Butchering Chickens

[sjerden]

Everyonce-in-a-while I take some chickens to the Mennonites for butchering. The last time I dropped some off I noticed a row of 4 or 5 cones nailed to some trees next to the lane. Its a pretty neat device and simple to make and use. It makes cutting the heads off a cleaner and safer operation, so I made one of my own.

Its just a coil of aluminum flashing riveted together. Stick the chicken in the funnel and pull its head out the bottom. Its quick and easy. Then, fling em out so they can flop around and drain the blood out. There are few things more satisfying than knowing that, when the economy collapses, we can process our own food.

[texasjohn]

When I was about 10, my uncles did some sort of trade where they ended up with about 100 live chickens to slaughter for the freezer...They were done in batches...tied to a clothes line, necks cut, bled out, taken to scalding water, dipped, feathers scraped off, gutted, livers, gizzards, hearts retrieved, cut up, packaged, put in freezer. Took all day, exhausting, middle of summer, piles of garbage to take off. I can still smell soaked hot chicken feathers!

Wish we had known about the cone thing.

[vtsnowedin]

A plastic traffic cone with some of the tip cut off works well.

[MossRoad]

I've seen that cone before, but it was mounted on a board on legs wide enough to accommodate a drip pan underneath it. They'd cut the head off and just leave it in the cone while the blood drained into the pan. No flopping around and less mess.

[Reyer Farms]

Everyonce-in-a-while I take some chickens to the Mennonites for butchering. The last time I dropped some off I noticed a row of 4 or 5 cones nailed to some trees next to the lane. Its a pretty neat device and simple to make and use. It makes cutting the heads off a cleaner and safer operation, so I made one of my own.
<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=291567"/>
Its just a coil of aluminum flashing riveted together. Stick the chicken in the funnel and pull its head out the bottom. Its quick and easy. Then, fling em out so they can flop around and drain the blood out. There are few things more satisfying than knowing that, when the economy collapses, we can process our own food.

Yeah, mighty fine. You don't really know it till you grow it. Now that my wife has master homemade cream filling for snack cakes we are set!!!! My great grandpaw's measure of wealth was the contents of his smoke house and pantry. What most value will depreciate very fast when they are hungry. Any one remember Esau selling his birthright for soup?

[ATP]

Yeah, mighty fine. You don't really know it till you grow it. Now that my wife has master homemade cream filling for snack cakes we are set!!!! My great grandpaw's measure of wealth was the contents of his smoke house and pantry. What most value will depreciate very fast when they are hungry. Any one remember Esau selling his birthright for soup?

Yep, i rememer, that boy was HUNGRY...

And there was old Jacob...

[creekbend]

How to Make Killing Cones for Chickens | eHow.com When I was growing up, we inserted a piece of wrapped tin in the neck of a gallon bleach bottle.

[2LaneCruzer]

How to Make Killing Cones for Chickens | eHow.com When I was growing up, we inserted a piece of wrapped tin in the neck of a gallon bleach bottle.

We used to use a broom handle. Just grab the chicken by the legs, put it's neck under the broom handle, put a foot on the broom handle on each side of the head, and pull. Fast and efficient. Toss the chicken on the ground and let it flop.

[jinman]

We used to use a broom handle. Just grab the chicken by the legs, put it's neck under the broom handle, put a foot on the broom handle on each side of the head, and pull. Fast and efficient. Toss the chicken on the ground and let it flop.

I put a hyperlink on PETA.com to this thread. Boy! Are you guys gonna be in trouble.

[brin]

I put a hyperlink on PETA.com to this thread. Boy! Are you guys gonna be in trouble.

Way to go Jim....Poor Chickens ...they have feelings, families and friends too.....Chicken song 10 hours! - YouTube

chicken dance song - YouTube