More questions

[Sussex19]

I've got a couple more questions if @3KillerBs or anyone else can help.
I culled a slightly older cockerel around 7 months old, using the broomstick method, and it seemed like it took about a minute to die.
I definitely felt the neck break, there was some vigorous flapping, and a good gap in the neck; but it still responded when I touched the eye and seemed to aware for my liking.
Did I do something wrong? Or is that just how it is with an older bird?
Also when cleaning it out there was something that looked like a grape,
anyone know what that was?
Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[3KillerBs]

With a good gap in the neck it's impossible for it to be alive.

I find the flapping the most difficult part to deal with.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Where in the body was the "grape"? How many 1, 2, or several. What color? How hard or soft? How big? I'm sure it's too late for a photo.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Rest assured it was dead if you did it correctly - I've been half way to the fire pit, entire head in hand (I decapitate with a SHARP! knife), while the body flaps behind me, and the head opens its mouth and makes a gasping or twitching movement - sometimes the eyelids move as well. Though there is 30, 40 foot between the body and the brain. In this case, movement is NOT a sure sign of life.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and if the grape-like structure was found in close proximity to the liver, and similar in color, you are likely talking about the spleen. Nearby would be the "radioactive" (ok, not really, but you definitely don't want to be spilling the contents) gall bladder with that green bile. NOT good eats!

 

[Sussex19]

Thanks everyone, I presumed that it was just the reaction, but it seemed a bit more than it should be.

and if the grape-like structure was found in close proximity to the liver, and similar in color, you are likely talking about the spleen. Nearby would be the "radioactive" (ok, not really, but you definitely don't want to be spilling the contents) gall bladder with that green bile. NOT good eats

That sounds possible, and I saw the gall bladder, so didn't brake it.

Where in the body was the "grape"? How many 1, 2, or several. What color? How hard or soft? How big? I'm sure it's too late for a photo.

It was around the area of the liver, only 1 that I saw, and just about the size and softness of a purple grape.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

It was around the area of the liver, only 1 that I saw, and just about the size and softness of a purple grape.

Yup, Spleen. I take birds apart every two weeks or so. Based on the description above, I'm confident.

 

[Sussex19]

I culled a slightly older cockerel around 7 months old, using the broomstick method, and it seemed like it took about a minute to die.
I definitely felt the neck break, there was some vigorous flapping, and a good gap in the neck; but it still responded when I touched the eye and seemed to aware for my liking.
Did I do something wrong? Or is that just how it is with an older bird?

I'm coming back to this now, as I have been reading, and studying what happens when killing chickens with cervical dislocation.
What should happen, when it is done correctly, is the spinal cord is stretched, and then recoils back to the brain, which stuns it. (what then actually kills it is blood loss) If that doesn't happen, what is happing is the same as when a human breaks their neck, they can live for at least a little while.
So the brain is conscious for at least 10 or more seconds until bleeding kills it. This can be seen, as the eyes look alive, responding to being touched until it actually dies, were as when its done right they have no reflex pretty much immediately.

What is the difference between doing it right or wrong? This is something I am still not quite sure about, but I think the trick is to do an extremely sudden, sharp pull. Many people in yt videos to more of a steady pull until they feel the neck break, so that was what I was doing (sadly ) whereas the pull should be much sharper, so fast that you can't really feel what is happening.
I know since changing that, I am having much more success, and am happy to keep going with this method. There will always be the odd one that don't go quite right, but that would be the same with any method.

So, always, always, check the eye for reflexes, and make sure you are actually doing it right.

Sorry to all the cockerels that didn't have as peaceful a passing as they should have, due to following some yt videos that didn't know what they were doing

 

[3KillerBs]

but I think the trick is to do an extremely sudden, sharp pull.

Yes, you take up the slack in the neck so that it's well stretched out then give a sharp jerk.

That breaks the neck, severs the spinal cord, and severs the blood vessels in the neck. (Sometimes you pull a little too hard and the head comes off -- which is messy, but assures you that the bird had a quick end).

If you don't take up the slack first the head might slip out from under the
broomstick or you might not actually achieve the break correctly.

 

[Sussex19]

Yes, you take up the slack in the neck so that it's well stretched out then give a sharp jerk.

The thing is, I did take up the slack, and did give a sharp jerk. But it still wasn't sharp enough, I found.
Just how sharp and quick that jerk needs to be, is something that is never covered when reading or watching yt. When I watched those videos extra closely, I found many were doing it the same as me, most of the chickens have eye reflexes afterwards.
I guess the thing is, so many people don't actually get taught by someone who knows what they are doing, and even when incorrectly done you still get the flapping, etc, so if you don't look closely one don't realized ones doing it wrong.

That breaks the neck, severs the spinal cord, and severs the blood vessels in the neck. (Sometimes you pull a little too hard and the head comes off -- which is messy, but assures you that the bird had a quick end).

And with the ones I did wrong, there was gap the size of my hand between the head and neck, but they still have some brain function, although I hope that it wasn't a great deal.

Anyway, I just wanted to bring attention to how hard it is to actually do it right, and the importance of checking for eye reflex.