Upside down chickens? Harmful?

[OliviaDeHav]

I have read that holding the chickens by the feet upside down cuts off air? Is this true?? AND NO i don't do this.... I saw where someone had asked this question and nothing was said about air being cut off, but i have seen others on this forum write that it does. So which is it and where is the documentation? I looked all over the web, but when you write about them being upside down, slaughtering topics come up.... I mean... i'm trying to eat breakfast here

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Doesn't sound like a regular practice to me.

 

[NYREDS]

Some people carry them that way & for a brief period it probably isn't harmful. That said, chickens anatomy being what it is holding a chicken in this position causes their internal organs to push forward & put preasure on their lungs. Holding a chicken in this position too long can cause respiratory distress & possibly death.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree. I would never do it, for this very reason.

 

[sourland]

As NYREDS said done sensibly it causes no harm whatsoever. As a kid one of my first jobs was helping an elderly neighbor lady move leghorn pullets from the brooder coops to the laying house. Three pullets in each hand and a dash to the layer house was standard procedure. Now, getting those that roosted in the maple trees was another story. All of this before the proliferation of GH owls and hawks. Her only predator loss was to raccoons. Even fox were scarce then. Just alittle walk back down memory lane for me.

 

[spoggy]

Quote:
Ive read a couple of places, one of the articles was on the ABA website, that there is a risk of breaking a leg or disjointing a hip. I'm sure if its done briefly and carefully there would be no damage, but why risk it?

 

[silkiechicken]

Done carefullly, they will be fine. Risks of course do include hurting legs or wings if they flap wrong/against something, and if their crops are full, aspirating food that comes out their mouth.

 

[KristaChickenWhisperer]

Wow this brings back some fond memories!!

When I first started showing chickens at the fair for FFA the guy that my teachers brought in to help us learn how to show our birds for fit and show told us this is how we carry out birds to the show table. And after about ten minutes of us attempting to do this and the guy chuckling he told us he was just pulling our legs.

 

[rungirl]

When they show meat chickens at the fair, the judge will have the owner turn the chicken upside down so they can inspect the breast and underside. The only other time we do it is when we have to handle a chicken that is mean or aggressive. Turning them upside down will calm them down and they can't bite or scratch you.

 

[OliviaDeHav]

Aw.... nice memories.... or memories in some cases

I was asking because i saw one post where quite a few were outraged (and it is here on BYC somewhere) that anyone was holding them upside down at all because they can't breathe... Then i saw others saying it was ok with aggressive birds, or for a short period.... So, Not that i have any reason to hold them upside down at all, but was curious why the difference in answers and where the documentation might be to substantiate the lack of oxygen leading to death by doing this....

Thanks for the replies and the stories! LOVE the old stories especially!!!! I was born in the WRONG era! weren't most of us though