Some basic truths about poultry processing- FYI

[jakem]

- the turkey is in the cone to keep it in place and allow better control by the dude killing it.
- the throat is slit and it bleeds out
- birds jerk and twitch for a while, sometime like 20 minutes. they are not alive at that point (they will do it without a head as well)
- slitting the throat is about as quick as anything else, if it is done right

I have killed some of our chickens (you do not want to have 5 roosters!). it is not fun, but it is the price to pay for meat. if you choose to eat meat- you need to deal with reality here.

the only monster in that turkey video was Palin.


inhumane treatment of meat animals is a serious issue, but killing in this way is not the problem. the problem is crowding and abuse during the animals short life.

(this is obviously not a response to vegetarian concerns, but rather to answer concerns of the methods used in the palin video).

[cliffordu]

1. All the truth. She IS the most horrifying thing in the video.

I would imagine she wouldn't be any different if there were humans being stuffed into the cones....

[jakem]

2. lol!

if it were the right people, i have no doubt she would be back there doing the cutting...

[cliffordu]

3. She was more at ease than the guy doing the killing - and he does it for a living...

[riverdeep]

4. Yeah, that is actually one of the more humane methods of killing.

I watched an organic cage-free type farmer kill some chickens like that, except that I think this decapitated the head. He treated his chickens almost like pets while they were alive, and then...

Hard to understand that dichotomy for some, but killing humanely and letting them have a chicken life was a priority for him.

[kestrel91316]

16. There's not really a dichotomy in raising animals humanely and then killing

them humanely. Any good farmer would do as much. Killing them is not in and of itself inhumane, which is something most people do not understand. Animals are killed brutally and violently and painfully ALL THE TIME out in nature and nobody weeps for them because it is just the way things are.

A killing cone is not inhumane, IMHO. It keeps the bird calm, and because their brains are primitive they do not comprehend their situation and imminent death. Beats hell out of chasing the bird all over the barnyard with an ax.

[Edweird]

25. Very rational and realistic post.

:thumbsup:

You're a 'vet', too aren't you?
It's unfortunate that posts like yours are rare.

[Taverner]

5. I thought you chopped the head off with an axe

Although I can see why the cone would be preferrable

[jakem]

6. when we did ours, i considered the axe-

but i did it at 430 am, and was not so sure about my aim so early in the day!

(we did not want a bunch of 'headless mikes' running around!)


when you put them upside down, they chill right out. just a question of what you can control and do the quickest- an axe is quick for sure, if you dont cut off your fingers!

[Taverner]

11. Hmmmm a pair of plastic scissors?

:evilgrin:

[jakem]

12. this is NOT the humane tool to use for the job!

[cliffordu]

22. What if it's a NEOCON turkey???

[jmowreader]

26. Neocon turkeys are to be jailed for life

Killin's too good for them.

[IndianaJones]

7. I grab 'em before its light outside. hang 'em upside down and slit their throats.

its more humane than an axe.

[jakem]

8. why do you say that? (see above post)

i was inclined to try the axe next time, as one of ours did not go well with the knife-

i was thinking of hanging them upside down with rope, and get a stump at the right spot underneath. i would not try the spin and chop method!

(sorry to those of you who did not want details!)

[IndianaJones]

9. too much chance of messing up...or injuring yourself. when it is dark they are in a daze...

and never feel a thing.

[jakem]

10. ok, i am with you...

though i am still thinking- hand them upside down with the rope, and lay their neck on a block for the axe-

the one rooster that did not go well with the knife was a little disturbing...

[IndianaJones]

18. the key is to do it before light. nt

[nini]

13. My grandpa used to raise chicken - gross alert to what follows

He used to chop their head off for a quick death. I remember him doing this as a little kid and made no connection to the fried chicken we had for dinner that night - duh

I don't get why they wait for the turkeys to bleed to death. Just cut the heads off and make it quick. That seems more humane though that's not either, but better than the prolonged dying.


:cry:

[jakem]

14. they bleed to death with or without the head. it is the same...

[nini]

15. I am ignorant to this I admit

but the head not being attached isn't instant death?

wahhhhh

[jakem]

17. was not trying to be graphic on the thread, but...

if you cut the throat, blood does not go to the brain-

lack of oxygen it what does in the brain.


whether you cut off the head is kind of moot- though it does make for a sure thing i suppose.

the timing of death is the same either way-

[nini]

19. ok..

thanks for the clarification.

I could never be a farmer that's for sure. My brother will not eat chicken to this day after seeing my grandpa do this.

BUT my grandparents grew most of their food and raised chickens and had a goat for milk. It's what they did to survive.

[Catherine Vincent]

20. "you do not want to have 5 roosters!"

Why?

[jakem]

21. two reasons-

1. COCK A DOODLE FREAKING DOOOO!!!!!!

2. they fight when they are old enough to want them some chicken action...



we kept the meekest of the bunch (the meek shall inherit the coop!)

now he is a bit of a jerk too!

[Catherine Vincent]

23. LOL!

Okay, I get it now. The one you kept is a jerk? Is that how "jerk chicken" came about? :)

[yellowcanine]

24. I think it is more of a question of who chooses a scene like that as a backdrop for an interview?

Either she is deliberately trying to be provocative - and one of her statements suggests this is the case.

Or she is just totally clueless.


Either way, it does nothing good for her image.

[DemoRabbit]

27. Absolutely. She's a gross individual.

I eat meat. I know how turkeys are killed. That doesn't mean I want to watch it in graphic detail during a news interview a week before thanksgiving.

Her judgement is MORE than impaired.