After reading some of the struggles folks have gone through on the forum here and realizing that I had the same problems, axe, loppers etc. I though I would share how processing day has evolved for me. This may or may not work for you but it has helped take the stress out of butchering days for me. It's still not easy and after a couple hundred I still have emotions with processing. I don't think you will ever get over it.
After placing bird in bag with hole cut large enough to fit chickens head in, secure to fence or post. Bailing wire wrapped twice around chickens legs and secured to back to itself will hold them in place for entire process. Weight of chicken will pull wire tighter.
Open chickens mouth. They will be moving at this point
Place knife blunt side out towards skin, sharp side towards neck bone and make a slicing motion on the neck once you see blood move to the other side and do the same. The braining part that folks talk about is done in this step. I've not had much luck with knife and will try flathead screw driver next.
Let the chicken bleed out. There will still be shaking with this part so go and prepare other birds or get ready to finish processing. If the bag was done right the wings will be held by the bag. The hole with this bag was almost too large. The bailing wire also holds bag in place. Seldom have a wing coming out.
Proceed as you would normally either skinning or feathering.
This is the position I hang the bird to skin it the height I've chosen allows me to sit in chair while processing. When finished skinning, the bird is parted out while it hangs there. All entrails skin etc. are then released into a 5 gallon bucket below the bird from the start. If done right all the innards are never touched. When I take legs and wings off I cut any useful meat off the back and the back is discarded with the entrails. You may chose to save the back and the neck. With the exception of feathers the parts are clean ready for salt, no water, and a Baggie to store in refrigerator. For me most of the time it's clean enough that I don't rinse except when cooking. All poultry is cooked to 165 so all bugs are killed as well.
Unless I'm too rough getting skin off and the bird loses its head. Then it's a mess to work with. I have a table ready for that but I've learned a technique when removing skin that takes pressure off neck. Older chickens seldom lose their head.
Equipment used: two knives and steel to keep knives sharp, feed bag, small length of bailing wire, baggies, salt, 5 gallon bucket and chair. Oh and the chicken.
One thing you can do is what I'm trying right now: preserve the skin with its feathers intact and then make something with it after. At least you'll still get to enjoy the beauty of their feathers and less of the bird will have gone to waste
