killing chickens - help

servant

Hello
I wonder if there is anyone in my area (Co. Leitrim) who can help me (show me) how to kill chickens.
Even though I keep chickens for eggs I have no idea how to keep them for meat. I really would like to breed them for meat but I think I need someone to show me how to do it, hands on...
Anyone know where I could get help? How did you guys learn? What was your experience?

Thanks
Mia

Gloomtastic!

Core memory from childhood -

You need:
One Broom

1. Get chicken by the legs.
2. Place neck on the ground.
3. Put broom handle over chicken's neck.
Put two feet on broom handle, one each side of neck. Apply pressure. When you have the neck firmly held on the ground.
4. Pull hard and sharp.
5. Hold chicken, still be the legs, well away from your body until the flapping stops.

Just do it!

brian_t

Google "how to kill a chicken"

aonb

I would DEFINITELY recommend getting someone to show you a couple of times how to do this. I would DEFINITELY recommend that you kill your first chicken with an experienced person on hand. For the hens sake if nothing else
You might find some "expert" nearby - plucking and drawing a chicken has a knack to it too, so I would suggest having someone with you is the best option.
Ask around if there are any hen keepers, who would show you how.

Genghis Cant

I agree with aonb.
There's a knack to dispatching cleanly and efficiently.
The brush handle method is probably simpler than just using your hand but you need to be subtle enough to do it properly without overdoing it.
Some of the lads that shoot a lot are excellent at dispatching a bird if you happen to know anyone that might show you.

Genghis Cant

brian_t wrote: »

Google "how to kill a chicken"

I googled 'how to drive a car '....... It didn't end well :-) :-)
Sometimes there's nothing like hands on experience!

Boardnashea

Find someone nearby who is keeping broilers and offer to come along when they are doing theirs. Maybe even time yours with them when you start and do them all together.
Don't pick the biggest bird for your first attempt. The plucking and cleaning gets easier after you have done a couple, but it takes me a while to get my hand in get up to speed each time.
Best of luck. Best bird you will eat.

woggie

I did a one day backyard butchery course in Roscommon last year that taught me so much about dispatching chickens and fowl, unfortunetly they don't do them anymore ....however I have found the following website very useful for smallholding tips and there appears to be quite a number of them up your way ..I'm sure someone would help you out if you ask ...
http://countrytalkandtips.myfreeforum.org/

skywanderer

You must be the first man in Ireland who can't choke his chicken!

ganmo

ehh...this is a grey area in the legislation
on farm slaughtering of chickens is premitted but only in registered units.

Base price

ganmo wrote: »

ehh...this is a grey area in the legislation
on farm slaughtering of chickens is premitted but only in registered units.

Stand corrected but I thought than on farm slaughter of poultry for own use/consumption (less than a 1000 birds) was not governed by the same legislation that require registration of slaughter facilities for food producing facilities for sale to the general public or hotels/restaurants.

ganmo

(2) Subject to subsection (3) of this section, a person shall not have in his possession meat which is intended for human consumption unless the meat bears a health mark thereon in accordance with the provisions of—...


(3) Subsection (2) of this section shall not apply to—


(a) meat which is in an abattoir and is awaiting the application of a health mark in accordance with this Act;


(b) meat from an animal slaughtered in a place situate on a farm which is used for the occasional slaughter of—


(i) a pig which is maintained for farming purposes on such farm by its occupier, or


(ii) an animal which is so maintained and which has been injured by accident and the slaughter of which is necessary to prevent its suffering,


and the meat from such pig or such injured animal is intended for consumption only by the residents on such farm;


(c) meat which the person in whose possession it was found can establish was acquired by him in good faith and he did not know that it required to be marked with a health mark.

my reading of it is you can only have the meat if it is from an injured animal that was unfit to travel to an abattoir

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1988/act/8/enacted/en/print.html

there is an FSAI document that says you can kill up to 10,000 birds on farm once registered

foggy_lad

ganmo wrote: »

my reading of it is you can only have the meat if it is from an injured animal that was unfit to travel to an abattoir

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1988/act/8/enacted/en/print.html

there is an FSAI document that says you can kill up to 10,000 birds on farm once registered

Afaik that act does not relate to fowl.

“animal” means cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and all other equine animals;

“meat” means any part of an animal,^^ including blood, which can be, or is, used for human consumption;

ganmo

foggy_lad wrote: »

Afaik that act does not relate to fowl.

I checked that, it does

the definition of “animal” so as to extend the application of this Act or any of its provisions to such other animal or poultry as he considers necessary

bonzodog2

ganmo wrote: »

my reading of it is you can only have the meat if it is from an injured animal that was unfit to travel to an abattoir

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1988/act/8/enacted/en/print.html

there is an FSAI document that says you can kill up to 10,000 birds on farm once registered

My reading of it would say, given the 'or' at the end of 3i, that if you're keeping it on a farm and slaughtering it there, in a place used for slaughter (i.e. some kind of mini-abattoir), you can eat as much as you like for your own consumption.

i.e. due to the 'or', ignore the part ii

Maybe there are other regulations that apply though.

Bass Reeves

A loppers is a quick, efficient and fast way to dispatch fowl especially a larger blunt one that will not cut the neck but break it. . There are some good books that you can get access too. Katy Thear has a few comprehensive books on fowl keeping. She has one that completely deals with animal husbandry. It is in a lot of library's. Just google her name.

Any older local farmer should be able to show you how to dispatch a chicken or two.

ganmo wrote: »

my reading of it is you can only have the meat if it is from an injured animal that was unfit to travel to an abattoir

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1988/act/8/enacted/en/print.html

there is an FSAI document that says you can kill up to 10,000 birds on farm once registered

My reading is different. First off it excludes a pig from the injured animal list so that would seems to indicate that you may slaughter a pig for family use. AFAIK it is legal to slaughter fowl and rabbits that are reared on farm/backyard smallholding provided they are for family use and not for sale. However they must be dispatched humanely. Rabbits and poultry can be dispatched by dislocating the neck.

tattycat

servant wrote: »

Hello
I wonder if there is anyone in my area (Co. Leitrim) who can help me (show me) how to kill chickens.
Even though I keep chickens for eggs I have no idea how to keep them for meat. I really would like to breed them for meat but I think I need someone to show me how to do it, hands on...
Anyone know where I could get help? How did you guys learn? What was your experience?





Thanks
Mia

Hiya Mia..I've a few to dispatch soon if you want to come and see..I'm Cavan Leitrim border..

arctictree

Sorry to resurect an old thread!

We killed a couple of 16 week old roosters at the weekend. Meat was fabulous but a bit scarce! Took me a while to pluck and clean them, the second was much faster than the first!

These were just surplas birds from a clutch that one of the hens hatched over the summer. They just ate layers pellets and scraps and had the run of the farmyard and back field.

lanod2407

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I googled 'how to drive a car '....... It didn't end well :-) :-)
Sometimes there's nothing like hands on experience!

Thank you Genghis - I really needed that belly laugh tonight

lanod2407

arctictree wrote: »

Sorry to resurect an old thread!

We killed a couple of 16 week old roosters at the weekend. Meat was fabulous but a bit scarce! Took me a while to cook and clean them, the second was much faster than the first!

These were just surplas birds from a clutch that one of the hens hatched over the summer. They just ate layers pellets and scraps and had the run of the farmyard and back field.

Fair play to you. Any problems dispatching them?
I bought 8 turkey pullets a few years ago and had an idea I'd process them myself at Christmas. Checked all the YouTube videos and spoke to a few people. Arrived at the conclusion that by the time I had the hang of it at least 3 or 4 of the poor birds would have gone through a deeply disturbing end to their days. Found a processor who gave me back my 8 fantastic birds for the bargain price of€8 a head. One of my better decisions!!

Markcheese

Roosters , especially from a laying breed wouldn't be the most meaty animals , in the past there would have been dual purpose breeds , and a lot of roosters would have been caponized .(castrsted) .. And ended up a lot fatter , ( there was a thread on boards last week about capons , not for the faint hearted or inexperienced, a pretty gruesome business )

_Brian

Markcheese wrote: »

Roosters , especially from a laying breed wouldn't be the most meaty animals , in the past there would have been dual purpose breeds , and a lot of roosters would have been caponized .(castrsted) .. And ended up a lot fatter , ( there was a thread on boards last week about capons , not for the faint hearted or inexperienced, a pretty gruesome business )

I’m not far off 50 and round farms my whole life, I never knew roosters could be castrated.

Bass Reeves

_Brian wrote: »

I’m not far off 50 and round farms my whole life, I never knew roosters could be castrated.

Cane across this had heard of capons but forgot about what it meant

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capon&ved=2ahUKEwivh76J8-XsAhV0o3EKHZUQDIIQmhMwFnoECAQQAg&usg=AOvVaw1swO6UB3yKQQncvGiUgdxz

arctictree

lanod2407 wrote: »

Fair play to you. Any problems dispatching them?
I bought 8 turkey pullets a few years ago and had an idea I'd process them myself at Christmas. Checked all the YouTube videos and spoke to a few people. Arrived at the conclusion that by the time I had the hang of it at least 3 or 4 of the poor birds would have gone through a deeply disturbing end to their days. Found a processor who gave me back my 8 fantastic birds for the bargain price of€8 a head. One of my better decisions!!

I have a dispatcher nailed to the wall that I bought years ago. Like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ascott-Mounted-Poultry-Dispatcher-dispatcher/dp/B009F9LPIS
Makes the job really easy. I pick them off the perch before it gets bright in the morning and they are dead in 1 minute.

Bass Reeves

arctictree wrote: »

I have a dispatcher nailed to the wall that I bought years ago. Like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ascott-Mounted-Poultry-Dispatcher-dispatcher/dp/B009F9LPIS
Makes the job really easy. I pick them off the perch before it gets bright in the morning and they are dead in 1 minute.

A loppers will carry out the same function. No need to cut all the way through just enough to break neck

arctictree

Bass Reeves wrote: »

A loppers will carry out the same function. No need to cut all the way through just enough to break neck

Yep, it only breaks the neck, doesn't cut the head off.

Oink

My old auntie was an old-school expert. Used a sharp knife, and a bowl to collect the blood. I think the chicken felt it...
That was a few decades ago!

arctictree

arctictree wrote: »

I have a dispatcher nailed to the wall that I bought years ago. Like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ascott-Mounted-Poultry-Dispatcher-dispatcher/dp/B009F9LPIS
Makes the job really easy. I pick them off the perch before it gets bright in the morning and they are dead in 1 minute.

I have the same. Getting the gap right is, the important bit.

I've also hooks on another post to hang them and drain them from after the head is cut off.

Dobloman

Hi All.
I have a problem that I need help with.One of my Silke roosters has lost his balance and dosnt look well.Any ideas whats wrong with him and what can I give him.

Stihl waters

I saw a neighbour of mine used an upside down traffic cone with the top cut off it, he had it rigged up in such a way that he'd put the chicken into it head first and all that would stick out at the end was about 4 inches of the chickens head and neck, a good sharp knife and off with he head, all done in less than 10 seconds

Markcheese

Stihl waters wrote: »

I saw a neighbour of mine used an upside down traffic cone with the top cut off it, he had it rigged up in such a way that he'd put the chicken into it head first and all that would stick out at the end was about 4 inches of the chickens head and neck, a good sharp knife and off with he head, all done in less than 10 seconds

Yup .. stops the birds getting bruised as they can't flap around , and allies you to control the where the blood goes , then straight into near boiling water for a minute or so to loosen the fearhers ,then cold water and pluck ...

Bass Reeves

Markcheese wrote: »

Yup .. stops the birds getting bruised as they can't flap around , and allies you to control the where the blood goes , then straight into near boiling water for a minute or so to loosen the fearhers ,then cold water and pluck ...

The flapping takes all the blood from the breast meat should be no bruising or blood going all over the place if neck broken and bird suspended to flap out

lanod2407

Stihl waters wrote: »

I saw a neighbour of mine used an upside down traffic cone with the top cut off it, he had it rigged up in such a way that he'd put the chicken into it head first and all that would stick out at the end was about 4 inches of the chickens head and neck, a good sharp knife and off with he head, all done in less than 10 seconds

Councils all over the country now puzzled by disappearance of traffic cones ......

forgottenhills

I used to see old timers just grab a bird over their knee and pull and twist the neck. It seemed to be a fairly instantaneous way to do things although I imagine that the technique needed some initial practice.

little bit of help

Dobloman wrote: »

Hi All.
I have a problem that I need help with.One of my Silke roosters has lost his balance and dosnt look well.Any ideas whats wrong with him and what can I give him.

Hi is your roo still sick? It could be a number of things it's very hard to get a proper diagnosis for chickens. Has he been wormed recently? Did it come on gradually or was it an injury? Are his eyes/nose gunky? A respiratory virus/ infection doing the rounds in my flock and I lost a couple of chickens to it, got synolux antibiotic off the vet one came round and is doing fine lost the other died (was never as bad as the first but just couldn't shake it)

then one of my silkie cross hens fell off the coop and dislocated her neck. Had to get a friend to put her out of her misery. Chickens can be delicate!

bulleyes

Being a Silkie, I'd instantly think Mareks Disease. If its a younger bird 4-12 months old it would be prone to Mareks. Silkies, Seabrights and Sablepoots are particulary prone to this virus.

Dobloman wrote: »

Hi All.
I have a problem that I need help with.One of my Silke roosters has lost his balance and dosnt look well.Any ideas whats wrong with him and what can I give him.

Dobloman

He has it 3 days now but not getting a worse.Still the same.He is sleeping at night with his head under the wing and during the day just sits there not moving.It looks like his sight is poor aswell.

Dobloman

Dobloman wrote: »

He has it 3 days now but not getting a worse.Still the same.He is sleeping at night with his head under the wing and during the day just sits there not moving.It looks like his sight is poor aswell.

Put the animal out of its misery.

Dobloman

Havn't seen too many animals with feathers and wings but I get your idea.

Tiercel Dave

Dobloman wrote: »

Hi All.
I have a problem that I need help with.One of my Silke roosters has lost his balance and dosnt look well.Any ideas whats wrong with him and what can I give him.

Silkies are very prone to Mareks Disease, causes paralysis of the legs and affects the muscles of the neck. The eyes also turn a grey colour. There's no cure so if any of those symptoms are recognisable I'd kill him off and burn the carcase.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marek%27s_disease

Dobloman

I removed him from a pen with 4 other hens.What should I do with them.Will they carry it.

Dobloman

Dobloman wrote: »

I removed him from a pen with 4 other hens.What should I do with them.Will they carry it.

Have you killed this bird yet?

Doctors room ghost

If it’s maeraks disease he has he will eat normally if he gets food but the leg paralysis will not improve and will stay the same.they stumble around and end up dirty from falling.had it here before.

Gael23

Stihl waters wrote: »

I saw a neighbour of mine used an upside down traffic cone with the top cut off it, he had it rigged up in such a way that he'd put the chicken into it head first and all that would stick out at the end was about 4 inches of the chickens head and neck, a good sharp knife and off with he head, all done in less than 10 seconds

Seen some fellas electrocute them before cutting the head off

Dunfyy

I use my gun it's painless for chicken
You need a machine to pluck the chicken or it's a lot of work to pluck

Dunfyy

Dunfyy wrote: »

I use my gun it's painless for chicken
You need a machine to pluck the chicken or it's a lot of work to pluck

Pot of hot water and a bit of elbow greese

Stationmaster

Killed a few broilers last week and have more to do this weekend. Used the hot water (140 degrees) and it made the plucking very easy.

Stationmaster

Stationmaster wrote: »

Killed a few broilers last week and have more to do this weekend. Used the hot water (140 degrees) and it made the plucking very easy.

Was that 140C?

Way too hot. Burns the skin.

Bass Reeves

SouthWesterly wrote: »

Was that 140C?

Way too hot. Burns the skin.

I presume Fahrenheight 140 degrees is 60C would that be too hot

Stationmaster

It worked perfect. The way I was shown was have it at 140C then dip the bird in twice for 3 seconds at a time and pluck like mad!

Bogwoppit

Fahrenheit, water at 140 Celsius would be pretty difficult to dip a chicken into!

I’ve found that 64c for 10 seconds worked best for mine although the birds were pretty big and the feathers were tough. Smaller birds may need lesss time.