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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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