First time killing chicken. Advice please help

[machoman]

I use a cone. Being upside down and confined with their wings to their body really seems to calm the bird. Per someone else's advice, I find the bare spot on their neck, kind of below their ear, but on the neck. I make a swift and firm cut. Finding the bare spot helps since this way you don't need to cut through feathers. Make sure whatever you have is very, very sharp. I've found pampered chef paring knives work well for me and razors are okay. I've yet to find the perfect knife.

For me, the key is to stay calm and be very confident in my cut. Any hesitation, and slightness in pressure and you'll have to go back and cut again and that's not what you want. I've learned the hard way to cut firmly and swiftly. I would also keep a pair of pruners ( felco is great ) or really good poultry shears nearby in case you feel like it's not going fast enough, then you can sever the spinal cord. You'll know when you've hit the artery, because the blood squirts out quickly, no dripping. If it's dripping, you need to cut again. If I feel it's taking too long and the animal's suffering, I grab my pruners and sever the spinal cord. This happened twice to me and only because I was nervous and didn't apply enough pressure when cutting. Personally for me, nerves have been my biggest challenge, that and doing big old roosters with tough skin. The younger ones seem to go very quickly. Also, if you use a cone, make sure their feet are tucked into the cone. As an extra precaution, I tuck a towel around the bottom. You don't want crazy chicken feet smacking you in the face.

You'll get better with each one and you'll learn what does and doesn't work for you. And if you make a mistake...it happens, we're all human. For me, what's important is minimal suffering on the animals' part.

 

[starfire2rav]

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can you send that to me? thanks!

 

[BoomChickaRocka]

chop the head off with a hatchet throw the bird over your shoulder and let it run itself out. the movement of the muscles helps drain the bird.

 

[galanie]

There is much discussion and disagreement about which method is most humane, bleeding out or lopping off the head in one go. I'd look into it and get all the info before deciding for myself which is most humane. In fact, I did. And use the cone. But others decide lopping the head off is more humane. Really though get info first. Lopping off their head is for sure easier with the right type of loppers. Or axe if that's your preference.

 

[kfacres]

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throw over the shoulder huh? You like getting covered in blood from head to toe on your backside?

 

[rungirl]

This year we used a pair of lopers to take the heads off. It was easier than the axe because one person could do it alone. Didn't need anyone to hold the bird. Also the neck was snapped immediately and they were killed quickly.

We usually hang them from the kid's swingset, but this year, there were so many that we hung them around the trampoline. My daughter called it the "merry-go-round of death". Yeah, kind of twisted, but it worked well.

I think the cone is also a good idea because it would prevent the broken wings that occur when they flap afterwards. This happened to 2 or 3 of the meat birds. The wing bone actually broke at the shoulder, coming through the bird's skin and ruined the wing. It's not a big deal but if you want a nice, whole roasting bird, it'll be missing a wing. I've heard of people using a plastic road cone nailed upside down to a tree or post. Might try that next year.

Lisa

 

[quailmale]

If you are useing a mechanical plucker I think it's best to cut throat and bleed out instead of lopping head off because when put into the plucker they tend to lose what ever is in their craw if the head is cut off, of course this isn't as bad if you have starved them out for 24 hrs.

 

[EggsForIHOP]

Sometimes it's not even so much about what is easiest or most humane in terms of the chickens...but what is easiest and most humane for the PEOPLE involved.

I can't chop with a hatchet, or lop with loppers or wring necks very well - I don't know why, but I just can't. For some reason those methods all just bother me, and I couldn't tell you WHY...but it's just a 'heebee jeebee feeling' that I get.

I AM however comfortable with killing cones and slitting throats - the birds seem calmest once upside down and it doesn't bug me at all, so that is what I do. I tried once to do the hatchet method and it was an EPIC fail for me!

I would say what's best to do is what is easiest for you - if you are having a hard time, that fear boils over into the animals and just makes it worse and yes, that first time is going to be the hardest, but once you get past it, things become easier. If you are calm and collected, things tend to go smoothly. If you walk into it already upset because something sounds humane but you can't stomach it, things will go poorly. As long as you don't do anything completely oddball like drowning or suffocating, which I think would be cruel all around, you should be fine.

Do as others suggest and get all the info first - then go with what your gut says YOU will be able to handle the easiest - that will be easier all around, as you will be less upset and more prepared. Don't decide based on what others say is most humane - decide based on what the human can manage.

 

[BoomChickaRocka]

Quote:
throw over the shoulder huh? You like getting covered in blood from head to toe on your backside?

haha i was hoping someone would catch that! its not literally an "over your head" motion more of a sidearm swinging motion if we're getting technical. This is the way my grandfather taught me to do it however i have graduated to holding them over a bucket as my wife doesnt appreciate the blood all over the yard.

 

[kfacres]

Quote:
throw over the shoulder huh? You like getting covered in blood from head to toe on your backside?

haha i was hoping someone would catch that! its not literally an "over your head" motion more of a sidearm swinging motion if we're getting technical. This is the way my grandfather taught me to do it however i have graduated to holding them over a bucket as my wife doesnt appreciate the blood all over the yard.

tell her to get over it... and let em flop around...

on a serious note, we have some muslim folks visit regularly to butcher lambs-- they take everything with them except the gall bladder, hide, and blood.... In the begginning, they wanted to dig a hole to let the blood go into, b/c blood is considered 'unsanitary'-- we told them it's fine just leave it on the ground... but they kept insisting...and we said it's ok.