Killing quail for consumption

[DoubletakeFarm]

What do you think is the easiest way to kill a quail for butchering?

I really need to get my mindset for this. I don't think I'll have a problem dressing them, it's killing them that I can't seem to get past. I had to cull 8 chickens last year because they had some kind of contagious disease. I did it, but lord it freaked me out. The only reason I could do it was because it HAD to be done. I found this video where he just twists the head off, some people say really sharp shears or clippers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11i3Qj3EfTA

How do you do it, and if you have any tips on getting past the emotional side of it I'd be happy to hear them!

 

[creekrocket]

I've Cleaning/Butchering quail For A Long Time....Just Not The Ones I've Raised.
Its Allot Less Dramatic Than A Chicken. Allot.
You Can Use Shears,But YouDon't Need Them. Their Cute Little Heads Pop Right Off. If You Haven't Done It Before, Use The Shears/Scissors. Hold On With A Firm Grip And Snip... Wait Just A Minute,And Its All Over.

 

[buttonquailtx]

The method you use is whatever method you feel comfortable with. The trick is to do it in a way that is quick enough to cause the least amount of stress for you and the birds. We owe it to our flocks to not cause them undue pain.

Shears work great, but make sure they are large, heavy duty, and sharp. To be honest, the hardest part is if you don't succeed on the first attempt.

I try to get in the mind frame of thinking about the bird I'm about to butcher as an already butchered piece of meat. If I think about them as birds I get squeamish.

I don't think goodhearted people ever get comfortable butchering any animal. But for us meat eaters, it can be a chore we do but never enjoy.

 

[Chicken-Farmer]

I butchered 21 quail this morning and 18 last weekend. I don't enjoy the butchering process, but look forward to the meal after the work is done. I provide my quail with a pampered life. They always have fresh water, as much feed as they like, and cages that far exceed the "minimum" space required. I raise my quail knowing that they will one day turn into food.
The 21 quail this morning took me a little over an hour to process. I pull the heads off, and hang them upside down by their legs inside a bucket. After 30 seconds or so the flopping stops after a quick shudder of their entire body. At this point they are "meat" that needs to be processed. I pull their skin apart, clip their wings and lower legs off. Once all the feathers and skin are removed i use a pair of poultry shears to cut along either side of the spine and remove all the guts and spine in one piece. Then it's down to rinsing the body and removing any little bits of feathers or gut pieces. It sounds like a drawn out process, but it really only takes 3 minutes or so. I have a cooler set up with ice packs and a large plastic bowl. To keep the birds cold until we vacuum pack them for the freezer.

 

[James the Bald]

Sharp kitchen scizzors will work. Here is a link for processing. It has photos and is done very well.

I hope this helps out.
James

 

[bryan8]

I use a board with two nails in it one straight and one at an angle to form a v. Then its as easy as put the quails head in the v, a slight tug and a slit of a sharp knife across the throat. They bleed out fast and painless, and no flapping/shaking like if you sever the spinal cord right away. Shears might be easier but I always carry a sharp knife on me, so its what I had.

Bryan

 

[Quailsong]

I've yet to cull quail but I've heard their skin is very 'slippery'. So it's best to have a good firm grip & a super sharp knife/scissors. This way the skin won't slip as much & you can be sure you've cut through the bone (or jugulars, depending on your method). I've not heard of others using small killing cones for quail, but I'm interested in giving it a try this year.

Another thing to keep in mind, tool availability aside, we've all different body types, hand strength/dexterity & emotional/mindsets, so culling quail one way may not work for you while another method may turn out easier/quicker than you expected. So if one way doesn't work as well as you think it should, try a new method.

Emotionally I would think the best way is to not talk to them or pray or what have you till after the deed is done. Doing so might make it harder on you emotionally. You can however pray/thank/etc after & I think it'd still be respectful. Get a strong-willed friend to help you do the culling if you need the support - there's no shame in that as you're still present & helping to get the job done. You can even trade jobs, if they can cull better you could just do the processing. I think removing the head, wings & legs quickly makes it easy to go to a 'prepping for dinner' mindset.

As a slight derail, quail & other gamey bird meat seems to do best when relaxed a few days in the fridge. You can put the processed bodies in ice water or salty brine to let the meat loosen up a bit. The meat can all be piled together in a crock or tub in the fridge & then tossed in the crock pot to stew - or cook however you like. Best of luck!

 

[Chicken-Farmer]

Quailsong, i couldn't agree more. We are having bacon wrapped quail for dinner tonight ant they have been soaking all day in saltwater. When we fry our quail they get a soak in buttermilk and hotsauce.

 

[DoubletakeFarm]

Any tips on freezing them?

 

[Chicken-Farmer]

We vaccum pack ours using a food saver machine. We have never had any problems with freezer burn. Another method would be to wrap each bird in freezer paper, then saran wrap. They won't keep as long, but should last several months in the freezer without any ill effects