Using a bullet instead of a hatchet?

[Sundown_Farmer]

Don't aim for the head. Aim for the neck at the base of the skull. They drop and you don't have to chase them.

Wow. What an interesting thread. I have never considered shooting a broiler. Should this include a blindfold and a cigarette? lol

As Gscott and others have said, the knife is all about technique. It's cheap, safe, efficient and, most importantly, humane. Who chases chickens anyway? Put on a head lamp and catch them when they roost. Save your .22 for your pigs and your wethers or for that dang mink.

I can't imagine pulling out a rifle to shoot 300 chickens over the course of a morning. I think my help would leave. Maybe I could line up the cones and shoot 10 at once.

 

[DanIndiana]

I'm surprised by the lack of people recommending slitting the throat with a cone. The cone contains the chicken fairly well. You can be very precise and quick with the cut. They stop jerking in less than one minute. Adding a gun to the mix is just asking for trouble for no real benefit.

 

[fowlsessed]

I've never killed a chicken. but just thought I'd share something I read from storeys guide to raising chickens. chopping the head off tightens the feathers, therefor plucking is harder, obviously. on the contrary, a shot to the head and slitting the throat loosen the feathers. And the broom stick method, I don't recall reading any thing about it tightening the feathers up. As for which inflicts less pain on the chicken, that would be the bullet and the hatchet. When slitting the throat the chicken is in pain until it bleeds to death. And the broom stick method, well it's obvious that you'd be standing on his neck for a bit before he dies. If it was me, I think I would use the hatchet method despite it tightening up the feathers, or the 22. I wouldn't be killing the amount of chickens many on here do, in fact, it would probably only be one or two. So I think that the number of birds you are doing also plays a big part in the method you choose, and if you are doing large numbers of birds slitting the throat would probably be best.

 

[Kassaundra]

I like the sharp knife in one draw over the juguler vein back tword myself (don't saw). I have cut myself a lot of times with a good knife and it is nearly painless or I had to look to see who was really bleeding. My birds rarely squawk and are usually calm... until they give up the ghost.
I have a wiz-bang so plucking has never been a problem.
After nearly cutting off my thumb this year while "doing" birds... I decided some kevlar gloves would be nice after I had to give myself stitches.
7 birds in the cooler makes no time for hospital trips. I live a half hour from one anyway.
I had a rooster that I hated... use to flog me in an injury he somehow "knew" about up high on my thigh, a overly sensitive nerve than runs the length of my whole leg... I went after him with the .22 one afternoon when I caught him in a chain link dog kennel after he had kicked me around.
I can shoot crows in the head at 30 yards but after 7 shots in the dirt I felt like I was losing this Nintendo game. I was getting concerned he was trying to get a bullet to bounce back off something to hit me. I gave up and went in for the tackle.
Litte Jerk Indeed!
I finished up the work with the knife... brought him in the house and "stewed" about it for the rest of the afternoon. : )

I am in the medical field and can look at your (or anyone else's blood) all day long w/o any issues, but MY blood is very different! I don't do my blood or laceration on me well, I would be passed out for sure!

 

[TonySorrento]

I like the sharp knife in one draw over the juguler vein back tword myself (don't saw). I have cut myself a lot of times with a good knife and it is nearly painless or I had to look to see who was really bleeding. My birds rarely squawk and are usually calm... until they give up the ghost.
I have a wiz-bang so plucking has never been a problem.
After nearly cutting off my thumb this year while "doing" birds... I decided some kevlar gloves would be nice after I had to give myself stitches.
7 birds in the cooler makes no time for hospital trips. I live a half hour from one anyway.
I had a rooster that I hated... use to flog me in an injury he somehow "knew" about up high on my thigh, a overly sensitive nerve than runs the length of my whole leg... I went after him with the .22 one afternoon when I caught him in a chain link dog kennel after he had kicked me around.
I can shoot crows in the head at 30 yards but after 7 shots in the dirt I felt like I was losing this Nintendo game. I was getting concerned he was trying to get a bullet to bounce back off something to hit me. I gave up and went in for the tackle.
Litte Jerk Indeed!
I finished up the work with the knife... brought him in the house and "stewed" about it for the rest of the afternoon. : )

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bobbi-j]

We use the hatchet method here. Two nails in a stump, head between the nails. I hold the chicken with neck stretched, DH whacks 'em. (I know it can be done by one person, but this works for us. He grew up butchering chickens this way.) It's fast and cheaper than shooting them. If I had to do it by myself, I'd consider decapitation with a sharp knife. We did it that way last time we butchered, and it worked very well.

 

[TonySorrento]

I would think a sharp cleaver would do the trick rather nicely .... more room for error for the inexperienced ...

 

[Ahab]

I second the recommendation fir a meat cleaver. Far more accurate and easily handled than an ax (and I've split 4-6 cords a year for the past 40, so I can use an ax), and altogether handier for many butchering chores. Find a good carbon-steel cleaver in almost any decent junk store, or buy one from a restaurant-supply store. One whack, and you're done.

 

[ChickcrazyCharlie]

For one thing I don't process chickens at night and I only do a few at the time. You do it your way and I'm going to continue to do it my way.

Wow. What an interesting thread. I have never considered shooting a broiler. Should this include a blindfold and a cigarette? lol

As Gscott and others have said, the knife is all about technique. It's cheap, safe, efficient and, most importantly, humane. Who chases chickens anyway? Put on a head lamp and catch them when they roost. Save your .22 for your pigs and your wethers or for that dang mink.

I can't imagine pulling out a rifle to shoot 300 chickens over the course of a morning. I think my help would leave. Maybe I could line up the cones and shoot 10 at once.

 

[deerman]

with all the head chopping, wonder anyone thought about making a Guillotine for chickens, bet one with a killing cone to stop the flopping . no more missed chops or head moving.

guess i better get building one.