Author Topic: Dispatching chickens (Read 23905 times)

Rosemary · « **Reply #30 on:** August 20, 2012, 11:15:49 pm »

Quote from: deepinthewoods on August 20, 2012, 10:54:29 pm

maybe.

if you go kill a chicken properly.

We do. IMHO

SteveHants · « **Reply #31 on:** August 21, 2012, 12:36:32 am »

I dunno what the broomstick method is...

I have always had a loop of twine in one hand and pucked em up by their feet, and as I do, looped it round, hung em up and hit them on the head with something - the flapping and sudden stillness lets you know you've done it right and then you bleed em.

You have to bleed things so you get a nice clean carcase...same for everything, fish, birds, mammals.

And I dont reckon the bird knows much till its dead the way I do it, takes seconds.

hughesy · « **Reply #32 on:** August 21, 2012, 07:44:34 am »

If you kill a chicken by neck dislocation you don't need to bleed it as the blood pools in the cavity where the neck has parted. Assuming you hang the bird by it's feet for a while. And as has been said here if you kill a bird by hand you know when you've done it properly as you can definitely feel the life go from it. I doubt if methods using neck crushing pliers or shooting will give this kind of positive confirmation. Not here for the argument btw just my opinion.

Sylvia · « **Reply #33 on:** August 21, 2012, 08:24:42 am »

Quote from: Anke on August 20, 2012, 10:38:07 pm

Quote from: Sylvia on August 20, 2012, 04:53:48 pm
An electric stunner is a costly bit of kit but, in my opinion, is the most humane way to kill poultry. It may pay you to ask around for someone who has one, they wouldn't charge much just for the kill. I do it for the cost of diesel to get to them as long as folk are local.
You have to get a "provisional license" first, then get a DEFRA vet out to watch you slaughter birds. He will then sign your Certificate of Competence.
Oh dear, do I now have to get a "certificate of competence" to kill a chicken? That really would be madness....

No, you don't need a certificate to say you're a competent slaughterman, only if you do other peoples poultry they like to know that you know what you're doing.

Sylvia · « **Reply #34 on:** August 21, 2012, 08:47:15 am »

Really any method that ensures a quick and sure kill is acceptable. I used to take a chicken from it's perch at night and break it's neck before it realised it had been picked up and this is fine if you have strong hands. Now that I can't trust my hands to do it properly I asked DEFRA for the best alternative option. They sent me a booklet on the different methods of slaughter and I found the stunner the most acceptable to me. I got my Cert. of Comp. so that I could do other peoples birds and(hopefully) get back a bit that has been paid out.
I can't see why anyone should stalk out in a huff over this discussion (no wonder new folk are wary?) so come back, kiss and make up, or shake hands if you're that way inclined

and let's all have our opinions without all these shenanigans(

)
Rosemary and DITW can kiss and make up, I hope.

Also, it has been proven that a chicken put upside down for no more than a minute or so is calmed ( a bit like carrying a piglet upside down is calmed) so, a minute in a cone may be beneficial? $:-\$
Posted with love, Sylvia XXXXX

SteveHants · « **Reply #35 on:** August 21, 2012, 08:48:00 am »

The body will relax and 'drop' after you hit it on the head. I've never known a commercial killing operation that didnt bkeed a carcase. I have done a fair few chickens in my time, and many hundreds of turkeys (for other people). If you want to be sure any creature aside from a fish is dead - touch its eye. If it blinks it isnt dead.

hughesy · « **Reply #36 on:** August 21, 2012, 10:16:49 am »

Quote from: SteveHants on August 21, 2012, 08:48:00 am

I've never known a commercial killing operation that didnt bkeed a carcase.

Things are different in a factory environment. The birds go straight from slaughter into processing no time to hang them. Also a mechanised process has to be designed to ensure a proper humane kill every time and there are no hands on people to confirm that death has occured.

SteveHants · « **Reply #37 on:** August 21, 2012, 04:39:01 pm »

Im talking seasonal turkey slaughter and itinerant chicken slaughter, where the birds are to be offered for sale. When I slaughtered fish, they were bled too.

deepinthewoods · « **Reply #38 on:** August 21, 2012, 04:57:43 pm »

Quote from: Sylvia on August 21, 2012, 08:47:15 am

Rosemary and DITW can kiss and make up, I hope.

of course! i value my remaining teeth

suziequeue · « **Reply #39 on:** August 21, 2012, 05:38:26 pm »

Cripes!!! I was going to post on this thread when it was just two posts old but thought better of it

Thank god I did

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #40 on:** August 21, 2012, 06:18:25 pm »

I think the wording of some of the posts in this thread needed to be thought about before being written.
It is OK (or should be) for someone to say a method of slaughter advocated by a poster is not ideal or even in their cruel and why they think so. But when doing this, they should also take into account the context of accepted opinion eg what bodies like the HSA recommend, and also should really avoid making it personal writing as though a poster on the thread is as a person cruel for using that method, given that it is officially approved and even recommended as humane.
On the other side, theres no point having a forum if everytime anyone gets cross they close their account - a forum is for exchange of views which by definition means views different to ones own as well as similar ones.
I do think tho that the wording of some recent posts by some members has deteriorated into plain rudeness, at least in the way they are written, and it has deterred me from posting on some threads on which they are active.
In short I think everyone should be able to tell everyone else they are completely wrong, but they really do need to do so courteously and not obnoxiously or abruptly, and always with an eye to the possibility that it may be them who are actually wrong!

TinkleCottage · « **Reply #41 on:** August 21, 2012, 06:35:32 pm »

Is there anyone who would dispatch and dress quails for me in Lancashire? I have 12 boys who are fattened up and ready to go but I do not have the grip (or the stomach) to do it myself. Small renumeration available.

hughesy · « **Reply #42 on:** August 21, 2012, 06:37:21 pm »

You're right lachlanandmarcus. I think everyone needs to remember it's just a forum on the internet and not a matter of life and death(well only for the chickens). This forum is incredibly civilised compared to many I've seen.