Another meat bird question

elfael · **Posted:** Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:18 pm

My 7 remaining meat birds are scheduled for the choppy chop on Wednesday, and my father has just informed me that he intends to do it by taking their heads off (the question "Do you have an axe?" was a bit of a giveaway :roll:

). I had expected them to have their necks broken, but as a provincial Spaniard he feels that chopping their heads off is the best way, since that's how he was taught as a boy.

I know it will be messy doing it that way, but can anyone speak from experience as to which way is best for the birds? I really don't want to have headless chickens running around the yard while they wait to die. I'd have a go at breaking their necks myself, but I don't think I could do it.

greenaus · **Posted:** Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:33 pm

elfael wrote:

I'd have a go at breaking their necks myself, but I don't think I could do it.

That's why I chopped my guy's head off last Friday. I considered breaking his neck but was more concerned about messing that up than missing with the ax.

I didn't have a headless chook running around because I held him down until he stopped moving.

I then held him upside-down for a bit to drain out any residual blood.

I think draining off the excess blood is necessary, too. Another reason I decided to chop off his head.

b&p · **Posted:** Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:07 pm

I break than decapitate and bleed out.

3 yrs ago didn't think I could do it but hey now I cull and dress and eat em no worries.

1st eaters were a bit of an issue for me but now they are dinner.

But I still have the odd one I can't do...even at cull.

glenn · **Posted:** Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:20 am

to stop them running around you can tie the legs together before you chop, also helps to have somewhere to hang them to drain

greenaus · **Posted:** Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:12 am

By following a link somewhere (here on APF I think) I visited a page where someone explained their method step-by-step.

It included hanging them in the cool open air. ...weather, season and climate permitting.

I did wonder if a longer "bleed out" period would have given me a more tender result.

elfael · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:49 pm

My freezer is now full of chickens. After today's effort I think I need to learn how to break their necks instead of chopping. My father's a bit set in his ways and wouldn't let me tie their legs, so I did have one escape and run around a bit before I could catch it. Getting splashed with chicken blood is possibly the grossest experience I've had, and watching them breathe after their heads were gone freaked me out a bit :shock:

. Does that happen every time, or can it be avoided by chopping further down the neck?

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

they are dead instantly once the head is off so they wernt really breathing

Lou · **Joined:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:12 am **Posts:** 387

I'm a sook, & my other half is just as bad, there is a chook abitoir in Toowoomba that will kill & dress them for $4 per head. When I was driving through Grandchester on Monday there where 2 big fat meat cockerels roaming in the middle of no where, someone had put a dish down for them but unless someone catched them they will be fox dinner. If I could have caught them they would be going with mine. :roll:

rocky · **Joined:** Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:36 pm **Posts:** 144

You can buy or, if you're handy with metal, make a killing cone. It's open both ends,so the bird goes in the big end and the head comes out the small end. You hang it up,put the bird in,which is then held in the cone (no struggling) and you can cut it's throat & bleed it.

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

oh yes i no what your talking about rocky i saw some pictures on the net

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