Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
take hold. Grasp the neck firmly, jerk it down, and back up again with a twist to break the
chicken's neck. Pull hard, but be aware that if you pull too hard, you may yank its head off.
Another way to kill a chicken without a knife is to kill it with a stick. Lift one end of a long
stick, such as a broom handle, and slide the chicken's neck under the stick. Put one foot on
one end of the stick, keeping it on the ground, and pull back on the other end of the stick, let-
ting go of it quickly. It should snap back and break the bird's neck. You will need to hold on
to the chicken's feet the entire time so it does not escape.
After killing the chicken, you will need to cut off its head and turn it upside down in a kill
cone or hang it on a nail or hook to let the blood drain. Dispose of the blood by pouring it
down the sink or drainage system and flush with lots of water. Clean and disinfect the entire
area.
With a knife or ax
To kill your chicken with a knife or ax, first put on your rubber apron and make sure your
knife or ax is sharp. Dull blades will only cause the animal to suffer and will not get the job
done. Get your knife professionally sharpened or use a knife sharpener, found at any depart-
ment store in the houseware section.
If you are using an ax, you will need a tree stump or table with a top that can handle the blade
slicing into it. The surface you choose should be low and give you enough room to swing
your ax up and then bring it down on the bird's neck. Also, you will need to hammer two nails
into the stump or run a wire across the area. The chicken's neck will slide between the nails or
under the wire to hold it in place. The nails only need to be as far apart as a chicken's neck,
and the wire only has to be loose enough to slide the chicken's head underneath it.
Hold the chicken upside down, with your ax in one hand and the bird in the other. Slide the
chicken's head between the nails or under the wire. Do this quickly. Pull back on the bird's
legs slightly so the neck is stretched out. In one swift move, strike the ax down on the chick-
en's neck, making a clean, quick cut. Hold on to the feet because you do not want to let the
bird go, as it will move. The body will still run off in those first few moments after the kill be-
cause of residual nervous energy. Letting the bird run will be a bloody mess and can be a trau-
matic sight for some people.
Kill cones make slaughtering a bird with a knife easier. Hang the cones in your slaughter-
house or somewhere you plan to do the killing. Put your bird in the cone, with the small open-
