Tried PITHING, bad idea

[Mervin]

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I've done it that way (cutting first then pithing) I was pleased with it. I did it b/c the rooster that was being process was kind of special to us and it was very difficult to do the deed to begin with. Once I pithed him, it really wasn't too bad. He stopped flopping and that's what I needed.

 

[gmendoza]

pithing is not practiced on animals intended for the human food supply because it may lead to the spread of fragments of neural matter through the carcass

bad idea!

 

[EweSheep]

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Oh really??? That's the first for me to hear that! Are you afraid of something like mad cow disease? If you cook the bird properly, you won't have to worry about any brain matter throughout the carcass. Most of us would have clean water nearby but to me, it is not something I would worry about except for larger animals like cows and pigs.

Pithing has been done for decades and I have not heard anyone getting sick directly from eating the "tainted" meat.

 

[Salt and Light]

I've killed birds two different ways: chopping off their head and cutting their jugular veins. Here's my opinion.

Cutting off their head = instant death. However, the birds flop a bunch. I used to drive two nails into a stump just wide enough to fit the necks but not the head. The stump was small enough diameter to allow the body to hang over the stump, while the neck was between the nails. I then placed a tub underneath the body. This allowed the neck to be extended by the weight of the chicken's body and provided a place for the body to drop was the neck/head was severed. I liked this way because both my hands were free to handle the axe. The problem I have doing this is that the birds flop so much that they frequently break wings, they end up covered in blood and are generally a mess.

Slicing their veins = near instant death. If I do both sides of the neck, the birds are dead within 5 secs (based on closing their eyes). If I slice only one side of the neck or do a crappy job, it takes 15 - 30 secs to die. I hand the birds upside down by a metal hook that I fashioned. The most important thing is that the hook hangs from a tree branch that far enough away from the tree trunk so that when the birds flap, which they do, they do not break their wings. I let the birds bleed onto the ground.

For me, both methods are equally humane but slicing the neck is my preferred method.

 

[gmendoza]

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Oh really??? That's the first for me to hear that! Are you afraid of something like mad cow disease? If you cook the bird properly, you won't have to worry about any brain matter throughout the carcass. Most of us would have clean water nearby but to me, it is not something I would worry about except for larger animals like cows and pigs.

Pithing has been done for decades and I have not heard anyone getting sick directly from eating the "tainted" meat.

To each their own.

I just use axe measures.

 

[honeydoll]

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There are three methods I really know of, pithing (as I mentioned), chopping head off and cutting the arteries. My hubby does the killing I do the cleaning. He prefers cutting the head off. If you chop the head off and get it in the killing cone or hold well upside down it drains well, but my hubby a time or two got the neck kinked in the cone and they didn't drain so well. So watch that. Cutting the arteries I think would give you the best bleed out I would think; but make sure you have very sharp knife. Ours bleed out fine chopping off the head though, and there is no guessing if you hit the right spot...that method is pretty obvious (LOL). Hope that helps.

Carolyn

 

[honeydoll]

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I have never heard of this either. Except cattle or pigs but I am not too familiar with processing them so I cannot really comment much on that. But this is the first I ever heard this mentioned.

 

[honeydoll]

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Do you get the same results that way? Easier plucking I mean. What is the point of doing the pithing after dead, just curious because I could do that and it not bug me.
As long as I don't get mad chicken disease from brain matter, just kidding.


Carolyn

 

[Illia]

I cut off their head with loppers/pruners, and the bird still bleeds really well. To prevent flopping around, I first hang the bird and secure its wings with a small metal wire. Once the head is off, the bird tries flailing around but fails, and after a minute or less of that, once the bleeding stops and the "death dance" quiets, I untie the bird and continue with the rest.

Disease from pithing -

Yes, pithing is inhumane, at least in my opinion, but it certainly won't get brain matter in the rest of the bird, because really, are you planning on stuffing its head in the meat or something?

If the knife gets brain matter on it, clean it off.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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Do you get the same results that way? Easier plucking I mean. What is the point of doing the pithing after dead, just curious because I could do that and it not bug me.
As long as I don't get mad chicken disease from brain matter, just kidding.


Carolyn

I tried just cutting the throat and they didn't die as quick as I would like, the worst feeling is having them watch you while you do it

When I do the pithing they close their eyes and stop struggling, makes the job easier. You can do the pithing before but it will be harder to do properly because the bird will put up a fight!