Using a pellet gun to harvest free rangers

[Xouie]

An interesting idea. But for those of us who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn 10 feet away, what would be an alternative?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

An interesting idea. But for those of us who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn 10 feet away, what would be an alternative?

To get your country or competition shooter friend to help you out XD

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

An interesting idea. But for those of us who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn 10 feet away, what would be an alternative?

If you can catch the chicken but otherwise don’t want to use a traditional method like neck wringing/breaking/slicing, simply hang the bird upside down and shoot it in the brain at point blank range. It works well if you can efficiently catch the chickens.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

My father uses a gun when he butchers extra males. The only thing I'm not a fan of in this video is that he's aiming in the middle of a flock. If he had accidentally missed or a hen had looked up at the wrong time, he could take out a bird or injure one that he never meant to

I think on each of the three shots you’ll see that there were no chickens behind the targets when I shot. That’s part of waiting for the right shot. There may have been chickens several feet to the side or on one occasion a hen in the distant background high on the hill above the target and behind a block of wood. Nothing that was in any realistic danger of being hit. A miss by several feet is not realistic with this setup or my skill with it. Misses from my point of aim are measured by the width of a pellet. This particular gun is so accurate in my hands I can easily write or draw with the pellet holes at 25 yards.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

An interesting idea. But for those of us who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn 10 feet away, what would be an alternative?

A shotgun loaded with bird shot would do the trick but make sure your target is clear of other birds.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

don’t you agree?

No I do not agree.

Odd for you to be hanging out in the meat chicken forum.

I have been on BYC for years, I am reading in this forum because I am processing some cockerels for the first time tomorrow.

I just think a gun is overkill and an excuse to shoot animals.

Gary

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

The gun is big but the actual bullet/pellet is small so I think the big scope is for accurate shots limiting the margin of error. It's actually more humane than throat slicing or head chopping.

I doubt that. Dead is dead

You do you, I will do me. I do not need a big gun

G

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

No I do not agree.

I have been on BYC for years, I am reading in this forum because I am processing some cockerels for the first time tomorrow.

I just think a gun is overkill and an excuse to shoot animals.

Gary

I personally would rather get shot in the head quickly and suddenly without a clue instead of getting ran down and then my neck sliced or wrung; so our definition of overkill must not be the same.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I personally would rather get shot in the head

Some people will do anything to prove a point I guess

I still do not need a big gun

Gary

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Some people will do anything to prove a point I guess

I still do not need a big gun

Gary

With respect, if you’re processing cockerels for the first time tomorrow, you don’t yet have the experience to know what you and don’t need. You’re making absolute judgments from a position of ignorance. I don’t see what the physical size if the gun has with anything unless you just don’t like guns or actions that remind you of hunting. The gun is large because it has to hold an air tank from which the compressed air is held that fires the pellet. The actual pellet it shoots is small.

My first goal is to minimize the suffering of the chicken. We eat a lot of turtles in north Florida, and back when it was legal, lots of tortoises too. Also lots of fish. I’ve seen too many animals live on for several seconds to minutes with their heads lopped off to want my chickens to go out that way. And I’ve slit the throats of too many wild deer to care to see my chickens die that way either.

I would definitely want to die by brain shot rather than decapitation/blood loss/strangling/neck snapping. When its practical, brain shot the best way to dispatch an animal with minimal suffering.