Whats the most humane way to kill a chicken?

[AllynTal]

40 seconds? When I do cervical dislocation, they're pretty much stiff by 40 seconds. Thrashing is done by about 10, I think. Haven't counted exactly.
I haven't done birds for consumption yet, but I plan to try the pipe cutters or loppers. Seems quick and easy.

I was just going by what the poultry veterinarian said as far as time to death. Maybe he is talking about the death of the brain rather than the death of the body? I notice that even decapitated, the beak will continue to open and close for a few seconds. Like you, I haven't timed it, but I really like these different lopper/cutter tools.

 

[BantyChooks]

I was just going by what the poultry veterinarian said as far as time to death. Maybe he is talking about the death of the brain rather than the death of the body? I notice that even decapitated, the beak will continue to open and close for a few seconds. Like you, I haven't timed it, but I really like these different lopper/cutter tools.

Wish we could just ask the birds which way was quickest.

I think they (the lopper/other cutters) are much better than the traditional axe method. Me, I'd end up taking my own hand off and not the bird's head. Jittery people and sharp objects don't go together, eh.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Wish we could just ask the birds which way was quickest.

I think they (the lopper/other cutters) are much better than the traditional axe method. Me, I'd end up taking my own hand off and not the bird's head. Jittery people and sharp objects don't go together, eh.

Agree - this was the primary reason I didn't decapitate before (esp. as I do this alone - no one to hold the bird or anything). I wouldn't trust myself with an axe or hatchet for this.

 

[jvls1942]

Not an option if you live in a municipality that prohibits the discharge of firearms within the City Limits. A pellet pistol works just fine, and pressed against the chicken's head, there's virtually no sound.


I still prefer the 'killing cone' method. But I have learned one thing: if you completely sever the head from the body, the physical reflexes are violent. Sure, the cone keeps them from flopping all over the yard and scaring the crap out of your dog, or kids, but it isn't pretty. I've found that if you just cut through the jugular and windpipe, the bird will bleed out rather peacefully. Remember, an inverted chicken is semi-hypnotized anyway. Let them settle in the cone for a few minutes, and then do the deed.

I do the cones also, but I do not cut the wind pipe.
with a little practice you cut both arteries. they will bleed out and die peacefully in about 30 seconds to a minute. If you cut the wind pipe, they literally suffocate.

one time my nephews turned 100 chickens loose that we were about to butcher. we rounded up what we could, and then my brother and I got out the 22 rifles and shot about 30 of them. all head shots..

if you are going to shoot one. be extremely careful. i would advise against shooting if you have a different way of doing it.

.........jiminwisc.......

 

[xcalibor67]

i would advise against shooting

Reminds me of dove/quail hunting yrs ago....Any bird hunter of the wild will find him/her self in a situation with a wounded bird, flopping, hopping around. Personally i always retrieved my harvest as fast as possible and merely popped off the heads of any injured game, its the right thing to do....As far as 22 for chickens..hhhmmm...maybe not so good. Even if your out in the country with acreage, beware of a ricochet. Even with Match grade ammo and good shooting skills, it only takes a spit millisecond for a head to turn, and now you have shot off the poor birds beak/comb etc.

 

[itsasmallfarm]

my family always did the poke the brain method, (just stick the knife in the back of the throat to hit the brain,) not sure how humane this is,

but to me i could never chop the head off one of my birds, i would have to shoot em, (just can not kill things at close blank by using my hands even with a tool like an axe) but i would either use a .22lr with bird shot or use a .410/20 gauge a few feet away with bird shot to the head.

 

[SiriusChicken]

Wow I hit the wrong link & feel like I've stumbled into a serial killer convention. I grew up on a farm watching chickens butchered with an ax on a chopping block, very cleanly but they still suffer for awhile. You can see when you watch their faces. I liked the message who quoted the vet, that it takes 15-20 seconds to die with decapitation. I forgot your name, but good post, very factual. They aren't unconscious. There is fear. Definitely petting them and calming them helped them flop less after decapitation, but beheading is not quick and painless. And neither is slicing a throat, (that's horrific since you can watch them struggle & try to scream that ends in a gurgle. Most people think cutting yourself shaving hurts & this is much deeper, all the muscles, all the cartilage, veins, bone etc, so much pain and the brain is alive to feel all that, plus the terror of seeing yourself fall to the ground & not able to move). And science has proved chickens are more cognitively advanced than previously believed. They can count, reason, have self awareness and even show empathy to each others' suffering. I can't find the other article I wanted but this article says a lot about the studies on chickens' intelligence. http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170110-despite-what-you-might-think-chickens-are-not-stupid.

I agree with those of you who use a gun. Do they make those bolt guns they use on cows for chickens? That wouldn't be as loud as a gun and brain death would be instantaneous. I hate anything suffering. Even being told its normal since I was little & seeing it since I was a preteen, I absolutely hated watching that, and I became a vegetarian when I grew up. I get that some people need to eat meat, I just wish everyone would kill painlessly. I'm going back to the cute and cuddly egg-laying chicken forums now. Good luck!

 

[xcalibor67]

A bolt gun would work, and im sure there are allot of intelligent people out there that could build such a hand held device if it cannot be purchased. I agree, im all for the most painless, fastest harvest. As people, we all know if our morals will let sleep come night. All of Gods creatures, will perish into the earth as its written. As a humanitarian of sorts i wish all creatures, even humans would not have to suffer, as people with Cancer for reference.I can only pray that God will grant me a 15/20 sec death. With that said, your words have encouraged me to look further into a bolt type harvester. The use of a firearm, i still do not like, unless you shoot the animal point blank, as not to miss by a fraction and wound the animal. Perhaps a pellets pistol point blank,as others have mentioned. In the end, if you feel you have done your best, that's what counts.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Nothing is faster or more humane than the ax-hatchet method. However the keen knife in the roof of the mouth (if done correctly) has the added benefit of causing the bird to relax its feather follicles making for easier feather plucking.

 

[BBQJOE]

If you're going to slaughter a chicken, there's really a hundred ways to say it I suppose, but in the end, you're going to kill it.
I still believe the easiest, most painless way is to grab the bird by its feet, and hang it upside down.
They flap around for about 20 seconds, then go limp, and all but pass out.
The bird is now as docile and about as unstressed as it's ever going to be.

At this point, the cone is about the best choice. The bird doesn't much care about anything at this point, and there is no struggle at all.

Either bleed it out with a slit to the neck, or use a new/sharp limb trimmer, and lop off the head.

As far as I'm concerned, that is the simplest, most painless way (for everyone involved) to kill a chicken.

Say it. Kill a chicken. Kill a chicken. That's what you're doing. No sugar whatsoever. You're killing a chicken. Call it anything you want, but that's what you're doing, so just accept it.
You're certainly not the first person to ever do it, and you won't be the last.