Quick Slaughter question

[donrae]

I know you've already started, but we use a pellet gun here and it does just fine. It's not for everyone, you have to be a good shot, cause that head's a pretty small target. Thankfully, my honey's a great shot and the bird's usually up one minute and down the next, minimal flapping if any.

 

[ChaoSS]

I know you've already started, but we use a pellet gun here and it does just fine. It's not for everyone, you have to be a good shot, cause that head's a pretty small target. Thankfully, my honey's a great shot and the bird's usually up one minute and down the next, minimal flapping if any.

I went straight to the back of the head, no need to be a good shot. Whole bunch of flapping though. Like, half the birds had at least one wing bone protruding. Even one where I held it in the air by the feet after shooting it snapped a wing out of the skin. I'll try decapitation next time and see how it goes.

 

[RedneckRebel]

Do you think to minimize the flapping you could wrap a string around the bird and it's wings? It's worth a shot if you're able to

 

[subhanalah]

I don't like to restrict them in that way (tying them up) because they struggle against the string. Maybe a killing cone that supports the birds whole body, but that would be one mighty small killing cone!
(Sorry, thought this was about quail!)

 

[dsboyce]

I went to Lowes last night and got all the stuff to put together a drill powered plucker. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work very well. It does a good job of ripping out the big feathers, but the little pin feathers don't come out very well. Seeing as how I can get the big feathers out myself in a very short time, guess I'm stuck plucking by hand for now.

We bought a Power Plucker and were very disappointed. We started with almost 100 chickens and did half of them using this. It took forever and we still had to spend a lot of time plucking by hand afterwards. We finally gave up and bought a Starpluck. We are hoping to get the rest of them done tomorrow with much less frustration.

 

[AmericanMom]

Ok, So I have 7 birds with a reservation for freezer camp this weekend. My arm is broken. I had planned to chop their heads off, but I might have trouble holding them still enough to do the job properly. I think I could do the job properly with a pellet rifle. Is this a bad idea? Brains possible small enough to be hard to hit even with a point blank shot? Other reasons this might not be the best idea? I'm already thinking I'll have to do the rabbits with similar reservations with the pellet rifle instead of the broomstick, might as well do the chickens too.

We made some kill cones pretty easily and cheaply out of 5 gallon Buckets.. Very very efficient, I never do the culling, but in these it doesn't bother me...


Now gutting...that IS hubbys job!

 

[AmericanMom]

Do you think to minimize the flapping you could wrap a string around the bird and it's wings? It's worth a shot if you're able to

Your gonna need something stronger than a string.. A good sturdy rope perhaps? DH when he did chop the heads off had trouble just holding them down...They are STRONG!

 

[Chicks4fun2]

Thanks for the info on the killing cone.... Makes the job look much more manageable hopefully I won't need to use one any time soon but at least now I know what I'm gonna do....