Processing method question

[HeritageFan]

I keep thinking about a cone that hinges from a moderate angle that you can quickly lift the back to lock into a vertical position, on a stable base....
I’m tall, but the last one I processed (after he was gone) cut my face with the tips of his wing feathers that he wore off while strutting.
Not badly but.
It made me reconsider a modified cone, or some sort of wrap w Velcro that I could use to keep their wings contained...
Just brainstorming !

 

[Molpet]

I keep thinking about a cone that hinges from a moderate angle that you can quickly lift the back to lock into a vertical position, on a stable base....
I’m tall, but the last one I processed (after he was gone) cut my face with the tips of his wing feathers that he wore off while strutting.
Not badly but.
It made me reconsider a modified cone, or some sort of wrap w Velcro that I could use to keep their wings contained...
Just brainstorming !

I have t post brackets that slide up and down the post when tilted. I screwed a board and then a cone to the board. I thought I could raise it with a 30 lb kicking turkey

Electric tape around the wings works, but it's difficult by myself. Have to do at least 5 wraps

A corner cut off a feed bag with the head stuck through, but hard to get the turkey in the bag by myself

 

[Isadora]

When processing quail, we cut the heads clean off and this is acceptable.
When processing chickens, cutting heads off is less than desireable because...blood in the meat? Off taste, etc.
Why and how so?
Why do I never see people mentioning the use of very sharp sheers to quickly and humanely CUT the head off?
The bird still flops around, does this not pump the blood out sufficiently?
Does ANYONE cut heads off of chickens with scissors/sheers?

I have never heard of people using different methods because of an off taste. Rather it's to prevent blood clots in the meat.
I have processed a few birds that were not bled out and did not find the blood clots to be a big deal, though. I'm not sure it even matters that much.
Normally when we process our meat birds, we hang them in a kill cone and slit the throats so they can bleed out.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

There's nothing wrong with chopping the heads clean off. It doesn't give any "off" taste to the meat or leave much if any blood in the bird. We use an axe on a stump for our meat birds. We let them drain upside down in a bucket before processing them and they drain just fine. I think some people chop off the heads and let the bird run around with its head cut off. That's when you don't get as good of a drain, but I still think it's edible. Haven't tried it though.

There are a lot of different methods and many people here on BYC to inform you on them. Choose which one you feel most confident with and go for it. There are a lot of Youtubers trying to get likes and views telling you some traditional way of doing things is wrong, but they just say that to get people to watch. It's perfectly okay to behead. I'm just making the assumption that Youtube is where you heard it was wrong to do this.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When processing chickens, cutting heads off is less than desireable because...blood in the meat? Off taste, etc.
Why and how so?

You need to remember that this forum is on the internet. You can find anything you want on the internet. I've found that no matter what you are talking about; how to process a chicken, what to use for roosts, how high to put the roots, ratio of boys to girls, how to feed them, how to house them, what to use for bedding, basically anything to do with chickens you will find someone telling you that what you have been doing for decades doesn't work or is not the best way to do it. We are all different with different goals and set-up, in some specific cases one way might be better than another. But that does not mean it is best for all cases. Some people seem to not understand that we do have different circumstances. Reading some posts you can easily believe there is one accepted way to do things but the reality is you just haven't read enough.

I believe there are some people with a delicate enough palate that can tell the difference in a bird "bled out" by hanging and cutting the throat as opposed to breaking the neck and not bleeding out. These people make great chefs. It's possible somebody might be able to tell the difference in hanging and cutting the throat as opposed to just removing the head and not hanging it but I'd expect these people to be very few and far between. I'd love to do a blind taste test to confirm that ability.

I could go on and on but I have someplace I need to be. I use the hatchet and stump method and let them flop. That's the way I learned from my father who probably learned from his father. I see a lot of blood.

 

[Molpet]

I think some people chop off the heads and let the bird run around with its head cut off. That's when you don't get as good of a drain, but I still think it's edible. Haven't tried it though.

Actually the first CX I harvested didn't fit in the metal cone. I just lopped off the head and it pin wheeled about 50 ft. Which spewed blood everywhere . which was rather impressive but attracted yellow jackets.

I then went and cut up Kitty litter jug and wacked a couple more. It seemed to me that the pin wheeler had bleed out better. But that was one bird so your mileage may differ

 

[JeffPr]

My .02 is that unconfined birds can break bones, and bruise meat.
YMMV

 

[HeritageFan]

I have t post brackets that slide up and down the post when tilted. I screwed a board and then a cone to the board. I thought I could raise it with a 30 lb kicking turkey

Electric tape around the wings works, but it's difficult by myself. Have to do at least 5 wraps

A corner cut off a feed bag with the head stuck through, but hard to get the turkey in the bag by myself

I’m thinking of something much more simple....
Perhaps I’ll have time later in the summer to play with prototypes and get back to you.
But. Rn. I’m pulling fencing, building outdoor brooders, turkey and rabbit tractors, trying to fix broken rigs....
It will be a bit before I can even think about that in a “real” way... :/

In the interim, I’m glad we both have a method that is fast and effective

 

[JesWith3]

You need to remember that this forum is on the internet. You can find anything you want on the internet. I've found that no matter what you are talking about; how to process a chicken, what to use for roosts, how high to put the roots, ratio of boys to girls, how to feed them, how to house them, what to use for bedding, basically anything to do with chickens you will find someone telling you that what you have been doing for decades doesn't work or is not the best way to do it. We are all different with different goals and set-up, in some specific cases one way might be better than another. But that does not mean it is best for all cases. Some people seem to not understand that we do have different circumstances. Reading some posts you can easily believe there is one accepted way to do things but the reality is you just haven't read enough.

I believe there are some people with a delicate enough palate that can tell the difference in a bird "bled out" by hanging and cutting the throat as opposed to breaking the neck and not bleeding out. These people make great chefs. It's possible somebody might be able to tell the difference in hanging and cutting the throat as opposed to just removing the head and not hanging it but I'd expect these people to be very few and far between. I'd love to do a blind taste test to confirm that ability.

I could go on and on but I have someplace I need to be. I use the hatchet and stump method and let them flop. That's the way I learned from my father who probably learned from his father. I see a lot of blood.

Well don't I feel like a sheepish, unread (my friends would argue that), 45-year-old child. I don't think I want to raise my hand anymore lol Thanks for your input.

 

[JesWith3]

There's nothing wrong with chopping the heads clean off. It doesn't give any "off" taste to the meat or leave much if any blood in the bird. We use an axe on a stump for our meat birds. We let them drain upside down in a bucket before processing them and they drain just fine. I think some people chop off the heads and let the bird run around with its head cut off. That's when you don't get as good of a drain, but I still think it's edible. Haven't tried it though.

There are a lot of different methods and many people here on BYC to inform you on them. Choose which one you feel most confident with and go for it. There are a lot of Youtubers trying to get likes and views telling you some traditional way of doing things is wrong, but they just say that to get people to watch. It's perfectly okay to behead. I'm just making the assumption that Youtube is where you heard it was wrong to do this.

Best of luck to you.

I appreciate you. Thank you. I much prefer beheading. Nice to know that's just fine