF it is large enough), but way harder to clean.

After a find a few knives, I sharpen them... or make my son's sharpen them.

If you move the knife slowly, while feeling your way, while stretching out the neck, you can slide the blade between the bones. Not cutting the bones, and sliding between them, will keep your knife sharp for longer.

As to how to sharpen. We have used a number of different knife sharpeners over the years. I recommend that you find what you have, watch some you tube videos as to how to use it well... and use that.

Also... different metal sharpens differently and loses the edge faster/quicker depending.

I never pay attention to such... we have too many knives anyway, to remember what is what.... it is just something to remember when you notice that one of your knives dulls faster than another.

I do know that the knives I like to use lose their edge quickly. Often I want a new blade for each bird... especially if I do not slide the blade correctly and hit/cut bone.

Part of that also might be my arthritis. Super sharp = less force required.

Do you cut their throat first to bleed them out or just cut the whole head off for this purpose?

Depends on the day, and what I feel like.
If you slit their throat, but keep the head on, then they bleed out better.
But, if they are hung upside-down, and you just cut the entire head off, they do bleed out some, just not as much.

If you want super perfect pretty meat... bleed them first. Cut off the head after they are fully dead.

Would excellent poultry scissors be an option to kill and remove the head and allow the bleeding out?

Yes. I just don't do well with scissors... they require hand strength, I have arthritis. But, lots of people love kitchen shears. I do not think you could use the shears to just bleed out... but they would work great for cutting off the head.

 

[Leigh47]

Awesome information, all of it, especially bleeding them out with the head still on. As much as I wanted to just remove the head to get it done, I will learn how to slit the neck. I didn't know it made a difference. After it is dead, I'll use the sharp hatchet I already have to remove the head and feet.

So I have a bunch of old butchering knives I'll take a look at, and a sharpener. I'll give it my best shot. Always wanted to sharpen things like my old machete that was once awesome, but have had trouble getting things right. Practice makes perfect. Will try, try, try again.

I appreciate all your information about simplicity. Thanks so much.

 

[Alaskan]

Awesome information, all of it, especially bleeding them out with the head still on. As much as I wanted to just remove the head to get it done, I will learn how to slit the neck. I didn't know it made a difference. After it is dead, I'll use the sharp hatchet I already have to remove the head and feet.

So I have a bunch of old butchering knives I'll take a look at, and a sharpener. I'll give it my best shot. Always wanted to sharpen things like my old machete that was once awesome, but have had trouble getting things right. Practice makes perfect. Will try, try, try again.

I appreciate all your information about simplicity. Thanks so much.

Also... some places have a knife sharpener person... usually they do not charge much per knife... just as another option

 

[Leigh47]

I REALLY appreciate that.