The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Daleswoman on July 28, 2015, 12:59:08 pm
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I've just acquired 3 turkey poults which are destined to be Christmas dinner for myself and 2 friends. I am researching the best way to despatch them when the time comes.
All the equipment I can find for sale seems excessively expensive, but having despatched hens and cockerels in the past by the traditional method of neck dislocation I don't relish the idea of doing this with bigger and more powerful birds. I don't fancy the broomstick method either - I'd prefer to stun the birds first.
Has anyone found a source of second-hand / reconditioned electric stunners or Cash poultry killers? Or has anyone tried asking a local abattoir if they would deal with small numbers of birds?
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I once met a Nigerian vet who said that it was traditional in his village to slaughter a turkey to feed guests but they put gin in the birds drinking water the day before to make them easier to handle.
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I've not done it with turkeys (we send our small group of turkeys to a professional slaughter facility so we can legally sell on the turkeys) but you could make a killing cone from a traffic cone, stun the bird with a point blank shot to the head with an air gun and then cut it's throat. I have done similar when culling cockerels. This method was also described to me by a licensed slaughterman as an emergency back up method of killing poultry if their electrical stun equipment etc wasn't working.
Link to photo of traffic cone/killing cone
http://s137.photobucket.com/user/mesoas/media/Chickens/0502001419.jpg.html (http://s137.photobucket.com/user/mesoas/media/Chickens/0502001419.jpg.html)
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P.S. it's very difficult to find an abattoir that will slaughter small numbers of poultry for you but it is worth asking around.
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These guys sell spring loaded poultry stunners.
A bit pricy for £105 but will do the job.
http://www.fgclassified.com/112855-the-brno-gun-uk-new-poultry-stunner/details.html (http://www.fgclassified.com/112855-the-brno-gun-uk-new-poultry-stunner/details.html)
http://www.brnoguns.co.uk/captive-bolt-stunners.asp (http://www.brnoguns.co.uk/captive-bolt-stunners.asp)
I cull my turkeys now by an air pistol or air rifle shot through the head from point blank range then when they've stopped flapping about I use the broomstick method to break the neck and allow the blood to flow into the cavity.
Its a LOT easier than trying to part a live turkeys head from its neck when its trying to keep hold of it! :excited:
I used to just dislocate their necks by hand but time is taking its toll and i struggled with it last year on the biggest stags :innocent:
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I hang the turkey up side down but it's feet get an assistant to hug it as you do not want the flapping wings to bruise the Brests , then ether shoot the head with air gun or a quick blow with a rounders bat then slit the neck with a sharp knife , as soon as the bird has stopped moving I pluck one wing while my assistant dose the other then the tail feathers and then Brest and back we can do a full bird in 5 mins the faster you work the easyer it is as it's still warm