Pithing meat birds

[SpringChickens]

I am going to process our 14 Cornish X this weekend and want to try pithing. I've found a few diagrams, and think I'm somewhat comfortable with the process, but I was just wondering what tool you use to pith. I've seen a sharp knife suggested many times, but I worry that it will be too wide and could hurt the bird in the process? I was thinking an awl would work too... any other ideas/words of advice?

Thanks!!

 

[red roo]

maybe an ice-pick , i personaly prefer the slit the artery "not the throat"method, but to each his own good luck P.S there was a post the other day about different ways to dispatch and they talked about this method