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WhatTheCluck802 t1_jdrai2g wrote

The easiest way to kill them is with a “cone of death” - hang them upside down and place into a metal cone attached to a board, so their head hangs out. Get a firm grip on their head, and use a sharp knife to cut all the way through the neck. Not pleasant but a necessary part of being a chicken owner is knowing how to humanely dispatch your birds when needed.

Source: my user name checks out.

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Hanginon t1_jdrtpxe wrote

Yes, that's likely the most convenient and efficient way as it also contains the bird itself, much easier to work with than the old "hatchet & stump" method.

You can buy them really high quality for fairly low cost, make your own if you're at all handy. Or even, depending on your tolerance for larceny, 'procure one' during highhway construction/repair season. It hapens. ¯\_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯

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PromiseNorth t1_jdsadhc wrote

Hatchet 🪓 and stump 🪵 … this is the way. For the occasional cull of roosters. High volume or meat birds for the cone. They go pretty limp when held upside down. The only way to get good is to practice OP. Cleaning birds is a good skill and it’s surprisingly fast. Some folks flash hot water for easier plucking or something like that. Just get a set of leather work gloves and go to town. Fiskars hatchets are very sharp and sharpen easily. You can do it!

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likesflatsoda t1_jdrw2ey wrote

I’ll add my vote for the cone, too. This is the easiest and fastest way to do it. My only difference is that instead of a knife, I have a pair of pruning shears that I keep very sharp and use for nothing else. They cut the rooster’s head clean off, and fast.

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willowbeest t1_jdsg4rs wrote

Also voting for the cone. My folks raised meat birds when we were kids and used the axe and stump method. When I raised my first batch last year and my dad helped with the processing, we used the cone (he made his own), and it was a much better method for us. We did about 40 roosters in one afternoon with help from friends and family for gutting and plucking and packing. Helpers got some processed birds to take home for themselves. We were very efficient.

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BooksNCats11 t1_jdrho8q wrote

If you are near VINS they also take them (or at least used to) to feed their birds of prey.

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Lundgren_pup t1_jdrhqu0 wrote

I in my second season I kept them around to scare away predators. Not always successful, but one of the roosters completely traumatized an aggressive fisher once. The roosters kind of patrolled outside the coop. I'm not sure how humane that is, though, since they did end up getting gadooshed eventually.

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_MoonHead_ t1_jdswxda wrote

grim reaper had to come a' knockin b. hope they ended up at chang's in some spicy orange sauce

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goldshawfarm t1_jdruonc wrote

There are a number of mobile butchers around who will do it, but they usually have minimums (25ish). If you’re going to keep birds, you’re better off learning the skill because you might need to do it on a moment’s notice.

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aprillawrence t1_jdtfywx wrote

Fun fact: you can donate unwanted chickens/roosters to VINS in quechee. Call ahead and arrange a time for drop off. All donated birds are given a gas, frozen and then fed to the rehabilitated birds that are not able to hunt for themselves.

I hope this helps!

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Keatonium765 t1_jdrh7go wrote

we give them to a friend who makes them into soup

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xxxDog_Fucker_69xxx t1_jdrv03g wrote

It’s pretty simple, get a 2L bottle of soda. Create a funnel with the bottle and cut an opening for the chickens head on top (this is a real version)Tie the feat, invert the chicken and put head through cone. At this point the chicken should be pretty calm. Use a knife dispatch the bird by removing the head. Let the bird bleed for several minutes, then get a big pot and get water right before boiling temp. Drop the whole bird in it for about 45 seconds. At which point you’ll remove it and start plucking the feathers. I usually grab a stool and get a plastic contractor bag and defeatjer over it. (It’s a smelly and gross process) after the bird is featherless you’ll go to the backend of the bird and cut AROUND the tail and create a cavity almost to the base of the rib cage. Remove all guts including the neck and you’ll essentially have a store bought raw chicken. Process takes about 45 minutes if you do it all at once.

As for butchers/slaughter houses I don’t think there’s any in the area that would be willing to provide their services for only one bird. Dm me if you have any questions and as always open a guide online and when cleaning the bird there’s much better step by step guides on the Internet.

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PromiseNorth t1_jdsbhxn wrote

Good write up! A few additional things could bring OP from 45 min to 10 or under. Instead of contractor bag use a plastic bin. The black ones they sell seasonally at Costco are perfect size. Toss the bird in there and skip the boil & just hand pluck. Have a garden hose at the ready too. Leather glove for plucking!!

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jmyii t1_jdx1pgl wrote

An old edition of The Joy of Cooking tought us everything we needed to know about processing (much like the instructions above), but with illustrations. They're tough enough that we find grinding the meat up for sausage patties or meatballs is their yummiest use.

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xxxDog_Fucker_69xxx t1_jdx1y6h wrote

Oh without a doubt, my wife and I love making chicken meatballs. Usually we’ll kill a whole bird for thanksgiving when family comes, but free range backyard birds are tough and gamey! Probably should have told OP haha

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jsled t1_jdrvvgg wrote

I've killed sick birds with a hand axe before, and it's not great.

I've done the cone + neck cut before, and I … was left wondering if I did it "cleanly".

With last year's flock, I did a .22 to the head for the (Complete Asshole prime rooster) and the extra boys, and that's what I'll do in the future. Simple and effective.

But, yes, you need to accept the responsibility of dispatching birds at the appropriate point, and in a quick and "humane" way.

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BasicallyBanananas t1_jdsj5o9 wrote

😕 I can't fathom the idea of slaughtering them. I wound up with one out of the 6 I got last spring and I've just been keeping him. I have 4 more coming for this season so that he will have enough hens and I am really realllllly hoping I just get the 4 hens I ordered.

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Allemaengel t1_jdsyozs wrote

I drop them off with the farmer up the road who takes them from the entire neighborhood.

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joeydokes t1_jdt7i20 wrote

20yrs w/a coop. Sometimes the box of Spring Chicks (~40) from Sand Hill Preservation would be 10-15 boys. We'd keep them a couple of few months, save the gentlest and eat the rest. Chewy but good in soup.

One year I loaded 2 or 3 into the SUV nightly (x4) and drove to nearby State forest and let them loose. I figured better to live free for a short spell than the pending axe. Heard stories all summer long about roosters calling out in the deep woods :)

One can get attached to older hens but a great rooster over 5-8 years goes sorely missed.

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star_tyger t1_jdtlzck wrote

You could see if anyone around you is looking for roosters. If you're near Wardsboro, we're looking for Easter Eggers, Olive Eggers, Ameraucanas, and buff or dark Brahmas. We're planning on breeding for meat and eggs, and as luck would have it, we have too few roosters.

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Astroisbestbio t1_jdtnezw wrote

Although to add on we only need 2 max more at the moment. Going for five family but don't have enough hens for more than that. And I'll add on that we are trying for cold hardy, so mixes with big combs are out. Roo will have a good few years, then go humanely for meat. He will father babies and enjoy his flock and enrichment. No aggressive roos, please, we have 3 very good boys right now and while they will be separated I don't want to breed aggression into the flock.

Edit to add: hi mom.

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