Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[3 NH reds]

Going to get rid of our 3 month old Giant cockerels this weekend. The noise level is driving us nuts. I don't expect any high weights for them, Jersey Giants are not like Cornish. I am finishing them with fermented corn as well as grower. I know this worked well for Turkey last year. On a side note I had a Ranger chick with a bad leg. We gave it time but it would not heal right and pretty sure the Flock of adults would have killed it when we put it out. I hated to kill it but it was the only humane choice. I was going to bleed it but I wanted it to be quicker. I just held it's neck and quickly pulled forward on the head. It was that quick and I don't think it knew a thing.

 

[KrazyChromatics]

has anyone used a high powered BB gun to dispatch birds? im thinking of going this route for the birds i feed my dog for a better whole meal... blood is nutritious and id rather not bleed those guys out as much if i can help it, im thinking a well placed shot at the back of the head towards the brain should be non-traumatizing for all involved, then all i should just be able to pluck, bag and freeze... usually he misses out on the blood due to bleed out and he will eat all the heads at once as we just lop them off and leave em where they land then later when we let him out he will clean up for us.... obviously for ours we want to be more proper, we lop the heads off, we figure theres less room for error.... my first roo i ever killed i bled out and didnt cut deep enough i ended up pretty much choking the poor guy.... yeah i dont plan to do it that way ever again... might as well have let a fox eat him....

 

[Kassaundra]

has anyone used a high powered BB gun to dispatch birds? im thinking of going this route for the birds i feed my dog for a better whole meal... blood is nutritious and id rather not bleed those guys out as much if i can help it, im thinking a well placed shot at the back of the head towards the brain should be non-traumatizing for all involved, then all i should just be able to pluck, bag and freeze... usually he misses out on the blood due to bleed out and he will eat all the heads at once as we just lop them off and leave em where they land then later when we let him out he will clean up for us.... obviously for ours we want to be more proper, we lop the heads off, we figure theres less room for error.... my first roo i ever killed i bled out and didnt cut deep enough i ended up pretty much choking the poor guy.... yeah i dont plan to do it that way ever again... might as well have let a fox eat him....

I use a pellet gun, a rifle type. I use the .17 size pellet b/c it has a higher velocity then the .22 (my gun has both barrels) and works better. I put the chicken in a killing cone type set up, the bullet wound to the head makes plenty of bleed out, I just let the bird hang upside down for the bleed out and have never had blood anywhere except in the catch bucket. Works perfect for me, plenty good enough for human consumption w/ proper bleed out, quick humane death. If you are wanting to keep the blood In the chicken after death I would say you would have to take it out of the cone immediately.

 

[Beekissed]

Here's an excellent video of skinning a bird and removing the meat for canning, but without gutting it. I've done this many a time on birds that don't have much meat on them, especially when it's just the one bird that I'm culling.

 

[chicksooner]

Here's an excellent video of skinning a bird and removing the meat for canning, but without gutting it. I've done this many a time on birds that don't have much meat on them, especially when it's just the one bird that I'm culling.

good video. He needs a less slippery surface to work on. It was making me a little crazy watching him catch his chicken.

 

[Beekissed]

That's exactly what I told him in the comments section. But, of course, a woman would have used a rag instead of a sponge and had a dry rag handy to dry the table.

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

has anyone used a high powered BB gun to dispatch birds? im thinking of going this route for the birds i feed my dog for a better whole meal... blood is nutritious and id rather not bleed those guys out as much if i can help it, im thinking a well placed shot at the back of the head towards the brain should be non-traumatizing for all involved, then all i should just be able to pluck, bag and freeze... usually he misses out on the blood due to bleed out and he will eat all the heads at once as we just lop them off and leave em where they land then later when we let him out he will clean up for us.... obviously for ours we want to be more proper, we lop the heads off, we figure theres less room for error.... my first roo i ever killed i bled out and didnt cut deep enough i ended up pretty much choking the poor guy.... yeah i dont plan to do it that way ever again... might as well have let a fox eat him....

I used a BB gun with the batch of cockerels I did a few nights ago. Worked out much better for me. I had them in position and placed the shot where the brain stem is located. I aimed there because I read an article about a headless roo (during the 40s) that lived for 18 months after decapitation because the brain stem was still intact and undamaged, until he choked on feed the owner was giving him. (They even had him on tour in the U.S.) Apparently as long as the brain stem is undamaged they can continue to live until they die of starvation or dehydration.

Here's an excellent video of skinning a bird and removing the meat for canning, but without gutting it. I've done this many a time on birds that don't have much meat on them, especially when it's just the one bird that I'm culling.

After watching him chase that bird around the work area I can understand why he said he'd had a trip to the E.R. from the knife slipping.

 

[chicksooner]

I used a BB gun with the batch of cockerels I did a few nights ago. Worked out much better for me. I had them in position and placed the shot where the brain stem is located. I aimed there because I read an article about a headless roo (during the 40s) that lived for 18 months after decapitation because the brain stem was still intact and undamaged, until he choked on feed the owner was giving him. (They even had him on tour in the U.S.) Apparently as long as the brain stem is undamaged they can continue to live until they die of starvation or dehydration.
After watching him chase that bird around the work area I can understand why he said he'd had a trip to the E.R. from the knife slipping.

How would a headless bird eat?

 

[chicksooner]

That's exactly what I told him in the comments section. But, of course, a woman would have used a rag instead of a sponge and had a dry rag handy to dry the table.

true story

 

[Kassaundra]

How would a headless bird eat?

Google it, you will find pics and articles it was fascinating. (in a morbid kinda way)