First kill

[Egg_newton]

I've never killed anything in my life and it is time to butcher. My boyfriend has killed the first four but I think it is time for me to man-up. He rings their necks then hangs them from a guillitine and cuts their heads off. I want to do it more kosher style and cut the jugular and let them bleed out but we don't have a killing cone. Is their another way to accomplish this? I was thinking I may be able to hang them from their feet then loop something around their necks to weigh them down a bit like placing a brick on the ground with just enough cord to keep them from moving around too much then cut the jugular??? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bigredfeather]

I used a road cone. I have also heard of people cutting the top and bottom out of a gallon jug, hanging it upside down, and using it as a killing cone.

 

[RedStarDaddy]

Quote:
There is a template somewhere on the site on how to make a killing cone. The author used roofing flashing as the raw stock.

RSD

 

[bshpqr]

For big turkeys that dont fit in the cone I hang them upside down. I get duct tape, go a couple times around the wings/body then hang them and cut em.

 

[jaku]

You can make one out of just about anything. A road cone, a bleach bottle, etc. Or, tying them by their feet works fine as well.

 

[Egg_newton]

So, I did it. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Guess I'm not as squeamish as I was when I was younger. Heck three years ago I would barely touch raw meat. The bags of frozen skinless boneless chicken breast was about it. I hung him up by his feet. After about a minute they calm down and don't flap much. I used the brick idea even though I don't think it was really necessary. I held his little head in my hand, thanked him for giving his life to feed my family(not that the poor bugger really had a choice in the matter), and slit his throat.

I held his head for a few seconds afterwards. Not really sure why. I did two of them. They flapped very little. It seemed to be a lot more peaceful way to go then wringing their necks. It took me about and hour per bird to kill, pluck, clean, and bag them. It was my first time ever killing and cleaning anything. My boyfriend wasn't home so I had to do it without guidance too. On the second one I accidently punctured the bile gland. I scrubbed the heck out of the meat but there are a few small spots of green. It's still ok to eat right?

 

[3KillerBs]

You'll want to cut those spots out -- with a generous margin -- or it will be NASTY.

I did a road-killed deer with massive internal trauma and had a lot of issues with assorted body fluids tainting the meat. Some if it simply cannot be washed off.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Good job, Egg_newton! I always seem to learn something with each butchering session that makes the next one go even easier.

I've tried several different methods and now prefer the throat-slitting method. It was hard at first to get so up-close & personal with the killing, but now I feel I'm doing them the best & final favor by giving them a quick efficient end, with kind words said right up to the very last.

I think it helps to hold their heads for the few minutes until they stop thrashing, it keeps the biggest ones from flipping out of the cone and most importantly keeps the blood from spattering all over the place. I try to collect it in a leaf-filled bucket to dump all together in the compost pile without leaving the kill station area looking so gruesome, and attracting pests.

I'm not sure why the bile gland got cut in your bird. I lay the birds on their backs, make a cut at the top of the cavity, stick my hand inside & try to scoop everything out in one big bunch towards the back. I can use scissors or a small paring knife to sever the tubes holding the gut bundle in place at the front, but everything else can be just scooped into one bunch. Then I turn the bird over and cut around the vent, around the edges of the cavity, and up through the tailbone. Then everything can be tossed in one big bundle.
Now enjoy your well-earned meal from this bird!