how do you kill your birds?

First I break their necks, then immediately cut their jugular to bleed them out.

 

i've read where people pound two nails into a stump wide enough for the chicken neck, but not the head. it holds the neck stretched out enough to cut it off when you pull the feet behind them a little. i've never killed a chicken, but i want to learn. i'm debating between this method and the cone.
wish i had someone walk me through it for the first few times. there are old timers at church i could ask, but i get the impression 'humane' wasn't high on the list when they learned as kids. i'm just going to make sure i'm as prepared as i can be.

 

I haven't killed one yet but I'm going to have to sooner or later. I've been reading and watching as much as I can on the subject. It looks like the cone method might be easiest because the bird is contained and I read somewhere on here that a feed bag can be used as a cone.

My biggest questions are about the processing. I really don't want to screw that up.

 

I've only processed Muscovy ducks but after trying the hatchet once, I now slit the jugular. Will try this with my meaties once they're ready.

 

Slit the throat - I don't have a cone so I just use a loop on a rope to hang them upside down, and then cut.

Here's my member page, with pictures - easier to show in pics than describe

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-process-a-chicken-at-home

 

I've used the axe method before, but I'm very interested to try the cone/bleed out method to see if it's any less stressful for the birds. I might end up using it later this year on some meat birds I have, so we'll see.

 

we use a killing cone and a very sharp knife.

 

i learned and still use this method is you get your ax or clever, pull the wings and feet back and hold it all in one hand, rest them on a stump, take a deep breath and chop their head off with one quick and fast wack. my first time wasn't good and I had to hit him 6 or 7 times before the head came off. i was 11 years old then. Now its much easier. Also, after the head is off, stuff in a snowbank and run, because the blood really sprays and in all directions. If you aren't butchering in winter then let them go and run. Also their dead in less than 3 seconds usually, its just the nerves that are working but i'd imagine you all know that.