Hold head on ground with stick/pull up on legs--OK method?

[rooster-red]

Just as a side note on the blood attracting predators, you can dilute it with water then toss some plain bleach on it the predators won't be attracted.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I didn't know that . Thank you for the information.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I personally haven't butchered chickens yet. I am pretty certain I will go with the axe, for the chickens sake. If you had a large traffic cone and cut the top off and used it as a killing-cone, would it keep the bird from flapping around the yard?

I figured that once I go to do this, I will have several traffic cones with the top cut off. And just lay the bird already in the cone on one of our stumps and just finish the job with the axe. Would being inside the cone keep it from flopping around the yard, spilling blood everywhere?

-Kim

 

[kstaven]

Traffic cone will work. Hang the cone after the fact to let blood drain, just like a normal killing cone.

 

[raffello]

I know some places, such as supply stores on the internet, sell actual cones of plastic for the purposes of butchering chickens. Those might be cheaper than a traffic cone, unless there's some lying around. Then, yeah, I would imagine most of the blood could be caught in a large tub/bucket underneath and disposed of. Also, for catching blood, maybe you could put a tarp on the ground during the butchering, and then take to a place away from the rest of the chickens and hose it off? Just suggestions, as I have no firsthand knowledge of the subject.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Well, Mister & I just butchered 4 more roos today (I had ordered McMurray's "All Heavies" special & got 25 heavy breed roos 20 weeks ago, they don't need to be done all at once) and I found a hatchet to use. It made the job feel a bit more evolved to sever the head with one neat stroke rather than yanking them off by hand. So maybe I can't justify the trip to Harbor Freight after all, hmmm, I'll have to think of some other excuse...

The traffic cone seems like a good idea for use as a killing cone, the ones I've seen advertised seem costly & it would be better to use some material you already have on hand.

But I thought the purpose of the cone was to hold the bird still so you could cut the jugular vein neatly & accurately. You wouldn't want the bird moving while using such a sharp knife for this rather delicate operation.

If I'm just beheading the birds I don't need them to hold their wings so still, esp. if I have a helper. We place their heads between 2 long screws on the chopping stump & hold it down with a stick. Someone else holds the legs which are already zip-tied together, and pulls to stretch the neck. Chop!

I saw a tip somewhere here to put a plastic milk crate over the beheaded bird to keep it from flapping all over the yard, a bucket or basin would work too. It really doesn't last too long, I don't feel the need to buy another piece of equipment just to keep them from flopping around for just those few minutes.

I hang the birds by their tied feet to an old metal porch-swing frame over a garbage can with a plastic liner. That neatly catches all the blood, also the feathers plucked right there, and I toss the heads, feet & guts in the bag too. So most of the mess is contained in the garbage bag, with just a little leftover feathers to rake & blood drops to hose away.

If I could sufficiently motivate someone else in the family to do this, I'd have them dig a deep hole by a tree and bury all that stuff for fertilizer. But no one is willing & this is already chore enough for me!