The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Paul and Caroline on January 04, 2020, 10:12:11 am

Title: Turkey dispatching - captive bolt stunners
Post by: Paul and Caroline on January 04, 2020, 10:12:11 am
Hi

I am trying to source a captive bolt stunner to dispatch a very small number of turkeys and they seem to be a numerous as hens teeth (yes I know bad example sorry).

The turkeys will be for our own consumption and I have been shown how to do it by a fully trained and experienced professional. He strongly disagrees with home made stunners (aka baseball bats or bits of 2 x 4) and having seen what has to be done I am in total agreement. (Unfortunately he is now out of the trade and his contacts are no longer trading)

The turkeys I have are currently 12kg+ and growing rapidly and some of the stunners I have seen are very ambiguous when stating maximum bird size - I would much prefer to have far more powerful than I need than not quite powerful enough, If you see what I mean.......

Can anyone help please?
Title: Re: Turkey dispatching - captive bolt stunners
Post by: PK on January 04, 2020, 04:53:01 pm
I got mine from here for despatching turkeys and was happy with the supplier who gave helpful advice and the captive bolt gun. It was relatively pricey but it does the job effectively.

[url]http://www.captiveboltstunners.co.uk/[url]

Title: Re: Turkey dispatching - captive bolt stunners
Post by: waddy on January 04, 2020, 09:55:21 pm
We have an Accles and Shelvoke one. Also pricey at about £600 but effective.
Title: Re: Turkey dispatching - captive bolt stunners
Post by: GBov on January 30, 2020, 08:56:44 pm
If it helps any, I use long-handled loppers to dispatch turkeys.  Does the job a treat and is mega watts cheaper than a bolt gun.
Title: Re: Turkey dispatching - captive bolt stunners
Post by: doganjo on January 31, 2020, 10:45:10 am
If it helps any, I use long-handled loppers to dispatch turkeys.  Does the job a treat and is mega watts cheaper than a bolt gun.
Might I ak what happens if the turkey won't co-operate or if the loppers have blunted (without you having realised before trying them)?
Title: Re: Turkey dispatching - captive bolt stunners
Post by: GBov on January 31, 2020, 02:22:44 pm
***warning, graphic***

Blunt loppers work better than sharp ones as the aim is to break the neck bones right through rather than take the head right off. When done there is very little blood, usually from a nick behind the head where the skin is thinnest but the head remains attached by the skin and must be removed later in the butchery process. 

The cavity created when the neck bones are severed fills with blood so no need to bleed the bird until one is done plucking it which makes the process neater.  As I usually process all my small animals in the kitchen, neater is better for cleanup.  Turkeys are about the only things I dispatch in the great outdoors and then they come in to be finished.

Saves people having opinions on what my livestock is for really.

Poultry dispatchers - the post mounted ones - that have a cup side that the neck sits in and a metal wedge on a hinged handle that does the breaking or something like a rabbit wringer that is a v-shaped metal notched thingie.  Sorry, I did try to find a picture of the ones I had many years ago but no luck.

My problem with wall mounted dispatchers of any design is that I am not tall, not strong and a turkey is a big old bird so holding it in one hand and dispatching with the other was really hard.  It was hard enough with a big rooster but turkeys and geese, blimey, I didn't have enough hands, never mind strength and the coordination needed for a rabbit wringer, well, don't get me started. ::)

The lopper way I gently and calmly hang the bird by its legs - turkeys hung up like this, for me anyway, remain nice and calm but flighty birds can have a sock put over their heads to keep them calm - fit the jaws of the loppers right behind its head and bring them shut and HANG ON until the flapping stops.

This works for rabbits, not hung up but on a table, as well.  With all four feet on a solid surface, the rabbit remains calm until the deed is done.

So one tool, many uses.