Processing Australorps

[Bridebeliever]

There's so much great information flowing here, I have to ask this question...
Why have people switched to the hang upside down or in a cone rather than the "old fashioned" off with the head axe method? To me completely and instantly taking the head off would seem the most humane, but as I've said I haven't killed me first bird yet. Also, could you tie twine around the bird at the wings to stop the flailing of the muscles after death?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

The bird will still flutter about. It's not often I get a full head lop off with first chop but that doesn't matter as I'm more on accuracy ensuring a humane kill. All first chops are going to kill the bird in my case but not always take off the head. Any who, back to the fluttering around. They go limp when first killed then in 30 seconds the nerves kick in. I use to toss into a garbage bag lined can and walk away until the flopping stopped. Now I just toss to side and go and get another. I honestly think folks like the cone method for the reason that it holds the bird. There is little blood and nothing to be gained in "bleeding out" a small animal like chicken. But the birds go limp when upside down so it's hassle free to cut to neck bone with one sure swipe and then the bird is held by cone so you don't see or hear flopping about.

Just my 2 cents on it. If you know the bird will flutter about it's not alarming. Personally the hit with hatchet to spine is a sure instant kill opposed to the cut but both will flutter, ones just held in place.

I'd forgotten about the pithing. The knife to brain is pith and reason for that is it's thought to make for easier plucking. I recently head shot with pellet a cockerel and it did indeed pluck easy. I'm undecided if it was the pith to brain or if I finally got the water just right and using a turkey fryer. I'll find out when I cull the last three non breeders tomorrow. The pellet gun is not working so will be using hatchet.

 

[blucoondawg]

I switched to the knife and kill cone because to many times I have not made a good whack with the axe, it also consolidated the mess to one place rather than the bird flopping around all over, some have experienced broken bones from letting them flop about on the ground but I haven't had that experience, though the cone would prevent that

 

[dmanhefner]

I like the knife and cone because you can save the blood for fish bait or other uses. It's quick and they are out in no time. If you have never done the deed head choping can be a little nerve racking after the fact. Best to catch them at night or pre-dawn. I have heard you can singe black pin feathers.

 

[Bridebeliever]

I honestly don't think I'm going to handle this well...I'm probably going to have to call someone and pay or share the meat. And don't get me wrong, I'm not against it, I'm just a whimp and I made the mistake of naming them...never again!

 

[Nupe]

I honestly don't think I'm going to handle this well...I'm probably going to have to call someone and pay or share the meat. And don't get me wrong, I'm not against it, I'm just a whimp and I made the mistake of naming them...never again!

You just need a buddy for your first processing. On my first processing day, I invited my Mom and a couple of friends who had done this sort of thing before and I mostly watched and gophered. The 2nd time around, it was just me and the hubby, who wasn't there the first time, so I was the expert. Yikes... Rather than wimp out and hear crap from the hubby for an eternity, I just swallowed the knot in my throat and did it. By the end of the day, I was comfortable with it.

This is the tutorial I used to reference before getting started.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-eviscerating-cutting-up-your-chicken-graphic

 

[dmanhefner]

I forgot, you can forgo plucking by skinning. If youve got strong hands its easy

 

[twisted-acres-farm]

I have done an Austroporp the black pin feathers and "black heads" where feathers haven't emerged are a pain in the backside. We use a pair of heavy duty tree loppers the curved blade type seems to work ok, better then the hatchet where even the sharpest edge will just bounce back on you. Haven't tried the cone yet. We have also had on person "hug" the bird while the other dispatches it. Hanging the bird by it feet with head down seems to calm it before doing the deed.

 

[blucoondawg]

What seems to be a good age to minimize pin feathers?

 

[OrionDarkwood]

Sorry I have been bad and not replied or updated everyone. We have successfully processed 6 chickens. The first we tried the knife but couldn't seem to keep the chicken still enough even hanging them upside down. So we tried and had great success with a sharp hatchet and a 4 pound sledgehammer (one good swing of the hammer and you get a headless chicken). As for them flooping around the first round of 3 we did shortly after Christmas we had no issues, they went limb after beheading. The second round which was about a week ago they did the typical flop like a headless chicken thing.

Some of the things we found out that may or may not be of use to someone else

1. Spread the legs when dipping in hot water for defeathering
2. Cut the scent gland upwards to the anus to take out two things at once.
3. Better to give up a bit of meat that deal with the wing feathers on the last joint of the wing
4. After you kill them let them hang for a couple of mintues. Sometimes they are calm then start kicking a couple of minutes after they are supposedly dead.
5. A pair of sewing scissors works wonders on the hairs

Not sure since we only did it on one bird but soaking the bird in cold water (had to became they flopped in the dirt quite a bit) then dipping them in hot water for the defeathering. It seemed to make the de-feathering go faster.