Welcome to my pond - Swim, wade, or sit on the bank

[orrpeople]

Can I ask what method you use to dispatch?

He was pretty sedentary, so I just used my big butcher's knife and a mallet so it was just one swift, quick motion. I have never killed a bigger bird before and I was a little traumatized by the activity after the deed was done... at first I thought I'd made a mess of things, but then it was obviously a very clean cut. Ugh. Why did E have to work in the office today? Anyway, that's the gory details. I kept praying, "Don't let me screw this up!"

 

[orrpeople]

The method you used is great since it is fast, painless for the animal, and no blood splatter.

Me... I like to string them up by their feet. I use bailing twine.

Once they are upside-down they calm down completely.

I then walk down the line and slit the jugular.

I wait a few minutes, then decapitate and butcher.

Personally, I think it is a painless death method, and I find it gets most, if not all, of the blood out of the meat. I find the meat much more appetizing with the blood drained.

My kids dislike my method, they used to follow my method... but.... there was an "incident". Achem... so now they only do the decapitation method.

They use 2 loops of bailing twine, one for the feet, one for the head. Stretch out the bird, whack off the head. They use an axe or machete to cut the head.

The rope loops are held by whatever... a nail, a fence, a log... or a brother. So, it can be a one child job.

E does the upside down jugular cut. I have never done it, so I worried I'd screw it up. When I do the cleaning and such after they're plucked, I use my mallet/knife combo to behead them. That's why I went for that method because I knew I could do it in one blow. It would have been really hard to use that method by myself with an active bird. This guy was barely alive to begin.

 

[room onthebroom]

I kept praying, "Don't let me screw this up!"

This. Exactly this.

 

[bobbi-j]

We use the hatchet-and-stump method. (And by “we”, I mean DH.) He makes a “V” out of nails in the stump, puts the head between the nails, holds the feet in one hand and hatchet in the other. He whacks them while I’m catching the next one. If I ever find myself having to kill my birds, I think I’d try Al’s method. There seems to be less margin for error than trying cervical dislocation. I just don’t think I could do it right. Or at all.

 

[BullChick]

Seventy-six degrees now, but it’s going down to thirty tomorrow night, and will continue being cold into next week. We might even get more snow. I have several memes for snow on Easter, but will keep them to myself.

 

[BullChick]

I have slit throats and broken necks. I am afraid to use a hatchet because I’m afraid it won’t be sharp enough. It’s silly because someone sharpened my hatchet before taking care of a hen for me a few years ago.

 

[chickisoup]

That pullet is HUGE!!!

yep, and still growing. I'm beginning to think by the time her and her sister have their first "grownup" molt, I may have to enlarge my pop holes! I can't wait to see what they are going to look like when they're fully mature. Did you notice the wide load she already has?

 

[chickisoup]

Ponders good afternoon one and all!

The temperature is 83 and mostly sunny.

Have a great day!

brag brag brag. We're waiting for it to start snowing again, sigh.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

brag brag brag. We're waiting for it to start snowing again, sigh.

No not bragging just enjoying the weather before the humidity decides to come back.

In the summer and fall the humidity is usually in the 90s.

 

[dan26552]

Welp, goslings do be here