No need to chase the kids out of the room, this is a G-rated post, no gory pictures. Sorry!
Anyway I was looking for something to use similar to a killing cone that is made primarily for chickens, but these were all too large for my quail. Yes quail are small and easy to handle, even during butchering, but I was looking for something to help speed up the process and reduce the mess at the same time. So when you don’t find something you need shopping online, you of course make it yourself.
Looking around I decide a plastic soda bottle was about the right size. It is easier to explain using pictures, so follow along below. The one note is the curved shape of the bottles I chose actually help to hold the birds better. I have not experimented with bottles of different shapes.
Required Items: bucket, board, bottles (2-3), nails, and kitchen shears.
Cut the bottle along the lines, leave the tab at the bottom to use as a nailer:
Completed setup with two bottles, I located them on the board so they sit just inside of the bucket:
Completed setup in the bucket, ready to use:
To use this setup, I place a bird head first into one of the bottles and with the kitchen shears I remove the head. This allows the blood to drain into the bucket for easy clean up. Meanwhile I get another bird started in the other bottle, switching back and forth.
Any feedback is appreciated!