Suggestions for better using a kill cone?

[Molpet]

thought about using loppers

I use PVC pipe cutter.... I still use loppers on turkeys

 

[RUNuts]

look in the pantry and try to find a chicken sized jug. For the cockerels, a 1 gallon orange juice jug is too large, but good for heritage hens. If real small, consider a 1 liter bottle. Experiment with what you have.

If too large, slice it down the back and tighten it up like Rooster did with the 5 gallon buckets.

 

[RoosterML]

@RoosterML Are those 5-gallon buckets?
I had thought about using loppers but unfortunately I have nerve issues in my neck that the motion needed to use loppers aggravate terribly. Can't argue with how quick it must be for the chickens, though!

Yes 5 gallon buckets

 

[ChickieBee]

I just wrapped up my first attempt at raising and processing meat chickens. 9 total (the 10th is a rooster I did exactly what I said I wouldn't do with and became very fond of, so at least for now he's still around), various breeds. I personally think the meat looks pretty good for a first attempt with non-Cornish breeds . I used a kill cone for the deed and then butchered them on my kitchen table and I think overall that method worked well.

My question is with the kill cone. I have a cone that is supposed to be chicken-sized. Perhaps for large chickens it would be. However, I did have to process 6 of the chickens 3 weeks ago, earlier than I had wanted, as they turned out to be roosters and they were crowing their little hearts out, and when you live in the suburbs like I do your neighbors really don't appreciate that. I put them in the cone with the feet towards me so that I could get to their throats, but even the largest hen that I did today had absolutely no problem getting their feet into the cone and flipping themselves back upright. I was not prepared for this with the first chicken and he ended up flipping himself out of the cone and around the garage as he bled everywhere.

I thought about tying their feet up, but I didn't have a convenient place to do that where I currently have the kill cone set up in my garage, so instead I had to just quickly slit their throats, grab their legs before they could get them down into the cone, and then hold them until they were gone. Thankfully, 80% of the time I hit the vein perfectly and the chickens passed on very quickly so I didn't have to stand there for long. The other 20% though...did not go quickly, and standing there holding them the whole time was not an ideal thing at all.

Any suggestions? Do I just need a smaller cone, or should I try tying their feet next time, or...?

Put some dishwashing soap in the cone. Let it coat the inside. Slippery so they can’t maneuver around well. I also use packing tape and/or a towel in the top of the cone to keep them in place. Once they arteries/veins are cut they should just kind of hang there, not jump out and run around. The soap also helps when you scald them in removing the feathers. This is a total non machine method.