Nervous Novice - Butchering advice?

[Jojosine]

Yes @Jojosine . I decapitate (holding the head in my hand) with a very SHARP! knife. I can walk from dispatch to the fire pit 40 foot away at a casual pace and the hanging bird still flaps, thile movement of the head/eye/beak usually stops about 1/3 of the way there.

Its similar to the way a lizard's tail can continue to move after it has separated from the body.

Perfectly normal.

Thanks. Anyone who kills a chicken the first time, is in for a shock. But now I know it is perfectly normal, I'll try not to be too upset by it.

If you're going to dislocate it's head you need to pull hard! It's not as easy as it seems.

Sharpen your axe, go all the way through its neck.

I've had birds flap around for a lot longer than that, after having their heads taken off. It's a strange thing to witness and I can understand it upsetting you. Well done on your first successful dispatching

Thanks for the compliment, I guess

 

[Jojosine]

Thanks. Anyone who kills a chicken the first time, is in for a shock. But now I know it is perfectly normal, I'll try not to be too upset by it.

Thanks for the compliment, I guess

But thank you for the advice too. I don't like killing an animal, but also realise that my chicken had a much better life than the shop bought ones.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Not something anyone should look forward too, but I think there is room for respect and reasonable pride in doing the job swiftly and cleanly, to limit suffering.

 

[WoodyM]

Hi! I'm new to raising birds for meat and am wanting to butcher my first batch of chickens soon. I've done a lot of reading and research (including on this forum!) and am determined to do this, but am still pretty nervous -- I've not butchered an animal before (besides an emergency cull of a bird that was suffering), and I want to make sure the process is as painless as possible for the birds. I do know that I prefer chopping the head off as opposed to slicing or breaking the neck.

So things I have questions about:

1. Does anyone have any advice for dealing with nerves?
2. How do I keep the bird from flapping around/its neck stretched out so that I can make this a simpler process? (On the emergency cull I stuffed it into a bag, but my partner had to hold it for me -- I guess I want to know how I can make this a one-person job).
3. I don't have a ton of muscle -- is there a particular axe/hatchet/machete brand that has a good weight to help with the cut and is easily sharpened? Bonus points if it comes sharpened (used a small hatchet before and it was. Not a good experience and the blade was impossible to get/keep sharp).
4. Any recommendations for sharpeners and processing knives/equipment?
5. Not a concern now because it is cold where I live -- but how do you keep flies away when processing during warmer months?

Thank you for any and all help you can give!

1. Do not hesitate or try to be gentle, be aggressive with your cut so it is right the first time.
2. I use a killing cone and they are going to flap around after the cut since you are decapitating (as do i) Try to remember as the body is trying to still flap around that the bird is already dead, not suffering.
3. As I use a knife I don't know. But when using a knife remember to slice, not chop.
4. processing knives are all over the place on Amazon. A small razor blade knife is good for the small stuff.
5. You don't. Have coolers or covers for anything the birds are going into.
6. In case you didn't catch this in your research; the meat needs to go through rigor for 24 hours refrigerated or you have to do it after you defrost. Don't eat a chicken you processed the same day.

 

[Penpal]

I like to take the birds to a different place and pay somebody else to do it.

You can get a poultry stunner. It sends a bolt of electricity to the bird and stuns it. While "asleep" you kill it. Chop its head off, cut the neck, break the neck. I think this is the most humane way to kill a chicken.