[Eve]

I forgot to say but the birds are around 5.5 - 6 months old - would they be better used for long slow cooking?

No, they'll be fine, but make sure to hang / rest them for 24h (can be plucked or skinned already) before jointing. Joint even a really young bird straight away and it's like leather.

[raindogs]

I've tried various methods, but I find the broomstick is the most consistently successful method, and is fairly swift. It's never easy though.

[cloddopper]

Re neck breaking the quick old fashioned way .
Grab the chickens feet in one hand & their neck in the other ,  putting the neck about 2" behind the eyes between the middle & ring finger .  Now  put the neck across you knee as you stooping slightly and then stretch & twist the neck over your knuckles to break it by pushing your hands apart apart.  You'll feel it break ,  keep hold of the feet till the bird stops flapping .. good for up to 50 or so birds in one go but it then starts to get physically tiring .

 Re  The broom stick method :-
An iron bar about 30 inches long  is just as good , all you need to do is put the chickens neck  under the middle of the bar & on a flat surface then . Stand on both ends at the same time  no need to pull the chickens feet to separate the neck if your over six stone in weight .  You might find it's useful to do this standing by a wall for support in case it's your first time & you get all emotional & queasy . 
Once you've dispatched half a dozen chickens  & eaten them  it won't bother you even if they were former friends / pets .

[DenisCooper]

Re neck breaking the quick old fashioned way .
Grab the chickens feet in one hand & their neck in the other ,  putting the neck about 2" behind the eyes between the middle & ring finger .  Now  put the neck across you knee as you stooping slightly and then stretch & twist the neck over your knuckles to break it by pushing your hands apart apart.  You'll feel it break ,  keep hold of the feet till the bird stops flapping .. good for up to 50 or so birds in one go but it then starts to get physically tiring .

 Re  The broom stick method :-
An iron bar about 30 inches long  is just as good , all you need to do is put the chickens neck  under the middle of the bar & on a flat surface then . Stand on both ends at the same time  no need to pull the chickens feet to separate the neck if your over six stone in weight .  You might find it's useful to do this standing by a wall for support in case it's your first time & you get all emotional & queasy . 
Once you've dispatched half a dozen chickens  & eaten them  it won't bother you even if they were former friends / pets .

Great answer thanks - im sure once I've done a few I'll be fine....giving it a go this Friday evening.

Once they are dead I assume you slit the throat and let them bleed then pluck them?

[Anke]

We have found that the time and effort for plucking a home-bred cockerel (Maran) is not justified for what you get once roasted.... so now we skin and take off legs and breast. Makes good curries and stews, and still provides a meal for family of four.

[Clarebelle]

Great answer thanks - im sure once I've done a few I'll be fine....giving it a go this Friday evening.

Once they are dead I assume you slit the throat and let them bleed then pluck them?

I don't know what others do but we would pluck then hang for a couple of days, then dress the carcass. We don't bleed them, the blood pools in the neck and gets cut off with the head.

[DenisCooper]

So I've just done my first one. Which wasn't too bad.

As I was looking over the bird I noticed it had a puncture wound. A dog got in the field last week (the owner came and told me) but it must have got this bird. Would it still be OK to eat or am I best to discard it?

[Bonzie]

Might be better to discard that one, just in case!