How to Slaughter a Rooster

A rooster is a common addition to backyard chicken coops. The rooster can help protect the chicken flock and help stimulate egg laying. If your rooster becomes too aggressive, you have too many roosters or you simply want to make a recipe that calls for rooster, you can slaughter the bird on your own. The easiest method for a beginner or backyard farmer is to chop off the head with a sharp, small hatchet.

Things You'll Need

  • Towel
  • Chopping block
  • Hatchet
  • 5-gallon bucket
  • Twine
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Instructions

    • 1

      Wrap the rooster in a towel to keep its wings in place. The rear feathers and feet should come out of the back of the towel. Hold the bird firmly in one hand around its middle to keep the wings still, and hold the hatchet in the other hand.

    • 2

      Place the rooster's chest and neck on the chopping block. Hold the feet and wings up so the neck stays flat on the chopping block.

    • 3

      Bring the sharp edge of the hatchet down on the neck quickly and as hard as possible, just below the head. You will break the neck and the bird will start to spasm as a death reflex. Hold the body still and continue chopping until you sever the head.

    • 4

      Hold the rooster upside down in a bucket to drain the blood until the spasms stop. Remove the towel and wrap the rooster's legs in twine. Hang it from a spot 2 to 3 feet off the ground, over the bucket, until the bleeding stops. You can then begin plucking the rooster.