Killing, Plucking, Eviscerating, & Cutting Up Your Chicken - Graphic!

[ZoeZoo]

I have no problem reading about it, but I would never have the guts to do this, at least until the head/feet/feathers are all gone!
But you did an excellent job writing that, and it cleared up all my questions

 

[hudsonnascarfan]

this was one of the best ones i have seen yet on how to do your own chickens its something ive been wanting to learn how to do the right way i have been watching you tube vids and they dont even come close to this one

 

[roxyblue]

Is the poor bird still alive while it's bleeding out? is it pain?

 

[yinepu]

Is the poor bird still alive while it's bleeding out? is it pain?

yes, the bird is still alive as it's bleeding out when slitting the throat as pictured in the original post.

I don't know if you have ever cut yourself and didn't realize you had til you saw the blood.. but a razor sharp cut doesn't usually cause pain

 

[roxyblue]

right, thanks, I guess you're right that a sharp cut like that wouldn't be very painfull. But still

(he did seem to do a good job though.....)

 

[SherrieT]

This is such a great post. Thank you !

 

[bj taylor]

i'm getting my first ever chicks in feb. i've purchased dual purpose birds. in my mind, i'm thinking about using the chickens for eggs & meat both, but it is so daunting to take this step. i appreciate your pictures & posts. it helps me get a clearer understanding of the steps.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Is the poor bird still alive while it's bleeding out? is it pain?

Joel Salatin says that initial cut, with the large volume of blood lost in an instant and the resulting great drop in blood pressure, causes the birds to "flat-line" in about 5-10 seconds. I guess you could hook up your own MRI to a chicken being processed to prove him correct or incorrect, but it makes sense to me. The residual reflexive movements from the birds are certainly unsettling, but you have to keep it firmly in mind that it's only physical reflexes from a bird long gone Across The Road and feeling no more pain.

This is a GRAPHIC video, but very informative, showing the process of dispatching chickens by slicing their necks while in the cone.

You can see how to make the deep & decisive cuts that send your birds immediately to The Other Side. In the video there is a crowd of students watching, asking questions, nervously laughing. At my place there is sunshine and birdsong, and I take a moment to calm each bird by stroking him gently before placing him carefully in the cone, and talk soothingly to him before & right after making the cut.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

At my place there is sunshine and birdsong, and I take a moment to calm each bird by stroking him gently before placing him carefully in the cone, and talk soothingly to him before & right after making the cut.

 

[AquaEyes]

How long after the initial cut does the heart beat? I understand that this is mentioned as a benefit over stunning first because the heart continues to pump blood out of the body, but I was wondering if anyone knew how long it kept going.