Finally had to kill roosters. Snapping neck causes suffering?

[K0k0shka]

P.S. If anybody is feeling uneasy about the ethics of the cone. I find that chickens are surprisingly calm when inside the cone, even though they are restrained and hanging upside down. I did not expect that. I've done quite a few now, with the cone, including as favors for friends (who needed the job done), and I've never had a chicken struggle from inside the cone. They go strangely calm once they're in it, so it's less upsetting to the human. Maybe because it's such an unexpected, unnatural position for them - they are more puzzled and confused than anything else!

 

[cherrynberry]

Just for context, last night my significant others father died at 88 years, and she needed 6 roosters for feeding people. Someone volunteered to kill them for me, but I figured it was my responsibility.

Someone showed me how they did it by twisting the neck. I am really wondering if the rooster suffers after having its neck snapped like this, or if they lose the ability to feel and their flopping around is just a reaction for one or two minutes.

I am aware of other methods like axe and chopping block or the killing cone. Ive seen the pros and cons of each. I am wondering how bad is the snapping the neck method? Several of my roosters had their necks snapped, but it seemed like they were too aware for my taste. I did not have a knife, and i tried a machete on one, but their skin was so tough it was a failure. Thanks for any opinion on this method.

As someone who is on the younger side, the kill cone was easiest for me. Might be a good idea to hold their legs together at the top. I recently did my first butcher and it was easy and they died quick. Not to mention, you don't need to be very strong to do it. Both birds didn't make a noise and died within a second. The key is to do it fast.

 

[3KillerBs]

P.S. If anybody is feeling uneasy about the ethics of the cone. I find that chickens are surprisingly calm when inside the cone, even though they are restrained and hanging upside down. I did not expect that. I've done quite a few now, with the cone, including as favors for friends (who needed the job done), and I've never had a chicken struggle from inside the cone. They go strangely calm once they're in it, so it's less upsetting to the human. Maybe because it's such an unexpected, unnatural position for them - they are more puzzled and confused than anything else!

When handling my birds at night off the roost if they get panicky I hold them upside down by the ankles for a few moments and they calm right down.

 

[Quatie]

I was concerned because the bones are snapped, or cervical is dislocated, but they are still getting blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Any method of killing cone or axe stump ( or tree loppers) where its severed seems faster.

I felt a bit traumatized, because i do anthromorohize, but not in the moment, im trying to be more humane for both our benefits.

Yeah, the decapitation method will definitely be faster. The rest of the body may be moving, but there are no signal to the brain to feel any pain at this point. And the blood pressure is going to be gone from the head, so their won't be any consciousness. As long as you don't hesitate and do it quick and cleanly it, it will be fairly quickly.

I do total agree. If you are going to kill an animal you want to kill it as humanely as possible. I feel like a complete jerk if I ever screw up. So I try to minimize suffering, because that is what I would want.

 

[Chicken Heel]

I use the hatchet and stump method so the head is totally removed. They flop around but without the head attached I consider that a reflex reaction.

I don't know which snapping the neck method was used, there are several. I've tried one and the flopping was the same. In my opinion if the neck is snapped I'd consider it as humane as other methods properly executed. That flopping does bother a lot of people.

This (hatchet and stump) was my Dad's preferred method. As a five year old my job was to be the one to crawl into the bramble thicket and retrieve them because that was where they ended up after flopping about. In one instance, it was a dozen White Leghorn hens that had quit laying. For that reason and my later having a White Leghorn rooster that was so mean I called him Satan, I am not overly fond of the breed.

 

[aart]

Cutting thru the feathers is what's hard, not the skin.
Gotta get your sharp knife between as many feathers as possible.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I use a SHARP! knife to completely remove the head in a single stroke, back to front, such that I am left holding the head in my off hand, while the rest of the bird hangs from the scale.

In spite of the fact that head and body are now separated by considerable distance, the beak can seem to open and close, and the bird definitely flaps, while blood squirts out, well, everywhere... Yet it is, decidedly, dead.

We all know lizards tails, snakes, and others will continue to move after the spine is severed - its an automatic response - has nothing to do with wether or no they "feel" anything. Chickens aren't far separated from them on the tree of evolution, and nature doesn't like to reinvent the proverbial wheel. Also, source of the "running around like a chicken with its head cut off" expression.

Perfectly normal.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[SueT]

I once cut off the head of a fish I had caught, and that thing continued to open and close its mouth for at least 15 minutes. I offered to the chickens and they were afraid of it....

 

[SueT]

Also I watched a video on how to clean a fish, and that fish body, with no head and no guts, kept flipping around!

 

[kpierce1015]

P.S. If anybody is feeling uneasy about the ethics of the cone. I find that chickens are surprisingly calm when inside the cone, even though they are restrained and hanging upside down. I did not expect that. I've done quite a few now, with the cone, including as favors for friends (who needed the job done), and I've never had a chicken struggle from inside the cone. They go strangely calm once they're in it, so it's less upsetting to the human. Maybe because it's such an unexpected, unnatural position for them - they are more puzzled and confused than anything else!

I've actually heard that when they're upside down, like in a cone, they get induced into a sense of euphoria