Until this summer, I had never killed a chicken. To think about it, haven’t killed much before. Of course I have killed my fair share of mosquitoes, flies, ants, cockroaches, and other insects. I have killed a few pet goldfish due to neglect and have released pet mice into their inevitable doom of the backyard. Certainly never any birds, squirrels, or dear. I’ve never hit an animal while driving. As a life-long learning, I wanted to explore where my food came from. Part of this experiment is raising my own animals that I would eventually consume myself. One of my guidelines was that the animals would be raised humanely. This however questioned be about what it means to be humane.
What does it mean to slaughter a chicken humanly?
The Mirriam-Webster dictionary defines Humane as an adjective that is marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals. This definition is subjective, leaving everyone to their own interpretation. For example, television shows such as “animals cops” often show people who hoard cats or other small animals. Many times the animals have plenty of food and water and are in relatively good health. However, several dozen feral cats left to breed uncontrollably in a confined space will ultimately wreak havoc. When the owner is confronted they are often confused. They feel they are providing a service by taking in stray animals and providing shelter, food, and water. That’s all the animals need right? The same show often features people who engage their animals in dog fighting. They have cruel techniques that leave animals either dead or badly wounded. Generally, these people believe that animals are not capable of suffering. On the other end of the spectrum, some people believe it is morally wrong to hurt animals. Many Buddhist would say that a human could be reborn as an animal. An animal could be the incarnation of a dead relative. What all these people have in common is that they are technically being humane towards the animal, because they have evaluated the animals intrinsic ability to suffer and met it to the level they have deemed appropriate.
I would like to take the definition of humane one step further. There is an ultimate process to slaughter a chicken, unfortunately it is an ideal which I cannot fulfill. Based on the previous definition, I am being humane although I am striving for perfection.
First the animals must be raised with the utmost respect. The animals should not be teased or frightened. The shelter should be outside giving the birds grass and bugs to forage for. Clean water and food containing no animal by-products, hormones, or antibiotics should be provided. The birds should have access to clean water and shade. The ground should not littered so they could peck without picking up scraps of plastic or metal. The chickens should express their inner “chickenness” by having room to run, fly, and take dust bathes.
One area that we need to improve on is giving the chickens more freedom. Although the chicken tractor has plenty of room for all the birds, there is a limited space for them to fly and roost. Ultimately, purchasing a portable electric fence with a solar battery charger would be best. Also our feed comes from Purina Mills, which is a large animal food company. I would rather feed my birds from a local organic feed company, or possibly growing all the feed myself.
The actual slaughtering process should be quick and painless. The handling of the bird should be not arouse the bird into unnecessary stress. Unfortunately, it is difficult to distinguish whether the birds movements are conscious attempts to flee, reactions from the pain, or a senseless motor functions. Without being in the mind of a chicken we cannot knowing the precise moment of death or when the bird looses consciousness. Is it seconds after the artery is cut? or when a knife splits the brain in two? How about when the spinal column is disconnected? Perhaps I have not made it around the learning curve yet. Emotionally, this is my least favorite part. I need to do more research to determine how a chicken suffers.
The final step in humanly killing a chicken is to eat every last piece of the chicken possible. The animals life has been sacrificed to feed a human, so don’t let it go to waste. Use more than just mussel meat but the offal and feet. In fact, many of the less-desirable pieces of meats are highly prized in some cultures for their nutritional content. I need to become creative in my culinary endeavors.
Killing a chicken was the first time I had intentionally killed another animal. I can justify this killing because we raised it with the intention of eating it. As a novice, I was able to approach the slaughter with a blank slate. With most of my projects I consulted the internet. The best to restrain the bird is using a killing cone or in our case a milk jug with the bottom and top cut off. Using a sharp knife cut the artery on the neck, but avoid cutting the windpipe or spinal column. That way the heart will beat the blood out of the body. The bird will just “go to sleep”. As a second precaution, we jabbed the knife through the palate and into the head to sever any consciousness in his brain. Keep in mind that its not a myth that chickens run around with their head cut off. The bird continues to move its legs and flap its wings while its draining the blood. He will even open and close his eyes and “gasp” for air. This is the most terrifying part. I question myself whether if we did it correctly.
I feel my experiment has been a success. I hope to be able to recreate it in the future and make improvements. Thanks to everyone for your support!
