needs some encouragement

[Denninmi]

RE: "doing the deed" -- I did my meaties the past 2 weekends by a method my sister showed me that they use with wounded game birds in the field. She called it the snap method. I have since seen it called the "English" method. Its essentially hanging, with your hand as the noose. Hold the bird in one arm and cradle it, even pet it a little and calm it. Grab the head with the other hand, and then suddenly let go, allowing the weight of the body to fall free, and give a shake at the same time. This instantly severed the spinal cord from the skull at the base. It seemed to be instant lights out. Then, I put them upside down and quickly removed the head so the blood would squirt out. Yes, there was flapping of wings -- for those concerned about it, you could easily put a simple velcro tie around the bird first.

I was thinking about this and discussing it with the fam yesterday. My comment -- I'd much rather go like that than with some slow, lingering disease. I had a friend die of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), that was a hard thing to see and a very bad way to go, the body failing but the mental faculties fully intact.

 

[BigSkyChickens]

You can do it. Thinking about it ahead of time built it up in my mind to be bigger than it was - it's remarkably calmer than I thought it would be.

My advice: If you do the slice method, get your knife sharpened before you do the deed. Feathers are like armor. Take your time to position the knife in between the feathers so you get contact with the skin. The first time was nerve-wracking, but saying "thank you chicken" out loud helped me keep my cool.

And it's ok to cry.

 

[donrae]

Well, it's true if you lay a bird on a stump and hatchet it's head off and let it go, it will run around and flap. It'll either give you the giggles or make you want to vomit. Killing cones are a great way to go. We made one out of cardboard and one out of a thick plastic pond liner. I liked the plastic one better than a stainless steel cause we could bend it and "hug" the bird as it was bleeding out, otherwise I'd have heard the kicking against the steel sides. And yes, I'm a wimp that way. Once it's dead, I have no problems. It's the dying I don't like. We skinned our birds, so no wet feather smell. The smell of the guts is an odor, but I didn't find it horribly offensive. There's really not a lot of blood, probably around a cup, but be warned it spurts/sprays! When you slit the throat or chop the head, don't expect the blood to drip nicely down, it'll spurt out possibly kinda sideways, depending on the angle of the cut. So have a trash can you can put the bleeding part down inside a ways to contain the blood. A nearby hose is a must, you'll want to rinse your hands off frequently. Sharpen your knives frequently. Cry for a few minutes once it's dead. It's a responsibility, taking a life, and it's okay to grieve. And don't expect to eat it right away--I find it's best to freeze the bird for a few weeks, let the memory fade a little before you try to eat it.
Good luck. As mentioned, it's one of the more empowering things you'll ever do!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

The first few are always the hardest. You can do it.

 

[erinchelsea]

The first one is definitely the hardest. If you are afraid of slitting the throat, get a sharp pair of poultry shears, lop the head off (while in the cone) and walk away for a few minutes till the flapping stops.

I also suggest planning on putting him in the freezer for awhile, you may not feel like eating it right away.

But boy, do they taste good when you do!

 

[jgervais]

Quote:
I think this is what ill do.

If I have the courage, we will have a chicken dinner this weekend