[hillfooter]

Last year the hens were fine to slaughter using the neck breaking method used for chx but the stags were very hard work and not dispatched as quickly as I would have liked.

Has anyone any tips on how to do this?  I only have one stag as I tried to selected hens only this year and I don't have a stunner.

Thanks in advance
HF

[kegs]

We use this for our chickens:

http://www.ascott-dairy.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss000001.pl?RANDOM=NETQUOTEVAR%3ARANDOM&PAGE=SEARCH&SS=dispatcher&TB=A&PR=-1&GB=A

it says it will take birds up to 8kg and the most recent cockerel we dispatched was 8lb 2oz dressed and without giblets. 

[Lewjam]

I have only done it once. (Though was with a Hen as i didn fancy trying to break its neck the normal way)

Messy but quick...

Log + a loop of string to hold its neck still

One stoke with a sharpe axe

Job done

[Aidy]

I have only done it once. (Though was with a Hen as i didn fancy trying to break its neck the normal way)

Messy but quick...

Log + a loop of string to hold its neck still

One stoke with a sharpe axe

Job done

Although I can see this would be a quick method, to me this it is not that humane as the bird would be in distress for sometime before the axe fell! Surely the idea is to not to stress the bird out so it does not really know its fate.

[min200]

We use an air rifle on ours.  One well placed shot through the head and its done.

[hillfooter]

We use an air rifle on ours.  One well placed shot through the head and its done.

This is for a turkey?
Thanks for all the suggestions above.  The humane despatcher is no use for turkeys unfortunately.  The stags get to 30 LBs.
HF

[Lewjam]

Well, it didn't really know what was going on then it was dead. wasn't any slower then when I have seen a wall mounted one used.

[min200]

We use an air rifle on ours.  One well placed shot through the head and its done.

This is for a turkey?
Thanks for all the suggestions above.  The humane despatcher is no use for turkeys unfortunately.  The stags get to 30 LBs.
HF

Yes its for a Turkey.  A decent rifle helps which we have.  Shoot just behind the eye and its instant death.

[Honeysuckle]

We use an air rifle on ours.  One well placed shot through the head and its done.

This is for a turkey?
Thanks for all the suggestions above.  The humane despatcher is no use for turkeys unfortunately.  The stags get to 30 LBs.
HF

We too use an air rifle.  OH would only slaughter if he knew it would be instant so the rifle was the choice for him. 

Yes its for a Turkey.  A decent rifle helps which we have.  Shoot just behind the eye and its instant death.

[rachelr]

I had hoped my wall mounted one would do for the turkeys and the chickens. I am a little worried now. Any chance I can borrow your gun min? My biggest weighs a 21 pounds now and i got the biggest wall mounted one i could.
I was sure it said 20 kilos
HELP

[tstainesmoore]

Air rifle, quick and easy the bird dosn't feel anything as it is instant. dosn't matter on size a reasonable rifle should easily be able to kill the bird in 1 shot above the head. otherwise some butchers will take the birds from you and kill and prepare them for you for a price?

[GrannieAnnie]

I had hoped my wall mounted one would do for the turkeys and the chickens. I am a little worried now. Any chance I can borrow your gun min? My biggest weighs a 21 pounds now and i got the biggest wall mounted one i could.
I was sure it said 20 kilos
HELP

You should be okay Rachel, but you'll probably need help to hold the turkey while you push the dispatcher down.

wrap an old pillow case or something around his wings and body to help keep him still.

[hillfooter]

I had hoped my wall mounted one would do for the turkeys and the chickens. I am a little worried now. Any chance I can borrow your gun min? My biggest weighs a 21 pounds now and i got the biggest wall mounted one i could.
I was sure it said 20 kilos
HELP

20 kilos!!! Should do an ostrich.
HF

[Tony H]

The easyest way i have found is to twist and pull the neck quick its all over quickly  :blink:

[hillfooter]

Thanks everyone for your helpfully suggestions.  My objective in asking this question was to find out the least stressful and quickest way to do the deed to minimise any suffering for the bird and I finally decided, as there were three of us available, to use a very sharp knife and a quick beheading. The procedure I used for anyone in a similar quandary was

• keep the birds in from the night before, deprived of food for 12 hrs
• Catch each bird in turn and hood with an old sock
• carry them the 80metres to the stable and hang them up by their feet.  They were completely calm once hooded  and hung up
• One held the wings in a bear hug while one used the knife from the side so as to not cut through the windpipe first, the third held a paper feed sack for the blood and we first spread shavings to soak up any spillage
• The heads were severed very quickly even before the bird reacted so I was very satisfied they didn't suffer

. 

This might not have been the least messy method and some blood was obviously spilt and the socks were a write off but it was quick and that was the only object not to make it the most convenient for us.  We did consider the air rifle method but decided that had some potential pitfalls such as ensuring the shot hits the brain and the potential danger of a ricochet.  The broom handle method is obviously viable for a single operator but is not going to be as quick and we thought therefore was potentially more stressful.

I do find with a small flock of free range turkeys slaughtering them is personally stressful as they are such communicative birds, trusting and gentle for such powerful animals.  After looking after them for 4 months you do develop a bond.  Maybe a larger flock which you didn't get to know so well individually would be easier.

HF