shoot in head to kill rather than axe method?

[SweetLilRachy00]

Is it going to be legal to discharge a firearm where you live? You might want to think about that first. How about to trying the axe or the ringing of the neck first. I think that the sight of a shot chicken in the head will be worse looking than one without the head... JMO of course...

As for lead poisoning, I don't know about all that. People shoot deer all the time and I've never heard of lead poisoning from that...or quail..

 

[Dan nich]

I shot one in head with 22 one time it’s took 4 more head shots and she finally died

 

[archeryrob]

I use the axe and hold them upside down by the feet for a minute. Then they sit still while you line up the neck on the block and swing.

Then hold on to it for a full minute or so, before moving to the next one. Even docile hanging, as soon as you let go of it it will start flopping everywhere.

 

[Sally PB]

Here's my story of shooting two cockerels I had to cull because they became unholy terrors to me and the pullets at 4 months when hormones hit.

Before I caught the bird, I got my revolver and ear muffs ready in a spot behind the garden shed, out of sight of the other chickens.

I got a fishing net (get one that is mostly open net, not tiny mesh) and caught the bird. I took him to the spot, put on my muffs, put the muzzle to the back of his head, and pulled the trigger. The bullet exited the bird's head safely into the ground. He did the death throes thrash for about 15 seconds, and was still. Then I cried, hard.

I did the second one the next day. That afternoon, there was peace in my flock once more.

There was no plan to eat either of them, so they are buried in the garden. I thank them for their contribution to the soil. It wasn't their fault they were born male.

 

[bobbi-j]

The smell of the blood sprayed all over from the hatchet method will freak out the next in line.

This has not been our experience, but DH is pretty quick with the hatchet, so maybe the next one in line doesn’t have time to get freaked out. When we process, I catch the bird, hand it to DH, he decapitates, and I hand him the next one.

 

[bobbi-j]

I use the axe and hold them upside down by the feet for a minute. Then they sit still while you line up the neck on the block and swing.

Then hold on to it for a full minute or so, before moving to the next one. Even docile hanging, as soon as you let go of it it will start flopping everywhere.

We put ours in a 5-gallon bucket after decapitating. It keeps them mostly contained, but every now and then one will flip out of the bucket.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

...I can't believe this thread...

 

[Molpet]

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Damnit, I need a smoker and an air gun. Stat.

 

[Burdi]

I am no good with a hatchet. I decapitate with a very sharp boning knife after the chicken is relaxed in the cone. Resharpen every 2 or 3 birds.