How to Slaughter a Chicken According to Jewish Law

Much knowledge and skill is required to practice kosher slaughter, whether you are working with chickens or larger animals, such as cattle. In spite of recent controversy, kosher slaughter has been proven in clinical studies to be among the most humane forms of killing an animal for food, since the trachea is severed in a single stroke and the animal immediately loses consciousness. One must study and practice kosher slaughter for years before becoming certified, and, therefore, this article is intended only as information.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Choose a chicken for slaughter. Your chicken must appear healthy and not have any signs of sickness. Perform a visual and a tactile inspection, feeling around the organs for signs of disease or health.

2. Examine the blade of your knife. It is necessary to use a special kind of knife for kosher slaughter. The blade should be extremely sharp and have no nicks or cuts.

3. Hold the chicken carefully so you can make the incision in one swipe.

4. Cut the trachea, esophagus, cartoid arteries and jugular veins in one uninterrupted incision without squeezing or chopping. Many years of study and training are required to perfect this technique, and correct performance renders the chicken kosher.

5. Look at the knife blade again. If there is a nick or a cut on the blade you did not notice before, the chicken is not kosher.

6. Drain the blood from the animal. The blood should be covered after it is drained.

7. Inspect the internal organs after the slaughtering. You will need to inflate the lungs to see if there are any holes there. If air escapes from the lungs, the chicken is not kosher.

8. Get rid of any animals deemed not kosher immediately so they can be sold as non-kosher meat.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not stun the chicken. Stunning may cause damage to the animal and render it non-kosher. The swift incision eliminates the potential for pain.
• Do not attempt kosher slaughter unless you have certification.

Resources

• Chabad.org is full of information about Jewish Law and practice.
• Judaism 101 is an encylopedia of all aspects of Judaism.