[Sarahjane610]

Ok, having a sleepless night so using forum to post all the questions I always mean to ask but never get the time!

I've had chickens for a few years now for eggs and have been lucky enough to only get 2 cocks in my last two hatches and they were easily rehomed.

So I have no experience of killing a chicken.  This year I really want to hatch and raise birds for our table, hopefully with a view of building up to raising and processing enough birds for the family for each year over the next couple of years.

I have lost enough hens to foxes in my time to not be overly emotionally attached and have no issues with killing them myself.  What I am concerned with, is that I do it right without unnecessary pain or suffering to the bird due to my inexperience.

I've watched loads of videos and read about how to do it but still very nervous of hashing it up.   

If you kill your own birds for meat, how did you learn?  Is it a case of accepting it's not going to be great at the start or did you learn from someone else or maybe even attend a course?

Would be great to get your opinions and experience of dispatching your first birds!

[Marches Farmer]

Do you have any friends or neighbours that have done this?  Watching then doing it yourself under supervision is a good way to learn.

[YorkshireLass]

The only method I'm comfortable with is the broomstick method. You lay the bird breast down on the floor, head extended. Broom stick or similar over the neck. Hold down each end with your feet. Swiftly pull the bird's feet well up and a bit forward (towards head). It's a bit easy to take the head right off. Not ideal but I prefer to err on the side of overkill.
I use it because it doesn't rely on having the right grip or strong arms - you use your whole body to pull.
It's never pleasant, but you have to decide and then do it. No dithering. A few strokes to keep bird calm, then position. Once their legs are straight back (not tucked under) they don't tend to struggle.

[Louise Gaunt]

Do you have a local smallholder association? Here in Devon, the local association run courses on dispatching, plucking, dressing etc so you can learn from someone experienced and see and do the whole process under supervision. I haven't done this course, but others I have been on gave been good. There is a list somewhere if all the smallholder associations, possibly on here ? Which might give you some info on who to contact in your area.

[BrimwoodFarm]

I'm with [member=3961]YorkshireLass[/member] on this - broomstick method. It's easy to muck up a neck break; I've done it and it was just horrible. With the broomstick method and also because I keep smaller birds, I tend to aim to pop the head right off because then I KNOW they're dead.

Some kind strokes, soft words, place them on the ground carefully and then act swiftly - it's quick and they hardly have time (if at all) to know what's happening.

[Charlie1234]

Hi Sarahjane my wife prefers to use this:
https://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Wall_Mounted_poultry_Dispatcher.html

[Womble]

That's good advice, Brimwood Farm. IMHO, from the bird's point of view, the only thing you can really do wrong is to be too timid. Yes, it's gross to pull their heads off, but it's better that way than to not use enough force.  So I'd agree, use a round broomstick or metal bar (nothing thicker), and do it on hard ground too. Place the bar over over the back of the head at the base of the skull, hold it down with both of your feet and pull upwards on the bird's feet. You'll feel the neck give, then a split second later it will start to flap its wings (the typical 'headless chicken' response). Once you get the hang of it this way, there's usually no blood, but the bird bleeds out into the cavity you made when you stretched the neck. However, the only way to know when you've got it right is to overdo it a few times (pulling the head off if it comes to that) and then learn from there.

[lintmill]

I use a captive bolt stunner for all poultry.  There is NEVER any doubt that the animal is killed first time, then bleed out.

http://www.brnoguns.co.uk/

[Rosemary]

Inverted road cone and airgun. Clean kill every time. Broomstick has no prestun.

Have a look at the Humane Slaughter Association

[waddy]

Captive bolt stunner for me too followed immediately by throat slit to bleed out. Don't know if we will ever recoup the cost of the gun but for us that was not the main concern. We have more confidence in our ability to do it right this way. It helped that the first had hurt his leg and needed a kind and quick exit and it helped that it went well. Having a wall mounted cone to put them in with their head sticking through the bottom helps enormously (and I would say essential with larger birds). Having an extra pair of hands also helps and speed the process up. OH does the gun followed by me with the knife. Look up info from the Humane Slaughter Association.


Good luck


Helen

[Womble]

Broomstick has no prestun.

It can have, if you use an air rifle too. Prepare as if you were going to use the broomstick method, but then shoot in the back of the head and into soft ground before using the broomstick to finish the job.

[Dave C]

I also is the broomstick method.

But I wrap some hessian cloth around the bird and fasten with a clip.
This keeps the wings still after Slaughter, stopping the flapping from damaging or bruising the wings or carcass.

[Terry T]

Hi there, I dispatched my first chicken late summer. It had fly strike and wasn't going to survive the night. Like you I had previously read up and watched U tube videos and a neighbour had shown me how to break the neck on a sick bird. The plan was for him to supervise my first attempt but unfortunately he was out so I just had to give it a go. A couple of attempts in quick succession at a neck break failed, the bird was unconcious but still breathing. Not sure if my technique was poor, hands too weak or not confident enough but at that point I resorted to the broom handle method which was v quick. I plan to go on a dispatch course when one comes up locally to give me confidence but the  broom handle method would be my current method of choice in an emergency.

[Sarahjane610]

Might try to get my local butcher who keeps and processes his own chickens to let me have a go.  Otherwise will give the broomstick a go!  Wish me luck, I'll either be a pro or vegan this time next year!

[Andy McLeod]

At present I use the broomstick method; however, I have always been concerned about the lack of stunning the bird. I am looking at a piece of kit called the Dick Stunner (available online) which is a manual captive bolt. It is very cost effective and when used in conjunction with a killing cone will cause less stress to the bird.