Cervical ☠️ Dislocation vs 🐰 Decapitation

[Rabbits by Accident]

We finally dispatched four rabbits. Unfortunately, they weren't exactly meat rabbits although two of them ended up with almost two and a half pound dressed out. Thank you to everyone here who posts such encouraging information.

Anyway, I had read on here about someone who used loppers to dislocate their neck. We thought that sounded like a good idea, quick and painless. My sister improved on the idea by sharpening the loppers so we actually cut their head off.

Here's my question: which is more humane cutting their head off quickly while they are very calm or cervical dislocation?

Reason I ask is that it seems when I have seen videos of a dislocation they just immediately are paralyzed whereas if you cut their head off they jerk and twitch and if you lose your grip and drop them they can actually run across the yard like a chicken.

Any comments? We will probably continue to lop their head off because it's much more humane for us as it is quick and easy and we know what we are doing.

 

[ladysown]

older rabbits should NOT be decapitated (there is SO much potential for something to go wrong). There are people who lop off heads of little kits...but generally not once they get past 6 weeks.

I'm sorry... this just horrifies me.... I envision rabbits moving at the last minute and losing half their head, or their ears or .... just so much potential to go wrong.

The choke chain method works marvellously, as does cervical dislocation via a broomstick (or by hand if you have the strength), shooting, using a bolt into the brain, and such like.

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

older rabbits should NOT be decapitated (there is SO much potential for something to go wrong). There are people who lop off heads of little kits...but generally not once they get past 6 weeks.

I'm sorry... this just horrifies me.... I envision rabbits moving at the last minute and losing half their head, or their ears or .... just so much potential to go wrong.

The choke chain method works marvellously, as does cervical dislocation via a broomstick (or by hand if you have the strength), shooting, using a bolt into the brain, and such like.

No, I believe it's pretty foolproof and not at all dramatic. They are very calm, sitting there. They don't react when I put the loppers around their necks. At that point, they are pinned down and unable to move or pull their head back and can't cause the loppers to come down in the wrong place. It's very very simple, quick and accurate. If they did move, it could only be before I put the blades down. After I put the blades down, they can't move but there is no discomfort or pain at that point. None of the 4 even reacted to the situation. Then I just close the loppers, quickly and hopefully painlessly dispatching them.

I got the idea from this post My Favorite Dispatch Method

That's not the question anyway. The question is - do they jump/jerk/kick when you dislocate their spine? or are they just immobilized. It's really just a curiosity question.

 

[ladysown]

upon death, almost any animal will jump and jerk. It's just involuntary muscle movement. some will do so more than others.

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

upon death, almost any animal will jump and jerk. It's just involuntary muscle movement. some will do so more than others.

That's what I was hoping, thank you for the info Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt my rabbits. I love them too much LOL it's very hard, I've cooked up the meat, but haven't eaten it yet. I lecture the people that buy them about how to take care of them. I don't want you to worry

 

[morgancindyk]

upon death, almost any animal will jump and jerk. It's just involuntary muscle movement. some will do so more than others.

I believe that in volunteering movement is what is called "death throes ". Even human beings sometimes go through death throes.

 

[Secuono]

Any method can cause nerve spasms. And all mammals may do it. Doesn't mean anything went wrong.

Either method works, but I've never heard of loppers used to dislocate. Why not cut head off at that point? Just need to be sharp, large enough to fully fit neck w/o sliding out during the cut and long handles to do the job.

 

[HTAcres]

My husband's new method involves stunning them (hitting them on the head with a club) and then cutting off the head with a bone cutter. Now, I do NOT recommend stunning rabbits to anyone who isn't sure and confident. My husband is strong and experienced and it works for him. He can do it while holding the rabbit and they do not see it coming. And he has found processing to be much easier (for him) with them completely decapitated. Now, this is not what I would ever try to do. If I have to dispatch, I use the broomstick method as I am confident with that. But he does most of it for which I am thankful since I do the majority of the care of the rabbits.

 

[HTAcres]

Any method can cause nerve spasms. And all mammals may do it. Doesn't mean anything went wrong.

Either method works, but I've never heard of loppers used to dislocate. Why not cut head off at that point? Just need to be sharp, large enough to fully fit neck w/o sliding out during the cut and long handles to do the job.

I have used loppers for young rabbits that needed to be culled early. They did great to dislocate but weren't sharp enough to cut the head off. They would need to be pretty sharp.

 

[Markshere2]

I believe that ending brain activity humanely and quickly is the best way terminate the bunny's life.

Therefore I spend the 5 cents worth of .22 caliber bullet to the back of the head.

Thats my way.

 

[Therese]

older rabbits should NOT be decapitated (there is SO much potential for something to go wrong). There are people who lop off heads of little kits...but generally not once they get past 6 weeks.

I'm sorry... this just horrifies me.... I envision rabbits moving at the last minute and losing half their head, or their ears or .... just so much potential to go wrong.

The choke chain method works marvellously, as does cervical dislocation via a broomstick (or by hand if you have the strength), shooting, using a bolt into the brain, and such like.

I have never heard of the choke chain method. Could you please explain?

 

[ladysown]

choke chain method. Use a choke collar from a dog to hard cull.

 

[Cosima]

What’s the best way for a month old kit?

 

[Therese]

choke chain method. Use a choke collar from a dog to hard cull.

Thank you very much for posting this video. Very clear! I don't think the rabbit even had a chance to be afraid or in pain. I appreciate the message at the end about the principles of dispatching an animal and the emotional response of the person doing it. God bless you!

 

[ladysown]

What’s the best way for a month old kit?

Choke chain works well, as does hitting the back of the head HARD on a very solid object.

 

[Preitler]

What’s the best way for a month old kit?

For me a flat steel bar with the narrow side of the head works for me at any age, practice with a tightly wrung cloth to deliver a real fast blow. I always have that as a backup in case something goes wrong with the captive bolt gun.

 

[Therese]

For me a flat steel bar with the narrow side of the head works for me at any age, practice with a tightly wrung cloth to deliver a real fast blow. I always have that as a backup in case something goes wrong with the captive bolt gun.

Do you mean the narrow side of the bar...on the back of the neck?
And, I am not sure I understand what the tightly wrung cloth is, exactly.
Thank you so much for sharing this information!

 

[Burelka]

Thank you for the choke chain video, this was a beautiful and kind dispatch. I use the bolt stunner. Much like the video I hold bunny and keep them calm and give love and when they are relaxed I dispatch quickly and they never saw it happening. I will keep this new method as a future option.