Slit Throats or Decapitation? What should I do??

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

We used a cone and slit throats, but you have to make sure the knife is SHARP.
But once, the 'slit' was too much and ended up taking the whole head off. That one flopped around a lot more and seemed much more gruesome to all of us. The slit ones just sort of... faded.
I prefur that.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

This may not work if you are doing multiple birds, or in a hurry, but it worked great for me....

I sat with my bird for a few moments with a towel over her head. It was very calm. Layed her down on the block with the towel still over her head and stretched the neck a little. She was still very calm. Then took a hatchet to her neck. Her heart still beat a few times so we could hang her and she bleed out.

The towel calmed her and also gave my boyfriend a visual of were to bring down the hatchet. Couldn't get more humane then that.

Just do what feels right to you. Good luck.

 

[JayUmmelVT]

Almost ready to do the deed and still working on my approach. I have read a good deal on Pithing but I can't find figure out if the heart still will beat a bit more after I stab the brain resulting in a better bleed out. I read that pithing stuns the bird making for easier plucking and less traumatic death, but I will be using a picker so defeathering isn't as big an issue as the bleed out to me.

So Bottom line, will my bleed out be effected if I pith, then slit throats?

Thanks,
Jay

 

[Opa]

If done properly pithing doesn't kill them, it only eliminates their ability to feel pain. Once accomplished a shallow cut to the jugular vein will result in a thorough bleed out and a blood free carcass.

 

[JayUmmelVT]

Wow, thanks for the quick response. Almost everyone I read talking about pithing uses the term, "if done properly", yet I can't find a great description of how to do it. Is the following accurate?
The bird must be upside down, open the beak and insert a very sharp knife or pick through the roof of the mouth, aiming between the eyes and toward the brain,and then twist the blade. I read someone saying you know that you have done it correctly when the bird shutters than goes limp.

 

[Opa]

Any sharp thin knife will work but I've found that an ice pick is ideal. I place the bird in the cone, pull head out. When you look inside the birds beak you will see a v shaped hole in the roof mouth. Insert blade in hole aiming for back of head. A quick side to side motion effectly accomplishes the task.

 

[shandiane78]

I have absolutely no experience with any of this, but I'm replying anyway. lol I don't believe there would be a big difference in the experience of the chicken whether you slit the arteries or decapitate. Regardless of how the body reacts, both would result in a very quick drop in blood pressure, loss of blood supply to the brain...Doesn't it make sense that the chicken would black out at that point, whether the heart continues to beat or not? How could the chicken still be conscious?

 

[Opa]

While both methods result in a dead chicken, pithing supposedly destroys the portion of the brain that would control pain, the heart continues to be until the bird sucumbs to blood lose. This result in more blood be removed from the body.

 

[kelliepulido]

could someone show a pix of where to slit the arteries on the neck?I would go with this method

 

[sfessler]

Quote:
Hard to do it wrong. Grab birds head in left hand with thumb under beak and fingers on top of head. Stretch bird to stop movement and skinny up the neck area where you will be slitting. Now you want to use your right hand to slit near the head but in the skinny part of the neck. There just happens to be a bald spot there where feathers don't grow. So thats your cut location. There's a little more though. You want to cut parallel to the imaginary line between the spine and the windpipe since you don't want to cut either of these things. So align your knife to be parallel to that line over the bald patch near the base of the head and draw the knife while applying light pressure. The bird won't fuss much as you make the cut. Suddenly blood will gush from the cut and then you can either let go or you can repeat on the other side to get the most blood. It'll take awhile for the bird to expire but the time will be very relaxed, little to no kicking. All of the sudden the birds eyes will close. I poke it a bit and then lop it's head off since I want to be dang sure it is dead before setting it into the 150 dgree water.

I found it on youtube before my first try. Worst case is you cut too much and lop it's head off. So long as you don't undercut it you'll be fine. Just keep slicing until the blood gushes out. It really does gush, you can't miss it.