Whats the most humane way to kill a chicken?

[xcalibor67]

If you are unable to dispatch a chicken, you shouldn't be raising them.

Isn't that like saying "If you cant kill your dog, you shouldnt have one"? I do understand your point, really i do...but that sentence is a bit harsh, and for sure not true. I think any animal owner of any breed should be able to either A: take it to the vet. B:Making a decision when the time comes to put down the animal. If you cannot do it, you still get it done. As i said, i see where your coming from, but i dont agree with where it went in that 1st sentence...

 

[BBQJOE]

The thing is, people (in America) don't raise dogs or cats to provide food of any type.
You can have a chicken as a pet, but generally speaking, chickenz iz food.
Most normal people don't decide to have a pet and run out and buy a chicken to fill the bill.

But if you must, put a collar on your chicken, name it Percy, then take it to the park to play frisbee. Don't forget your little shovel, and a poop bag!
Take it to the vet. Take it on trips abroad with you. Why not?

Here's another way to look at it.
All the energy in the universe is already here. (1st law of thermodynamics)
You cannot create energy, nor can you destroy it, you can only transfer it.

So essentially, you're not really killing your chicken, you're just transferring its energy.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

The owner stated his daughter is attached to it. People keep all kind of critters for pets that I consider food. I have eaten various rodents, horse and cat but I would not chastise any one who had one as a pet for having issues with killing it or being shocked I find their pet yummy. I would like to point out I have several relatives who made their children kill their hand raised pet livestock when they were little kids to make them grow up, understand reality, be a man blah, blah, blah out of their first grader or killed their pet while they were away at college and ate it. Not a one of these kids has ever forgiven their parents for that cruel insensitive attitude. There is nothing wrong with being unsure how to kill any species of animal the first time, nothing wrong with wanting to do it quickly and as pain free for the critter as possible not to mention not messy... chopping off heads is messy. No one should be shamed on BYC for asking advice on how best to kill a chicken their first time especially if their kid is attached to it.

 

[xcalibor67]

I feel as if i stepped into one of those seminars where the guy at the podium is really giving it all to hypnotize the audience to a certain train of thought.... Again, i stress that i do relate to what your saying...But im quite sure that every chicken purchased hatched raised, is not for the purpose of becoming a happy nugget meal. No need for meandering adjectives, i just dont feel that if a person cannot mentally kill his/her chicken themselves, they should not own one... Perhaps we can leave it at "we agree to disagree'?

 

[BBQJOE]

Certainly. We can leave it right there. How many more ways can the question of how to dispatch a chicken be answered?

Please note: There may not always be someone around to do the "Dirty work"
Too bad my theater seat answer got deleted.

 

[Yorkshire lass]

Thanks to everyone who's contributed to this important discussion. I can't kill anything, and I think it's a serious failing. I've had a several ex-battery hens and though it is wonderful to see them recover there inevitably comes a time when they go downhill. I've had a couple die when it probably would have been kinder to put them down sooner, I've asked the vet to do it for me (at unwelcome expense), and I got a friend to kill one for me. I don't like any of these solutions. I should be able to do it myself.

In the end I found this article and video which has helped me come closest to the idea of actually doing it myself.
http://peterdickinson.hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Kill-A-Chicken

I guess it's pretty similar to the broomstick method. I'm sure people who've suggested doing it at night are on to something. They're so much more dopey then.

I still haven't done it myself but I'm getting closer. I dread being able to feel the sensation in my body for days afterwards. But it is part of our food system, unless you're completely vegan. Better to know it's been done humanely, however unpleasant, than to outsource it to who knows who or how.

Dear Rutu

Thank you very much for sharing this article, which I have read and the video I've watched. Have you had to do this yourself yet?

 

[Birdinhand]

kill cone and a razor sharp knife to the jugular. the key is being gentle, hang them upside down till they are sedated, and then swiftly getting it done.

 

[Yorkshire lass]

Thanks for your input Birdinhand but would definitely try the necking pulling if we had to go there. As with Rutu we have adopted 10 more ex-bats, should say had, as sadly one has died after letting them loose in the garden. Looks like she picked up cocci and her system couldn't cope with it. We were going to try this method this morning if she hadn't improved but the poor thing spared us. We had them all in their pen for 3 weeks and pumped them with good stuff: herbs and oil of oregano and pumpkin seeds with a little oats, and still do for all of them each day to try and keep them in shape as much as possible. All other chooks are ok, so fingers crossed they carry on.

 

[FrankHomestead]

I haven't read this whole thread but I've been researching about gassing chickens with helium to put them to sleep before bleeding them out. I plan to raise meat chickens and dread putting them through any pain...so I am definitely going to try the gas chamber method!

 

[Tereseb]

I have been reading about this for months as we had 5 roosters which had been on CL for two months and no replies. I am not a vegetarian however I despise killing anything myself. I found it so hypocritical to buy abused, and hormone stuffed chicken at the store but didn't know what to do with 5 beautiful happy fee ranged roosters that would wake me up at 3 every morning. I have called the humane society and local farms to no avail. I maned up this weekend and dispatched our roosters. It was such a relief to have done it and make a delicious chicken noodle soup with their meat and know that they had a great life in a huge yard with many happy hens. I had to do it myself and ended up using the broom handle method. I had read about every kind of way to kill them quickly and humanely. I practiced with an axe, but was averaging about 75 % success cutting sticks by myself. No way would this work with something moving. I did not want to bleed them because it seemed a little slow (for me). Putting a steel rod over thier necks gently and then take a deep breath then step and pull. Thats it. It was over instantly and no pain. Just want to thank everyone for their suggestions and stories. I did try the tree loppers after they were dead and I'm glad I did not try it first as they were not quit sharp enough and would have definately cut them up and maybe broke the neck but certainly not swiftly and painlessly. If anyone is wondering, I pulled very hard and quickly but they were different sized roosters and I almost pulled the head off a smaller one, but better too hard then do it twice. Again, thanks for the great advice to everyone.