Tips on severing artery?

[KatieH]

We tried using a kill cone and severing the artery and it didn't go well. I think I cut way too deep. It looks so easy in the pictures

Also, is there a specific way to place the bird in the cone? I put him in with his back to the back but his head didn't come far enough out. I thought at first he was just too big to fit properly, but after it was over I was wondering if maybe I put him in backwards?

Also, someone told me that if I put him in the cone and leave him for a few minutes, he'll pass out. Is that true? It would make it easier, I think, he was squirming and I'm sure that didn't help.

Thanks!

 

[aclee]

I didn't use a kill cone last night, I used a milk jug, but I kept the opening quite small. When I loaded him in I held him by the tops of the wings in one hand and then reached in through the hole and threaded the head and neck out. If you grasp the head with a thumb under the chin and other fingers over the top of the head, you can sort of force the chicken to stretch out...they do try to hold themselves right tight up.

We waited for the bird to calm before we did the slice, but it didn't close it's eyes and pass out. I imagine that would take quiet a while.

Hope that makes any sense. I highly recommend the videos by Polyface farms on the kill cones (I think the guy that does it for them is Grady)....he does make it look easy...I think that comes from a lot of practice. Too deep is better than not deep enough. I've heard stories of people having to cut 3 times. I would think that's harder on the bird than a deep cut.

 

[KatieH]

Good point. See, I severed the windpipe when I tried to do it

I just don't want them to suffer more than necessary.

I'll go check out those videos, thanks!

 

[scubaforlife]

Put it in the cone, then pull the head down. you can find the artery but basically its up near the jaw. it takes a few to cut and not cut too deep. Basically slide the knife until the blood pours out and stop.

 

[dancingbear]

If you cut the windpipe, you're cutting in the center of the throat. Try instead for the sides, just missing the center. Deep's better than too shallow, the problem wasn't too deep a cut, it was a misplaced cut. Watch Grady on the Polyface video, even if you've already seen. I've watched several times. I picked up little subtle things, that I'd missed before, when I watched them again.

Your cuts should be something like this: \\ / with that gap in between the cuts, where the windpipe is.

Back
of
bird's
head
\\ /
Beak-
side,
looking at
breast-side
of bird.

I'm not sure if that's very clear. Does that help?

 

[jaku]

Cut as deep as you need to- just don't cut in the actual "throat" area. Both sides at the jawline until the blood sprays. I've never had one pass out by putting it in the cone, but we whack them on the head to knock them out before putting them in, and they usually don't even wake back up after getting cut. I'm not sure which cones you have, but none that I've seen have a front/back to them.