Yet another one of those slaughter methods questions...

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Kyle@theWintertime

Kyle@theWintertime

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Usually I dispatch with a pellet gun to the back of the head. I can tell they are immediately unconscious, but it IS messy (they do bleed and often blood will come out of their ears) and they convulsively kick.

I hate the convulsive kicking. I know they don't feel it but it bothers me. I've been wanting to save up and buy a rabbit wringer so I can dispatch in a less messy way that involves no kicking.

Last night I was looking up videos on how the wringer works...and a few of the videos showed rabbits doing that reflexive kicking after cervical dislocation, too! :x Likewise, broomstick method. One video showed a gal who pulled a little too hard and basically tore the head clean off...and it STILL kicked as hard and as long as if I'd shot it with my pellet gun.

So now I'm wondering...is there ANY method that does not involve kicking post mortem? It really bothers me. I don't have the range of motion or strength due to an old shoulder injury to handle clubbing, either, so please don't suggest it. ;)
 
Kyle@theHeathertoft":3uynnt6g said:
I hate the convulsive kicking. I know they don't feel it but it bothers me.
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In the beginning I hated the Kicking too, so I did this----When I either shot it or now I use a steel pipe----I just turned and walked away for about 30 seconds-----not looking back. After doing alot of them---that part gets easier.
 
CO2 chamber isn't feasible for my set up or space. :(

Fire-Man":1m85c2be said:
In the beginning I hated the Kicking too, so I did this----When I either shot it or now I use a steel pipe----I just turned and walked away for about 30 seconds-----not looking back. After doing alot of them---that part gets easier.
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Hmm. Might be an option. :)
 
^ and while your back is turned, you can just work on another or go get that thing you forgot.

CO2's the only way I know of that doesn't involve kicking/watching. ^.^'
 
Every living thing will have muscle contractions after death. Maybe gas or lethal injection will end in just limp motionlessness, but then you can't use the animal for anything with an injection, you also cannot buy it. The gas, probably also can't buy good enough stuff just willy nilly.
If the kicking bothers you so much, just turn away. But I think the shot to the head is far more violent and disturbing than a little kicking. JMO.
 
I find that if you immediately grab the rabbit by the back legs and front legs and stretch it out tightly, the kicking dissipates quickly.
 
Even with injection, there is still muscle twitching but usually not violently, but not always.

I use the wringer and occasionally get kicking out when dispatching older animals but have not yet experienced it on those under 16 weeks.

My theory is that the older ones are
a) bigger and harder to maneuver
b) have stronger/more calcified bones making it more difficult to do it as quick
c) have more life experience and know this is not the typical nail trim or cage transfere so are more riled up.

Because of this, when its time to dispatch an older bun I do them first, try and keep them as calm as possible and use much more force than on a young one and try and visualize ripping the head off as the alternative is a slower more violent death.
 
^ and while your back is turned, you can just work on another or go get that thing you forgot.
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Too true.

I find that if you immediately grab the rabbit by the back legs and front legs and stretch it out tightly, the kicking dissipates quickly.
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Huh, wonder why. I usually grab them by the back legs after a pellet to the head to let them bleed as much as possible, wouldn't be too hard to use both hands. :p Thanks!

I use the wringer and occasionally get kicking out when dispatching older animals but have not yet experienced it on those under 16 weeks.
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Ah, okay. So there's little to no kick in fryers? Then still sounds worth it to me. :) The occasional older animal I can deal with, I just hate seeing all of them thrash. :( The majority of rabbits I process are young, so it should be okay. Thanks! :)

Do you think this is also the case for broomsticking? It may be a while before I can lay hands on a wringer. :p

But I think the shot to the head is far more violent and disturbing than a little kicking. JMO.
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Implying what? The pellet gun is the method of dispatch I have readily available. My budget doesn't yet allow for a wringer, and I don't have anyone locally that can oversee teaching me the broomstick method and I sure as shooting would hate to try it and do it wrong, causing needless suffering. The pellet gun is messy, sure, but it gets the job done...so far I've had zero "mistakes" and while it bothers me to see them kick, I'm relieved they're not suffering.
 
I've done 3 so far, one fryer and two older does. I have used the broomstick method all three times. As soon as the neck is broken I pick them up by the back legs.. they kick but it's not very violent. I have seen pellet gun videos and the kicking does seem to be more violent in those, but maybe that's because the rabbit is loose and when i have them upside down by the legs the muscles aren't contracting hard enough to make it look so bad?
 
up to now I have used the clubbing method, and they kick. I was looking into the broom stick method
but because of my back problems. I needed to find another way. so I will be making
my own wringer. I found a drawing for one by googling rabbit wringer.
If you do not have a welded. I believe you can make one with just as easy.
instead of using round stock, just use all thread and a couple of nuts.
 
Using the clubbing method (my choice of dispatch) you MUST hit on the back of the head HARD ENOUGH to crush the skull, and snap the neck. If you do this correctly you will not see kicking (little to none) and avoid the reflexes you are not liking to look at. When you shoot a rabbit the brain stem is still intact to the disfunctional brain, but the brain is still able to fire residual signals to the body, and remember a animals instinct of FIGHT OR FLIGHT, this is hard wired into most animals including us regardless of a brain past the point of repair you can't fight instinct.

I wanted to add my video if you watch closely I hit the head in a very piticular spot...that is where the back of the "crown" of the head is. If you feel a rabbits skull there is a "lump" tward the back of the skull THIS IS WHERE TO AIM. wITH ENOUGH downward force it hooks the back of the skull enough to snap the neck at the same time. Watch how long this rabbit kicks after the strike..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpDmHG_8pwE
Bowbuild
 
When I broomstick mine, I don't let go and I rub firmly from the tail to the head. It seems to keep the convulsions to a minimum. The most difficult ones are the big old bucks with a neck like a moose
 
Bowbuild, that is a LOT less movement than I get from dispatch with the pellet gun. Yours barely moved. That I think I can handle...my fear is making a bad strike. I have a hard time with my left shoulder, so I'm not sure I can securely hold to get a good hit, nor do I think I can make a good hit with my off/bad side. :p

Cali, I doubt it, because as soon as I shoot, I lift them by the back legs to let them bleed out from the ears, and they kick VERY hard even being held. :( All reflexive kicking, but distressing to say the least.
 
I may be the odd one out but I love to see the kicking, it lets me know I have a proper dispatch.

Shot a 'possum in my live trap once and it fell over all limp but didn't do the kicking thing and I almost got bit when I dumped it out. Point blank range into its head with a .22 and it didnt kill it.

So yeh, the kicking lets me know I have done the job right :cool:

But if you dont like to watch it, just shoot and walk away for a bit. My youngest son does that and, when all the kicking is finished, he comes and pets the bunny goodbye.
 
my method will be a .22 short. Im my opinion if the rabbit falls on his side and kicks he is most likely gone. If it is jumping around then you may not have hit the brain and a second shot should be delivered quickly. Its the same ol' thing about cutting of a chickens head, it takes a moment to unwind the electrical impulses.

In my opinion what happens to the critter before the kill is more important that the few moments after
 
camanojim":3lvnlfnf said:
my method will be a .22 short. Im my opinion if the rabbit falls on his side and kicks he is most likely gone. If it is jumping around then you may not have hit the brain and a second shot should be delivered quickly. Its the same ol' thing about cutting of a chickens head, it takes a moment to unwind the electrical impulses.

In my opinion what happens to the critter before the kill is more important that the few moments after
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They don't jump around, it's all very reflexive/convulsive, but it still bothers me.

Oh man I HATE processing poultry. I got a sweet deal on some very nice, big chickens and a few ducks...$2 apiece because the gal needed space and couldn't afford to feed 'em. MASSIVE birds for $2 each??? Heck yeah! Only thing was, I had to process 'em myself. I've done literally THOUSANDS of pheasants in my life, I figured, how hard could a few chickens and ducks be?

Yeah thing is, when I have a pheasant that needs dispatching, I wring the neck and done with it. No thrashing. These guys...too big to just wring their necks. To make matters worse I blew out my shoulder right before I was gonna dispatch them so I had to have a friend over to help. My friend held 'em, I quick-like chopped off their heads with a single hard blow with my good arm.

I've never seen so much thrashing in my entire life. It was horrid. By the time we were done, we were covered in blood, feathers and sweat. Miserable work!!! I'll take a dozen kicking rabbits over a single freaking chicken ANY DAY.

I'll have chickens when I have more space and am zoned for it...and I will eat all their eggs. Forget chicken meat, that's why I have rabbits. :p
 
If it makes you feel any better (maybe?) I processed four fryers today...the first one I did was COMPLETELY done...no organs, no fur, no head left, nothing. Just meat and bone, in a bag. I grab the next one to start skinning and the first one (IN THE BAG!!) JUMPS off the counter.... That thing twitched so hard that it flipped off the counter onto the floor. I couldn't believe it! So....yeah...I don't worry about them twitching or kicking after I've dispatched them. I know my aim is true, my arm is strong, and I cut the throat as fast as possible to bleed them out...no fear that the dispatch is quick and as painless as possible.
 

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