I'm a bit nervous to try the gun for the reason Mrs. K pointed out. Ricocheting bullets or bone shrapnel from shooting at close range doesn't sound fun.
I've already had surgery once from trying to cull a chicken (severed tendon in my thumb).
So now someone else does it for me. "We" used to use the broomstick method but have had two separate incidents where they came back to life after apparently being only stunned.
Despite watching all the videos and reading all the things and dispatching more than a hundred that way.
Both fails flapped their wings after the broomstick. The last time it happened was a pullet I really liked and didn't want to euthanize, but she wasn't doing well.
I was on my way to collect the body (I handle the catching and disposal) but I was a bit delayed and when I finally walked out to our designated location, the head moved up and she looked at me like she was asking for help. That broke my heart.
So now "we" use a small axe on a stump with two paint stir sticks screwed in to form a V cradle to hold the head.
After every dispatch I ask "Did the head come off? Are you sure it's dead?"
And she has to reassure me "He's all the way dead! The head rolled away." that makes me feel better.
And I really don't mind the process, other than being afraid to cause them pain or to damage myself / helper.
"We" cull pretty often because I hatch a lot for my breeding project and the excess boys have to go somewhere. Just did 3 yesterday. I couldn't make myself grab up the 4th who is not suitable for the project because he looks at me with soft eyes rather than critical little cockerel eyes. So I'm a strange mix of softie and hardened chicken farmer here.
I've already had surgery once from trying to cull a chicken (severed tendon in my thumb).
So now someone else does it for me. "We" used to use the broomstick method but have had two separate incidents where they came back to life after apparently being only stunned.
Despite watching all the videos and reading all the things and dispatching more than a hundred that way.
Both fails flapped their wings after the broomstick. The last time it happened was a pullet I really liked and didn't want to euthanize, but she wasn't doing well.
I was on my way to collect the body (I handle the catching and disposal) but I was a bit delayed and when I finally walked out to our designated location, the head moved up and she looked at me like she was asking for help. That broke my heart.
So now "we" use a small axe on a stump with two paint stir sticks screwed in to form a V cradle to hold the head.
After every dispatch I ask "Did the head come off? Are you sure it's dead?"
And she has to reassure me "He's all the way dead! The head rolled away." that makes me feel better.
And I really don't mind the process, other than being afraid to cause them pain or to damage myself / helper.
"We" cull pretty often because I hatch a lot for my breeding project and the excess boys have to go somewhere. Just did 3 yesterday. I couldn't make myself grab up the 4th who is not suitable for the project because he looks at me with soft eyes rather than critical little cockerel eyes. So I'm a strange mix of softie and hardened chicken farmer here.
