How to butcher/slaugher a chicken the "easy way"

I've read tons of books and articles on slaughtering your own chickens.  None of them say to do it the way I do.  Here's how I do it.  If you have a hard time the common way, or find it just gross, try this and see what happens. (the below rooster was one of four bantam roosters we had, and Marcus was begging for chicken again.)

1-Chickens go to sleep when their blood rushes to their head.  Hang them upside down.  We normally use what is called a "killing cone", and most people make them themselves, but you can buy them if you wish.  The cone cradles the bird, and prevents one horrible mess (see #2).

#2-Put the bird head down in the killing cone and grab a GOOD hold on it's feet.  The reason is, "like a chicken with it's head cut off" means something.  Chickens have this nerve thing where they jerk...hard...as they die.  They're usually dead before it's over, and trust me, if it's not in the killing cone, it ain't pretty. Using someone else or your other hand, grab the head (gently) to stretch the neck and slice with a SHARP knife the main artery.  We use Victorinox from Knife Works at Gatlinburg.  (Let it drain into something to dispose of the blood) Below you can see we have done so already and have pulled him out of the cone.

#3-Place said bird on the cutting board (we use an outside table with a clean board), and cut off it's feet.  Below you can see the ligament area to place the knife.  You need to bend the leg for this.

 Here you see a clean cut of just ligament BETWEEN the bone.  Our knife will cut the bone, but it dulls the knife and potentially gives you chips in the meat.

#4- Make a cut around the neck, completely cutting the skin on the head away from the rest of the body.  You do not need to remove the head.  (we do better with a small paring knife on this part)

 #5-Start going down the breast with the knife tip under the skin, and the blade aimed upwards.  Cut the skin down to the bottom of the bird.

 

#6-Pull the skin off the breast.  If the skin needs it, use a knife to gently cut the connecting membrane. (the yellow is fat and varies by bird)

#7-You can cut the breast meat off now (see step 9) or leave it on until later like we did.  Now, pull the skin off the bird's legs.  Pull until the knee pops out of the skin, and then (this is the gross part) wrap your thumb and forefinger around the knee to meet under the knee.  Pull the skin off the bird's leg (this is the hardest part to me)

Step #8-Remove the leg and thigh.  This part's pretty gross for some people.  Break the joint, not the bone, of the thigh to the bird by pulling the leg sideways.  Cut the leg and thigh completely off.  You can separate the leg from the thigh now by cutting between the bones, but we didn't b/c this was a little bantam.

 Step #9-You can easily cut the breast away from the bird now.  Run your knife along the bone and cut both sides off.  I'm not good at this part and always leave some meat on.

 Now we are done.  Yes, there are some feathers.  Take it inside and wash it off with water.  Trust me, there is no blood, and if you ever saw commercial chicken get butchered, you would NEVER eat it again.

My way has no poop, has no need to starve the bird, has no need to grate your fingernails along the ribs to get all the lungs, and no need to spend all day plucking!  Enjoy!