Killing method

[THunter]

What do y'all feel is the best method for killing meat birds? I would think a killing cone and slicing the birds throat through to the neckbone to bleed it out is good??? Never killed a chicken before. Every bird I've ever killed was with a shotgun. No way to bleed those.

 

[cw]

i cut the heads off on a choppin block,
tie em by there feet on a clothes line to blee out

 

[Rolsjo]

We have a close friend who has an organic meat farm and his method (which we will be following) is:

1. Put them in a killing cone. This restricts movement and you're less likely to have bruised meat.

2. With a razor or box cutter slice through the artery on either side of the neck. Do not slice through the windpipe. This allows the birds to bleed out rather than suffocate. Again, the purpose is for the quality of the meat.

Since he sells his birds, he is, of course, much more concerned with the looks of his birds in addition to the flavor. He does insist that bleeding out makes for a better tasting meat and his meat birds are fantastic. So that's what we're planning. We'll probably skin most of them and scald/pluck/eviscerate a few for roasting.

 

[THunter]

Wonder how you cut arteries without cutting the windpipe. Their neck aren't that big. Guess it comes with experience.

 

[Peruvian]

Place them in a killing cone and then turn their heads 1/4 turn to cut the artery without cutting the windpipe.

 

[Kali]

How long do you let it bleed out?

 

[60ACRES]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=109583

 

[Kali]

I think we've all seen that thread... pretty hard to miss.
I'm wondering (about my previous Q) because we've just been cutting off the head and letting it hang. The blood drips long after it's dead.

I will use a make-shift cone for the first time this week.

 

[jaku]

Cut the side of the neck, not actually the throat. You can't miss the correct artery, as it usually sprays you in the face when you hit it! As for how long to bleed them out, it's simple- til they stop bleeding. They'll spray for a few moments, pour for another minute, then drip for a few more minutes. After that is when I take mine to the scalder.

 

[geareduplyn]

Since I do all steps in dressing the birds by myself, here's my method. I pull the wing tips tight against the legs, chop off the head, hold for a minute or so until bled out, scald, pluck(Am the fastest one handed chicken plucker in the west), and put in the cold water in the sink then go to the next bird. After I have the number killed that I wish to process I start scaping, eviscerating, and cutting up.

My Chopping Block