# How hard is it to kill a chicken?



## bbqjoe (Feb 10, 2017)

It seems many people get into raising chickens without ever giving a thought to the fact that a day will come when birds need to go to freezer camp, or in the pot.
Others don't realize that you may end up with a rooster who'd just as soon gouge your eyes out, than let you near his ladies.

Death is a very real part of raising any livestock.
As far as I'm concerned, people who can't bring themselves to cull, clean and prepare a chicken, shouldn't own them for any reason.

Anyone who takes it too seriously, and can't laugh about the whole thing, should really stick to raising vegetables.


BannedJoe


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

I had a rooster that was stripping the backs of his favorites naked. Using the same net I use to clean leaves out of the fountain I corralled him in the corner of the run. Reached under the net and grab both of his feet. Once I had him hanging upside down he calmed right down. I don't know why but hang a chicken upside down and they go into a motionless stupor.

Hung the rooster from our target stand. Sharp pair of limb trimmers...off with his head.

Dad would pound two nails in a tree stump. Hook the chickens head between the two nails and then a swift downward stoke with a ax. Then quickly throw the body as far from him as possible. Chicken would run around like a chicken with its head cut off until it bled out.


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

Its easy,

One hatchet, 

One chop,

Stuff upside down in gallon milk carton with bottom cut out and cap off, nailed to a tree.

No floppin, bleed out quickly.


Then the work starts.




Jim


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## bbqjoe (Feb 10, 2017)

I just grab them by the feet, upside down, until they pass out.
Then into the cone, and a slit to the throat or off with the head.

No fuss, no muss, no dramatics.

It's a chicken for Pete's sake!

God help these people who fall in love with their chickens, diaper them, and let them run around in the house, and even sleep with them.


I recently read about a guy who was scared, and couldn't bear to 86 his aggressive rooster. He trapped him in the corner of the pen, threw a trash barrel over him, and ran a hose from his cars exhaust to the barrel.


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

I hang them by their feet on our old swingset and slit the throat.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

*Killing a chicken...*

You have got to be kidding me....IT'S A CHICKEN fer gosh sakes.......
Step one: Catch the critter (this could take a while, depending on how good yer herding dogs are).
Step two: When you have said critter in hand, look 'im/'er in the eye, and say,"This is gonna hurt you a lot worse than me!" 
Step three: Take a very sharp knife/ax, position said chicken over a stump, and don't pay any attention at all to said chicken's pleas for mercy.
Step four: Let the damn bird go, and consider that "tomorrow is another day, and I really wanted to order Domino's in the first place."
Step five: Enjoy the pizza, and congratulate your merciful self!


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

I had a friend in college that grew up on the mission field. His parents were translators for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Before they were allowed to go into the field (i.e., any 3rd world country), they had a summer camp they went to, to be better prepared. Each person had a little steel bar that they had to use to snap the neck of a chicken. Very practical training, if you ask me.

We butcher all our excess roosters. We tie their legs together loosely with a cord. Hook their head between 2 nails, like LazyL's dad did. Stretch it taut, one chop with a sharp ax or big knife. Then hang the headless chicken upside down by the feet to a nail on a board or tree, and let it bleed out.


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## bbqjoe (Feb 10, 2017)

A guy wrote last night of a similar story about having to kill a rooster, and wanted to know the most humane to do it.

One responder said to take the bird to a place with a nice view, hold him like a football and stroke him, and tell him what a great rooster he is.
When he's completely relaxed, reach up behind his head, pinch, and jerk your arm forward quickly.

I told him even better, take the chicken to a nice afternoon matinee, something perhaps like Old Yeller.
Being as how roosters just love popcorn and orange soda, make sure to buy him a nice buttery box full, and a cool orange drink.
Hold him gently and enjoy the movie together, eating the popcorn and drinking soda.
At the end, when Old Yeller dies and the screen goes dark, slam his head in the folding theater seat next to you.

Apparently, some mods didn't see the humor.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Caribou said:


> ....................
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Step five: Enjoy the pizza, and congratulate your merciful self!


MMMMMM pizza


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

Caribou, I wish I knew where that link was about Sarah Palin. I watched it over and over and never laughed so hard. She was running for VP, and giving a speech at a turkey farm. What she didn't realize was that right behind her, an employee was putting the turkeys in cones and whacking them. It was hilarious.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Caribou said:


> A few years ago the press was freaking out because Sarah Palin was butchering turkeys using a killing cone.


Missed that.....Turkeys are a LOT bigger than chickens, bet THAT was a wrestling match! On the other hand, turkeys aren't exactly the brightest bulb in the box........:dunno:


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

I learn to just twist their necks till they departed then a pot full of hot water......


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

readytogo said:


> I learn to just twist their necks till they departed then a pot full of hot water......


That's the way Granny did it....worked for her! Next was the "chicken & dumplin's"......oh, YEAAAHHHH!!


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Missed that.....Turkeys are a LOT bigger than chickens, bet THAT was a wrestling match! On the other hand, turkeys aren't exactly the brightest bulb in the box........:dunno:


No need to wrestle. Shotgun works just fine, you might want to stand out of "wing reach" if you don't want bruises.


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

We do our turkeys on the playground, too. Just wrap them before cutting their throats, or blood will get all over you when they start flapping.
Have 12 cornish meat chickens to do the end of the month. 8 baby turkeys coming in end of May


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I think this is relavent to this thread...

Because we have to move and the place we are moving to will not allow us to keep our chickens I placed an ad at the d=feed store to sell them. I really didn't care if people bought them for their stew pot or to keep as egg layers. But the one thing I would not do was give them away for free or dirt cheap (less than fryers at the market). I'd rather butcher them myself then give away free meat. Here is an email exchange I had with a woman trying to guilt me into giving her the hens for next to nothing.



> *Chere:* Hi I would love to have these chickens for my son and his 4-H club. These are so pretty! Would you sale for 7 or max 9 dollars a piece. I know I can get them here where I live for that, but your chickens are so adorable.





> *Grimm:* Sorry. Fryer chickens are going for $10+ at the store. If I can't get more than that each for my hens (they are hard to find breeds here in California) then they will go to freezer camp.





> *Chere:* Fryer chickens and freezer store! That's so sad. But I guess everyone is different. They look like nice chickens it's sad you would eat them before giving them a good home.





> *Grimm:* There are too many people with stories just like yours that are lying so they can get free to cheap chickens to put in their own freezers. I am a homesteader and I knew when I got my chickens there would come a day that I'd have to butcher them be it we move or they become too old. It is the circle of life.
> 
> Plus Salmon Faverolles, Super Blue Layers and Brahmas are expensive chickens. I am not even asking half of what they are worth. There are plenty of chickens for sale on CL but 90% of them are more expensive than mine.





> *Chere:* Well I'm sorry you have been lied to. That's not in my nature to lie. We don't eat our chickens they lay and we show them. But to each there own. I hope you find a buyer.
> Thank you for your time.





> *Grimm:* What do you do with the hens that stop laying eggs? Keeping them as pets is an expense that most chicken keepers do not want. I understand showing hens and roosters but what do you do with them when they no longer produce? Keeping unproductive livestock defeats the purpose of raising your own eggs, meat, milk etc.





> *Chere:* Your correct chicken keepers, but some actually are for show and laying eggs, but they are a pet as well, just like a dog or cat, or horse. It's a chose you make as a pet owner. For food or for a pet, either or it's our own way and what the individual wants.





> *Grimm:* I'll tell you what I told my 5 year old when we got the chickens... Chickens are FOOD.


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

*Once upon a time, in a state far away....*



terri9630 said:


> No need to wrestle. Shotgun works just fine, you might want to stand out of "wing reach" if you don't want bruises.


My (idiot) brother (I, of course disclaim all responsibility) came up with the idea of "raiding" the Turkey Farm up the road for a nice fat turkey for Thanksgiving. I think I was 13-14 at the time, and said (idiot) brother was 7-8. 'Bout dark city we climbed the fence surrounding the Turkey Farm, and went on the hunt. They found us....about a zillion of them.....never EVER try to grab a turkey by the neck. They have sharp spurs, claws, very strong wings, and pointy beaks, and ALL of them can HURT YOU! I'm not sure who made it back OVER the fence first, but I do know we never tried that again!! :yummy:


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

I own and operate a mobile poultry killing trailer. Every neck that gets cut is another buck in my pocket.


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

bbqjoe said:


> A guy wrote last night of a similar story about having to kill a rooster, and wanted to know the most humane to do it.
> 
> One responder said to take the bird to a place with a nice view, hold him like a football and stroke him, and tell him what a great rooster he is.
> When he's completely relaxed, reach up behind his head, pinch, and jerk your arm forward quickly.
> ...


Those mods must have been old proods:banghead: lol. Here we have the Best MODS EVER. That have a sence of humor


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

Flight1630 said:


> Those mods must have been old proods:banghead: lol. Here we have the Best MODS EVER. That have a sence of humor


The Mod's here have got to have a good sense of humor. When dealing with a bunch of loonies, it must help, said one loonie to another.  :groupwave: :rofl:


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## bbqjoe (Feb 10, 2017)

This stupid chicken board, and all these bleeding heart, can't kill a family member (chicken) people have got me riled up again.
Ok, not really riled, but I just shake my head at them.
No one in their right mind takes a chicken to a vet to have it put down.

There is no "Humane" way to kill a chicken!
There's painful, and less painful. There's messy, and there's less messy.

A .22 to the back of its skull is no more humane than lopping its head off.

I'd almost like to organize a forum raid.


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)




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