Why do chickens move around after beheadings?

[Bryce Thomas]

So I finally slaughtered an unwanted rooster and it was pretty horrific but it was fast. I just held down the head then the body then used an ax and within 3 seconds it was gone and that was it. I remember holding the body right after and the legs were fighting back. Did I do something wrong and it was still alive? It was fast and very humane, did I do something wrong and it was still alive for a moment after its head came off?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Death Throws are normal. Just muscle spasms. The bird is dead one the head is gone.

 

[FeatherTay]

So I finally slaughtered an unwanted rooster and it was pretty horrific but it was fast. I just held down the head then the body then used an ax and within 3 seconds it was gone and that was it. I remember holding the body right after and the legs were fighting back. Did I do something wrong and it was still alive? It was fast and very humane, did I do something wrong and it was still alive for a moment after its head came off?

I don’t know a lot about that, but I do know that you did nothing wrong. It’s just it’s just a muscle spasm. He was dead.

 

[Isadora]

Just muscle spasms. Definitely disconcerting to watch, but if the head is severed, the bird is dead and does not feel any pain.

 

[CapricornFarm]

It's supposed to scare you so you don't kill other chickens!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Its muscle contractions fron nerves firing to nowhere. If the head is gone, it is pretty much certain thay nothing more was happening. If it makes you feel better, I've always heard the stronger and more "violent" the spasms, the cleaner and swifter the kill

 

[NatJ]

As others have said, it's normal.

That is why I prefer to kill chickens by chopping the head off. If I tried to kill a chicken any other way, the struggling and flapping would make me worry that it was still alive. But when I can see that the head is off, I know it really is dead, so the flapping doesn't bother me as much.