Processing method question

[JesWith3]

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 !

omg I do the same brainstorming!! I've thought of creating velcro straps that go over top of the cone and criss cross so they can't come up and out. I've thought of cutting a hole in a dang grocery bag, taping the edge of the hole to reinforce (don't need it ripping!) and then hanging it up by the handles. Yep. I do the brainstorming LOL

 

[Charlie Wooster]

Quail I use shears/scissors, chickens I use my traffic cone and a filet knife.. sharp sharp sharp..

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

goal is always to make it happen in as stress free, fast, and absolutely reliable process as I possibly can.

Shears or loppers has to be very very sharp. If using them for beheading chicken then fo not use the tool for anything else. Reason is you want reliability in providing the animal with a n efficient, stress free , fast, pain free death. We all have had a pair of scissors that cut lousy and needed to be manipulated with counterforce to make a clean cut. That is caused by loosening of the pin holding the two blades together, which itself is caused by cutting things not meant for that tool). So, sheers and loppers need to be sharp and have excellent blade alignment and a tight pin. If it greensticks a branch then don’t use it for chickens.
I recently used the broomstick method- reliable, fast. I plan to use this method for meat bird processing day in a few weeks. There are lots of step by step videos on YT.

 

[NatJ]

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 cut the head off a chicken with a hatchet. Or a machete. Or an ax.

I've been doing it that way for years, following the example of my parents and grandparents.

I've eaten plenty of home-processed chicken, and plenty of chicken from the store. I haven't noticed any problems.

I've seen other people recommend various scissors-style cutter, or cut the head entirely off with a sharp knife.

Since I already knew a headless chicken will bleed out just fine, I've never paid much attention to the people saying otherwise. I can see how it would be confusing to someone who is trying to learn about the subject for the first time.

 

[Charlie Wooster]

I cut the head off a chicken with a hatchet. Or a machete. Or an ax.

I've been doing it that way for years, following the example of my parents and grandparents.

I've eaten plenty of home-processed chicken, and plenty of chicken from the store. I haven't noticed any problems.

I've seen other people recommend various scissors-style cutter, or cut the head entirely off with a sharp knife.

Since I already knew a headless chicken will bleed out just fine, I've never paid much attention to the people saying otherwise. I can see how it would be confusing to someone who is trying to learn about the subject for the first time.

A chicken, yes.. I have a few stumps for dispatching a chicken, or a few chickens.. but when I’m doing more than 6-8 up to 45-60.. I work smarter not harder, there is a process to processing.. and I make it as efficient as I can on me.. if I’m just cullin a hen or 2 with a broken leg then I’ll ring their necks too or if I’m close to a stump I’ll put the hatchet to work.. that’s the difference in processing and just plain ol cullin to me.. and the post was about processing..

 

[NatJ]

A chicken, yes.. I have a few stumps for dispatching a chicken, or a few chickens.. but when I’m doing more than 6-8 up to 45-60.. I work smarter not harder, there is a process to processing.. and I make it as efficient as I can on me.. if I’m just cullin a hen or 2 with a broken leg then I’ll ring their necks too or if I’m close to a stump I’ll put the hatchet to work.. that’s the difference in processing and just plain ol cullin to me.. and the post was about processing..

(I bolded one bit of the quote.) I thought the post was about whether a chicken would bleed out well enough if the head was cut completely off. So I shared my experience that it's not a problem. I said what method I use, because it is not exactly the one suggested by OP, and I don't know for sure whether it makes a difference.

As for your distinction between processing and culling-- maybe for you, but not for me. I use the same method no matter how many or how few chickens at the time. I've definitely done more than 6-8 at a time, but I think not as many as 45-60 in a single day. I see "culling" as removing the chicken from the flock permanently (by any method, including killing or rehoming), and "processing" as ending up with a bird ready to eat (for any number of birds, whether few or many.)

(Just to be clear; I'm not saying there is anything wrong with your method. Different things work "best" for different people. OP can try whatever method sounds good to them.)

 

[Charlie Wooster]

I may have posted this in the wrong spot.. I’m still unsure of how all this works..

 

[NatJ]

I may have posted this in the wrong spot.. I’m still unsure of how all this works..

Yes, it can be confusing until you get the hang of it

 

[Molpet]

I may have posted this in the wrong spot.. I’m still unsure of how all this works..

Yes it takes a while to get use to it
A section that has threads to help
Or confuse more LOL
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/announcements-feedback-site-issues-guides.3/

 

[Charlie Wooster]

Some of my old meat bird set ups