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When I was a kid I found a 50s book at my grandma's country house that detailed pickling recipes, making preserves, smoking fish and meats and all other things
by eps 3y ago
When I was a kid I found a 50s book at my grandma's country house that detailed pickling recipes, making preserves, smoking fish and meats and all other things one might need to do at a country house. One of those things was how to slaughter a chicken and I still remember the illustration, hand drawn and very detailed.
Apparently there is an organ at the back of chicken's throat that is saturated with blood, so the technique was to prop the beak open and pierce that "sack" with an awl. The description then explained that this killed the bird instantly and helped containing all the blood inside, keeping things neat and tidy. A cherished childhood memory for me, but perhaps something actionable for you, for the next time? :)
- twelve40 3y agoThat's harsh! started reading about it and things like suffocating with gas or electrocution baths in addition to that. I wonder why a jolt to the head cow stun-gun style is not used, whether industrial or on private farms. Too difficult for a small animal? But sticking an awl in their mouth doesn't sound too much easier.
- 2000UltraDeluxe 3y agoWhere I live, decapitating the chicken with a hatchet held in the other hand is the norm. The brain dies/falls unconcious within seconds even without stunning. It is messy if you don't know how to do it, though. If you don't hold it right, the body will happily run off without the head, and it takes ~20 seconds before it dies. If you hold the legs against the chopping block when you do it, it's easy to keep the chicken in place.