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dizandstell · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:50 pm Post subject: humane bird killer

Hello all.
I have just noticed it is about quarter to christmas!
Has any one had any experience of humane bird killers for geese? The type i was thinking of is a pincer type contraption which is wall mounted. It closes around the neck and handle pushed to separate the vertibrae and 'humanley' kills the bird.
Im not adverse to killing animals, used to work in slaughter house, pest controler, keen shooter/hunter etc. But some of the ways described how to kill geese are a bit barbaric to say the least. Having spent the best part of a year looking after them, blunt force traumer and a couple of cuts around the head dont realy apeal!!!!
Cheers
Diz

phil · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:01 pm Post subject:

I think the best way is to put the bird in a cut down road cone and break its neck.

dara · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 186 Location: Mayo

Hi Diz, we used to kill around 30 geese at Christmas for a while. That was until one year we got stuck with half of them. Initially i bought one of those wall mounted pull down jobs but found that it took a great deal of effort to use and more times than not the actual kill took so long that it made me feel sick. My birds had very strong stretchable necks.
I then went over to england and got an old webley air pistol - problem solved. I used to postion the pistol under their throats aimed towards the back of the head.
My uncle kills turkeys by pushing a thin knife up through the roof of the mouth. Again they go very quickly.

mountain man · Joined: 11 Aug 2009 Posts: 9 Location: strokestown

I agree with the traffic cone

blowin · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 1:26 am Post subject:

Have watched someone use the traffic cone and can say that it is very effective and humane if you have the knack .
The cone restrains the flapping and damage to wings after death .The method of breaking the neck also severs the artery near to the head so the bird is bled at the same time . Blood is kept under the skin so no mess . Best if you can see an experienced person do it before you try it yourself because . as I said , there is a knack to doing it quickly .

dara · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 186 Location: Mayo

How do you use the traffic cone then? saw a couple of editorials saying ''lay a broomstick over its neck'' etc... bloody hell - i tried it - never again! *I always thought a bit of post execution flapping was a good thing as you can bleed the bird and the flapping helps.

dizandstell · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:05 pm Post subject:

I have seen a contraption on the wells poultry web site which looks like an upside down steel Cone. It has two bars on a pivot underneath. Looks like you put the goose into the cone, head down, grasp the neck with the bars and break the neck. Looks a bit barbaric and undignified for the goose. Any one got an electric stunner they want to hire out?

phil · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:47 pm Post subject:

The road cone is the same,hang it upside down at a comfortable height for you, put the bird in making sure its wings are by its side,its head comes out the bottom,you have both hands free to break its neck.
make sure the hole at the bottom is big enough for you to get a good grip on the head,but not too big to pull the bird through when you kill it.

Camile · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 11:18 pm Post subject:

Hello,

I've seen the road cone in action and I think it's a nice easy dispatch for the birds ....

The only thing I can think of is that for birds like goose or ducks, it's easier if someone is holding the legs while you pull the neck with 2 hands .. makes it's more efficient (for me anyway)

Camile

dizandstell · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:26 pm Post subject:

Cheers all. I have a clear plan for humane despatch! It should be painless unless i dont move me thumbs in time Shocked

Diz