Ok, that didn't go quite as well as i had hoped.

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

Thanks everyone for all of your suggestions.. My eldest dd and I ate him as chicken taco and I have to say he was pretty good

. I really want to get better so there is zero suffering though. You guys are great!

 

[dancingbear]

I had one experience that didn't go very well, the roos seemed to take forever to expire. In reality, it was probably less than a minute for each, it just seemed longer because I was upset. It probably seemed longer to the roos.

Anyway, I was telling a good friend about it, and told him the butchering wasn't as successful as the previous time. He asked me, "Are they not dead?" I told him, "They're dead, it was just traumatic."
He said, "Well, then, if they're dead and in the freezer, it was successful. You'll do better next time."

And so it goes. We all have at least once when things don't go as easily as we wish. We learn and get better, you will, too.

These might be helpful:
Slaughter:

Evisceration:

I refer people to these videos all the time. They were a huge help to me.

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

I put them in the cone and use a good pair of pruning shears. One lop and its over.

 

[Damummis]

I have tried the ax method, it wasn't good. Being a small framed female I find that laying them down, putting a rake handle, or some other long pole across the neck, step on both sides of pole so the bird is kinda right between your feet, grab feet and pull straight up with a determined pull. This dislocates neck and kills bird instantly, if the head dosn't come off completely I slit sided of neck after hanging them so they bleed out.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Sorry you had a hard time.. My first Coturnix I did was not how i wanted it to go.. I didnt hit its head hard enough the first time and it was still trying to get away.. Had to do it gain .. Bout made me sick to my stomach.. It does get easier though..

I am wondering if you can just remove the head with a sharp knife and a killing cone??? I dont like the idea of Pithing but would be afraid to use an axe sideways to remove the head.. I have seen folks do it with rabbits by hanging them by the back feet on a clothes line and just removing the whole head in one fell swoop//

 

[Ridgerunner]

For practice, if you can get small branches and try cutting them on the chopping block, you will get more comfortable with the hatchet or ax.

Whatever you use, it needs to be sharp, as others have mentioned. If you sharpen it yourself, wear leather gloves, whether you use a grinding wheel or a file, and, if you use a file, make sure the ax or hatchet is held firmly. I put mine in a vise to hold it and sharpen it with a file as I don't want to change the temper of the metal by using a grinding wheel. I use my ax for things other than just to process chickens, so the temper is more important to me. A grinding wheel will work fine if you are just using it for chickens. If you use a grinding wheel, wear goggles. I don't like to use a sharpening stone on an ax as I find them too slow. Give me a file any time. If you cannot sharpen it yourself, ask at the local hardware store or maybe feed store where you can get it sharpened.

As far as weight, I think you need to use something reasonably heavy but certainly something you can manage with one hand. Accuracy is more important than brute force. A sharp hatchet or ax accurately delivered will do the job, even if it is fairly lightweight. I find the ones with a little heft to them to be easier to be accurate with.

Look at it as your worst one is over. You will get better as you do it. You do need to concentrate each time. Don't be too surprised if you botch one after a few successful ones because you lost concentration. I know I have.

Good luck!!!