how do you kill your birds?

[SmokinChick]

Will be processing my first meaties in 11 weeks. I plan on cutting the throat.

 

[TriciaHowe]

We just did ours today and used cervical dislocation. Hold the body in one hand and pull the head down with the other in a swift hard movement. Death is instant. Worked perfect on all 19 we had today.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I tried several different methods until I found the one that worked best for ME. I don't think there's one best method for EVERYone. You have to determine what makes the job easiest for you which in turn will make it the most humane for your birds, because you'll be giving them the most efficient, effective end. That's the final kindness we can bestow on these livestock animals under our care.

For myself I found that I lacked the arm strength to do an effective hatchet chop, the broomstick method wasn't always reliable, and pithing took too long. I never tried using firearms, garden implements, or any other methods. Once I learned how to dispatch my birds quickly by cutting their neck veins with a sharp knife I haven't tried anything else. Before I made cones I would bind their wings with duct tape and hang them by their tied-together feet. Now I have cones, but I still bind their feet so I can hang them for plucking.

 

[thefishery]

I have my husband do the killing. I just can't bring myself to do it. He kills, plucks and I do the rest. He cuts the throat while I cry inside.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

i have never killed a chicken, but if i would, i would treat it as a grouse(less gross) grab the shotgun and then their dead, i dunno if this is humane but im a good shot, so i would be able to get it in the head and kill it fast

 

[Eznet2u]

When I was a kid, my brother and I were the ones that killed the birds. I killed 200+ before I started High School.
We used 2 short pieces of 2x4, approximately 2' long. We would notch one in the middle of the board, just large
enough for the neck to sit in...

(I know, I know...Awesome Paint skills...)

The flat board would lay on the ground, the Chicken was placed on the flat board. The notched board was placed
on top of the chicken's neck. I would then step on the top board with both feet, grab the legs, pull and toss the bird
a few feet away into the grass.

It was very quick. This method was taught to us because it save the necks.

That was 40 years ago...I will be using cones and razors this time around.

 

[thefishery]

LOL I love the picture. I'm glad the person that cuts their heads off and stuffs them in the snow didn't draw a picture like this. That would be so gory. LOL

 

[TriciaHowe]

I love your illustration This is along side the exact method we use (cervical dislocation). We put ours into an empty plastic trash barrel (40 gal?) with a lid to flop in. While he was flopping we were processing the previous one. Worked really well. I may try yours next time though. By the end of the birds our arms were tired!

When I was a kid, my brother and I were the ones that killed the birds. I killed 200+ before I started High School.
We used 2 short pieces of 2x4, approximately 2' long. We would notch one in the middle of the board, just large
enough for the neck to sit in...

(I know, I know...Awesome Paint skills...)

The flat board would lay on the ground, the Chicken was placed on the flat board. The notched board was placed
on top of the chicken's neck. I would then step on the top board with both feet, grab the legs, pull and toss the bird
a few feet away into the grass.

It was very quick. This method was taught to us because it save the necks.

That was 40 years ago...I will be using cones and razors this time around.

 

[hydroswiftrob]

(I know, I know...Awesome Paint skills...)

This picture made me laugh. I wish I could draw that well. What was so funny is the black used to illustrate the notch in the upper board, looks like the chicken has an Elvis hair-do. I wish more people would use their paint skills to illustrate, heck I might even give it a whirl. Thanks for making my day.

 

[JimnTer]

My vote was for "off with with their heads", but I use a noose to do it. I hold both legs in my left hand, then slip a noose over the head and pull on the legs to stretch out the neck. I then use a very sharp filleting knife to remove the head. I don't release the bird, as I was taught when I was very young (3 or 4 years old) that the bird running and bouncing would bruise the breast meat. This may or may not be true, but its how I do it. Instead I keep hold of the legs and hold the bird very low to the ground which minimizes the spraying of blood. My feet and lower legs do get a lot of spray, but I wear rubber boots when butchering, so for the most part it's not an issue. Realistically, I don't think their is a huge difference in which method is more humane, just cause the bird as little stress a possible and get done quickly.