[Steven Dinnage]

I've kept chickens since i was a wee little boy i bred them resulting in horrible cockrels fighting all the time. Im now 16 and have the balls to cull the cockerels off and now a strong believer that if you hatch you have to dispatch  . Atm i have a broody sitting on 12 eggs and 6 eggs in the incubator i borrowed. Every cockerel i get will be raised for dinner. Ives only ever killed injured birds before i did this with a air rifile against the head (thats my dad idea) personal i think i much rather do full head decapitation with one blow of an axe but worry maybe the axe wont be sharp enough how can you test it? I could never dislocate there neck with my hands incase i did it wrong. So whats the best way to dispatch.

[AndynJ]

ooh axe to neck not a great idea as the heart still pumps blood around resulting in you being splattered
I do either pull neck or electric wire
They say if you put chicken on floor broomstick over neck, feet either side of chicken stood on broomstick then pull legs job done but I haven't tried that.

In the commercial cutting rooms they electric shock, it works really well but on a tiny scale it's difficult to rig up a structure to help control the birds.

[chrismahon]

We despatch with an air pistol (full power) against the head just behind the eyes. Works up to 26 weeks when the skull is too thick and it only knocks them out. Then you need two shots or an air rifle. Far less blood than decapitation and far more reliable than trying to break a big bird's neck -they are stronger than you imagine.

[PipSqueak]

One of my chicken books says that decapitation is actually illegal as the bird must be either stunned then killed, or be killed in a way that simultaneously stuns them (such as neck dislocation). Tests have shown that the head can remain conscious for some time after the act, apparently, so not a good way to go.

[Steven Dinnage]

surely it cant be to different from braking the neck as in the neck is broken

[Steven Dinnage]

think i will end up just unseeing an air rifle then. I always thought if the heads of it died as the no blood being sent to the brain and there it cut of from all the nerves

[Mammyshaz]

We despatch with an air pistol (full power) against the head just behind the eyes. Works up to 26 weeks when the skull is too thick and it only knocks them out. Then you need two shots or an air rifle. Far less blood than decapitation and far more reliable than trying to break a big bird's neck -they are stronger than you imagine.

This.
We wrap them snuggly in a towel as they are used to being handled, place on the soft ground and use a pistol.
The bird can still be conscious for several minutes with decapitation so is not recommended.

If you look on the poultry dispatch section on the main TAS website it has a link to the regulations and lists
recommended methods. It does not recommend pistol but the reason is for the safety of the dispatcher not the welfare of the bird and we find this method very quick and stress free for the birds we have done.

[Steven Dinnage]

Thanks for all the advice i really want to get used to culling so i can carry on breeding. I have ab air pistol but isnt that powerful. The airrifile is easyily powerfull enough but will that make it a 2 person job?

[bloomer]

traffic cone cut off pointy end so head will just go through, nail cone to a stout wooden post chicken in cone upside down.


no flapping single rifle shot at close range the post will catch the pellet you can also then bleed them as well if you need to...


not my preferred method but sounds like would suit you... and won't need 2 people...

[langfauld easycare]

  have a look at ebay number 360406534361 my mates got one rekons its a great thing . works everytime, first time .glad you found your balls 

[Steven Dinnage]

Yea cone sound like a good idea now but wouldnt want to bleed them out. Cant get over that head decapitation is the best way

[HesterF]

A friend helped me with the broomstick method and it was amazingly calm and effective. We used feed sacks, cut off the corner, hold the cockerel upside down until they calm, lower them into the bag, head out of the corner, lay them down chin first on the ground, broomstick over the neck just behind the head, feet gently on broom either side of head, raise their legs until you feel the click of dislocation.

The placing of the broom is vital because it needs to be just behind the head - not too high, not too low. Also key not to put too much pressure on the broom - you're not crushing or breaking the neck but dislocating it.

Because it is technical, it's best to get somebody to show you/do it with you. I did the last one by myself but would still not feel confident to do it entirely alone. It was also helpful to have somebody else around to help with the plucking and to show me how to dress the bird (but that bit I would be OK to do on my own next time).

I'd certainly rather do it this way than anything involving a gun but that's because I've no gun experience.

[Ideation]

I just bang them across the back of the head with a length of wood to stun them, then hang them upside down and cut their throats to bleed them out. Works every time.

[HesterF]

How do you keep them still while you bang them across the head? I have a mental image of you chasing them around a field with a stick in your hand trying to catch them.

[Stereo]

Decapitation has been shown to cause suffering. Neck dislocation (extension of the neck) is better as there is severe damage to the base of the brain or something. I can't recall the science but a proper neck dislocation is less painfull than an axe job. I used an airgun for a while and if you get it right it is good. Total destruction of the brain and it's instant. But you have to get it right.......

There are courses you can go on for neck dislocation. I went on Pammy Rigg's one and the problem most had was that they were just not strong enough. These were 12 week old hubbards too and I can confirm that a 24 week old Marans is a tougher test altogether. I'm a strapping lad so it's not a problem but for many a full grown cockerel might be tough to kill cleanly.