The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Helencus on February 17, 2010, 11:53:58 am
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Hi what's the concensus on humane wall mounted poultry dispatchers? I'm looking to start breeding chickens for meat as well as eggs. So far when any of the layers I have have got sick I've 'chickened' out of dispatching them myself as I don't know how. So my question is do these do the job quickly and efficiently?
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How many a day do you want to dispatch :farmer:
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Less than 1 a day. Just for our table.
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the axe is kinder.
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I agree with Paul.I'm not convinced electric stunners are 100% any way I've seen hundereds of ducks done at CVF mind you one only might be ok every time.Dont worry about it running about without a head if you accidentally loose it It is dead :farmer:
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So you recommend a sharp axe then do you hang them? How do you keep them still? Sorry bit clueless on this topic.
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Personally I find the idea of using an axe a bit cumbersome- holding the hen correctly and hitting with an axe - sounds like I may end up minus a finger!!
Presonally prefer manual neck dislocation.
ED
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These dispatchers fit on the wall. You place the chickens neck in the slot pull down a handle and it breaks the neck. Apparently all very quick and clean.
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Not seen one like that.The one at CVF is like a row of fingers that hit and miss by say an inch the duck is loaded into a W shape by its feet,this is fixed to a conveyor chain and hangs head down,When it passes through the comb it is electrocuted.Passed through a scalding bath and plucked.Probably does 3000 an hour and there are several line fillers, :farmer:one operator would be a bit busy loading it on his own wouldn't he.
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That one sounds abut gruesome wizard. I'm looking for the least squirm making option as haven't yet toughened up to the dispatch process
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ive got one but i don't like it. if you cut it you can't hang it would go very off quickly.
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ive got one..very good, clean and quick, mines a silver metal type with a very blunt round jaw, never broke the skin this one on ebay 400102711961 one pull does it 2 makes sure takes one second, get one, done hens ducks and geese, geese is a 2 man job.
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That's exactly the one I was watching on eBay thanks. So if you use this do you have to bleed the bird or just leave to hang in cool for 24 hrs?
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you bleed into the cavity of the neck.
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Ah i see.. Thanks!
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i give it one pull fully adjusted to the min gap then i open the jaw a bit and slid the neck 1/2 an inch then give it another pull, you will feel a sort of crunch, if you place the neck in the jaws away from the head then its easy to pull the bird a bit closer to the head for the 2nd break. if its a goose you need someone to hold the goose and you need 2 hands on the lever. fix it to a really strong building piece of timber or use screws with a bolt head and fix it to a tree solidly.
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Read the stuff published by the Humane Slaughter Association.
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Ok will do.. Sounds ominous ..
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Ok so the HSA do not recommend neck dislocation. The last thing I want to do is cause suffering so how do you stun electrically then without shelling out lots of money? I only want to dispatch a few a week/month. What do other folks do instead just use the axe?
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Hi all, seems to be lots of replys but nothing conclusive, i'm in the same boat, i have a chicken each week or two to dispatch. Tried initially necking and hanging, i then plucked it hung it over night and ate it the next day but it was really strong. My next try i necked i, bled it and plucked it, hung it for two nights and then had it in a curry and it was fine but i feel it would still have been stromg in a roast? Can anyone recomend a way from live to eating that works for them that i can use. Don't mind spending a bit of money just want the bird to go through as little suffering as possible and have a tasty diner at the end.
Rob ;D.
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That's exactly what im looking for as well Rob.
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Ok so the HSA do not recommend neck dislocation. The last thing I want to do is cause suffering so how do you stun electrically then without shelling out lots of money? I only want to dispatch a few a week/month. What do other folks do instead just use the axe?
really don't try diy electric stunning. if your thinking of doing that then you need training as well. there is a captive bolt system at about £150-80 can't remember now. but your ment to have training on that too. even with either of these methods you have to bleed them or break there necks. shooting with an air rifle works well if you get the pellet in the right place. the axe works fine but its a lot easier if there are two of you. expect to get messy thou.
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We only do a couple occasionly, but my Dad does it with his hands :o its instant, they do not suffer, if we were doing a bigger quantity then I would get a wall mounted humane dispatcher, my friend has one, again quick and no stresss! We bleed straightaway for a couple of mins then pluck, hang over night then draw and get oven ready! I only find they taste strong if hung for a few days. And if killed and eaten the same day they can be tough, overnight hang works for us! Hope this helps.
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Pottsie Godfrey has a usefull tool that would suit you people that only want to do an odd bird.Its a funnel with 2 chains 180 degrees apart hang it on a beam.Catch your bird drop it head first into the funnel so that its head comes out the narrow end it cannot struggle as it is held tight by the tapering sides he then stretches the birds neck and bleeds it.He does about 50 turkeys at Xmas with it.Its so simple and so easy and they don't struggle once they are in :farmer:
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Pottsie Godfrey has a usefull tool that would suit you people that only want to do an odd bird.Its a funnel with 2 chains 180 degrees apart hang it on a beam.Catch your bird drop it head first into the funnel so that its head comes out the narrow end it cannot struggle as it is held tight by the tapering sides he then stretches the birds neck and bleeds it.He does about 50 turkeys at Xmas with it.Its so simple and so easy and they don't struggle once they are in :farmer:
Does he not stun them?
ED
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That's illegal. You cannot kill an animal in that way except for religious reasons (the approach of Christmas doesn't count). Of course they don't struggle - they're in a bl**dy cone. I'm appalled that anyone should this that is an acceptable method of slaughter. It is entirely inhumane and must cause significant distress. Such producers should be out of business quick sharp.
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i agree, admit i did it twice before just started out then had two sick chucks so done it.
i told myself that was the first and last time i would ever do that again
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im thinking of getting the same appliance for ours, we are loking to fatten up
some chucks for the table too.
i wouldnt go down the road of using the axe.
i did when we started out, we had two sick chucks then so instead of taking a risk in the
other chucks getting ill, i took the axe to them.
i promised myself that it would be the first and last time i would do it.
there is better ways
langdon :chook:
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Humane Slaughter Association, havnt read it and dont want to, i know what is quick and works as ive done most methods, just because its an association doesnt mean didly squat, the wall dispatcher is all over in one second, maybe hand dislocation is a bit hit and miss, anyway the wall dispatcher doesnt dislocaite it crushes the neck. the bird is completly calm as you hold the bird so the neck rests on the lower jaw, it just rests there, and in a flash the jaw is shut and its dead. before long we will all have to take a trailer load to the abortwa, (that doesnt look spelt correct) if you dont want to buy a dispatcher buy an air pistol. If doing this in winter the faint hearted could try this, pluck the bird first then open the oven door, the bird will be so cold it would jump in, then just shut the door.
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Humm I see I've stirred up a debate here. Seems to me its a question of personal choice as much as anything here. The last 4 sick hens I had were taken to the vet and euthanised there because I had no idea how to deal with them humanely. I am keen to have birds for meat but of paramount importance is that they don't suffer it needs to be quick and minimum distress.. I'm sure that's what all of us would advocate. As it goes the vet is not an advocate of neck dislocation by hand but did say if you follow the instructions carefully these dispatchers are ok. I guess like I say it's also about experience and personal choice. Thanks all for your views.
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get a good quality meat cleaver, as ive said before use wall dispatcher, then shoot it, the chop its head off, that should do it.
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Yes I'd imagine that it would lol!