What I’m I doing wrong when processing my meat birds?

[natyvidal]

Hi everyone! Lease forgive me if I am being to graphic in this post!

So I decided to experiment in growing my own chickens for the table. I am using Cornish cross breed, which are easy to get around here as chicks. Raising them no problem, processing them humanly, big problem.

I grab the chicken, tie their legs and hang them upside down in a tall bucket. Then with a very sharp knife I feel around their neck just before the head and grab the loose skin around there and slice, right? Just as if they where in a cone but in a bucket.

I must be slicing wrong because they are not dying fast enough. Today, a big rooster took half an hour to die. For me that is not humane. It’s cruel. I kept slicing but it would not die.

I’ve tried the butcher block method but they flap all over without a head spattering blood which is not good for me and I can’t swing an ax that well anymore.

My hands are not strong enough to twist their necks like I remember my father and mother do decades ago.

The question is how do I know I am cutting the blood vein so they bleed fast and die fast?

A neighbor that raises the same kind of bird and is certified to process and sell to the public, showed me this system. She had the cone a sharp slit in the neck and the bird dies peacefully. No messes, no spattering, no flapping around!

Help! . I need to be able to humanly kill my birds or no meat bird for me.. Thank you ahead for your advise and help.

 

[M-H-Fielding]

Hi everyone! Lease forgive me if I am being to graphic in this post!

So I decided to experiment in growing my own chickens for the table. I am using Cornish cross breed, which are easy to get around here as chicks. Raising them no problem, processing them humanly, big problem.

I grab the chicken, tie their legs and hang them upside down in a tall bucket. Then with a very sharp knife I feel around their neck just before the head and grab the loose skin around there and slice, right? Just as if they where in a cone but in a bucket.

I must be slicing wrong because they are not dying fast enough. Today, a big rooster took half an hour to die. For me that is not humane. It’s cruel. I kept slicing but it would not die.

I’ve tried the butcher block method but they flap all over without a head spattering blood which is not good for me and I can’t swing an ax that well anymore.

My hands are not strong enough to twist their necks like I remember my father and mother do decades ago.

The question is how do I know I am cutting the blood vein so they bleed fast and die fast?

A neighbor that raises the same kind of bird and is certified to process and sell to the public, showed me this system. She had the cone a sharp slit in the neck and the bird dies peacefully. No messes, no spattering, no flapping around!

Help! . I need to be able to humanly kill my birds or no meat bird for me.. Thank you ahead for your advise and help.

Hi! I have been a part of chicken butchering, and though I am not an expert I may be able to help.
What I've seen done is they take the bird's head in their hand when it is in the bucket, and they slice right under the throat.
The bird may kick and fight for up to an hour after, but it is not alive. The vain under the throat is a vital vain.
The kicking around is only a nerve thing, they are not actually alive and can not feel anything. ☺
I understand that feeling of not wanting to make the bird feel pain, it is normal.

I would highly recommend not wringing their necks, it is time consuming and not ideal. It required lots of strength and skill. Though the bird can flap around after it is cut, I assure you they feel no pain.
You need to give it one good hard slice, to cut the vain.

 

[M-H-Fielding]

Good idea to use cornish cross, BTW! They are ideal meat birds. I have raised some of my own and they do great!

 

[B-Goock]

I just made a kill cone fastened to a sacrificial board and use either a small machete or hatchet. Its quick and they don't flop but only a minute or so.

 

[LaFleche]

Using a sharp meat-chopper and immediately after chopping the head off sticking them into a tall bin feet up will prevent the splattering and flapping and there will be no need to hold them. All quick and clean (blood stay in the bin) and no suffering at all as death will be immediate.

 

[ladybrasa]

Very little experience here, but my friends and I processed four CX about a month ago. We used a cone and tree loppers to take the head off. I do believe they only flapped for a few minutes (I didn’t do the actual deed). Their head is off so you know they are dead, rather than dieing by bleeding out. That the way I feel anyway. We will tweak this method a bit next time, as their heads were still attached probably by a bit of tendon or something. Maybe double sided loppers or sharpen them even more (they were brand new). Oh, we also didn’t tie their legs.

 

[rjohns39]

A good cone is worth its weight in gold. I like featherman the best. You want the process to be as stress free for both of you as possible. I hold the bird by the feet and let it calm down naturally, then fold the wings and lower it into the cone. I extend the neck and gently rub the feathers away from the artery area by the esophagus. If I do it right, the bird will close its eyes and actually go to sleep. Then one swift and deep cut through the artery. There should be a steady stream of blood rushing out. When I do it right, the bird never wakes up. They will thrash in the cone but that's just nervous reaction.

I have a friend who lacks the strength to get the cut deep enough with a knife. He uses pvc tubing cutters and takes the head off. If you would like a good instructional video, I'd be happy to post it for you. It's what I used to learn the process, but I did follow-up and go watch it done live during one of the processing days.

 

[Tre3hugger]

You will know if your cut is correct by the freshet of blood that comes out. I find that for bout 30 seconds the bird doesn't even react after the cut with a very sharp knife. Then once the bird is about 70% bled out, it starts thrashing as the nervous system shuts down. Looks a bit violent, but virtually painless for the bird. I have never had a bird take more than three minutes to die. If it took a half hour, you are probably missing the jugular. I make the cut directly below the wattles and a slight angle. If you don't see the jet of blood, you missed. Try the other side. If you miss that side too(no blood jet) just remove the head. And try again on the next bird.

I recommend an interchangeable scalpel blade knife. Medical sharp, EVERY TIME. This is the one I use.

https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Edge...0&sr=1-1-791c2399-d602-4248-afbb-8a79de2d236f

 

[rjohns39]

I love the look of that knife, I've added it to my cart.

 

[Tre3hugger]

I love the look of that knife, I've added it to my cart.

If I had to recommend one tool for processing, it's that knife. I did my first bird a couple months ago with it and have done over 20 since. Have yet to fail to sever a jugular. Each blade is good for 10+ birds IME.