Culling a chicken with a shot gun?

[dreamer5577]

After much thought, I have made the call to put my sick hen out of her misery. It's so hard as she was my very first chicken! She started it all. I will be honest and say that i am NOT comfortable using an axe. I've tried processing the thought, but it makes me queezy. I am way too afraid I would miss and of what the sigh may be afterward. My dad suggested using his 12 gauge shotgun, which I thought about, but I swore I read somewhere to never do that. I'm not sure why. He ensures it would get the job done. (he's not keen on the axe scene either). Before we proceed, I wanted some re assurance that this would also be a "humane" way to end her life.

Oh how I wish we could give shots for them to just fall asleep.

 

[Toddrick]

Don't use a 22, that's for sure. A shotgun would be better. It is very difficult to hit a vital organ in a chicken. I suppose it might be best to do what turkey hunters do, and aim for the head. Anything short of blowing the head off, and I think it could take a while to die, so you should have a sharp hatchet ready as backup anyways. Honestly, the hatchet is probably far more humane than a gun based on my experience.

 

[AV8RChick]

I have culled sick birds by going to the auto parts store and buying starter fluid. It has ether in it. I soak a towel in the fluid and put the towel in the plastic bag and place it over its head. It takes a few minutes but it does the job and they "go to sleep". I suspect some folks will have a problem with this method but it is the best way I have found to send a sick bird on its way.

 

[purplesquirrel]

Shotgun is very painful if not shot directly in the brain.
Head needs to be completely removed instantly to cause no pain or stress.

You need to prioritise your animals. Welfare over your squeamishness..
Although some options are more bloody or gory, you need to remember what is least painful.

If your axe is sharp, get some one hold her head over a tree trunk or something equally stable and flat.
You don't need to swing from a great high like cutting wood, if the axe is sharp, you hold it a good 60cm above her neck and pull down very hard, with some one holding her body and head.

Alternatively, I very sharp knife.
Hold her on your lap, get some one to hold her body and head still with her facing away from you and slightly down towards the floor. Take the knife to the BACK OF THE HEAD to prioritise severing spinal cord over throat.
(As you can get half way through and she will still be conscious but unable to breathe and bleeding. But if you start from the back, no matter what, she will be brain dead instantly.)

No matter what you do, no matter how well and how quick, if the death is from trauma to the head and neck there will be a lot of jumping, fluttering and struggling of the corpse. It can be very unnerving and you can think you have done it wrong.
But this always happens. It's just the reaction of the nerves.

I don't recommend shooting, as their heads are very small and their brains are the size of a pea, so you could easily blow her face or beak off and shell still be alive and in a lot of stress and pain.

Sharp knife or axe. Don't hesitate.
Best of luck.x

 

[dreamer5577]

It's a 12 gauge shot gun and the blast/diameter seems like it would hit the brain if shot directly to the head.

 

[Toddrick]

Shotgun is very painful if not shot directly in the brain.
Head needs to be completely removed instantly to cause no pain or stress.

You need to prioritise your animals. Welfare over your squeamishness..
Although some options are more bloody or gory, you need to remember what is least painful.

If your axe is sharp, get some one hold her head over a tree trunk or something equally stable and flat.
You don't need to swing from a great high like cutting wood, if the axe is sharp, you hold it a good 60cm above her neck and pull down very hard, with some one holding her body and head.

Alternatively, I very sharp knife.
Hold her on your lap, get some one to hold her body and head still with her facing away from you and slightly down towards the floor. Take the knife to the BACK OF THE HEAD to prioritise severing spinal cord over throat.
(As you can get half way through and she will still be conscious but unable to breathe and bleeding. But if you start from the back, no matter what, she will be brain dead instantly.)

No matter what you do, no matter how well and how quick, if the death is from trauma to the head and neck there will be a lot of jumping, fluttering and struggling of the corpse. It can be very unnerving and you can think you have done it wrong.
But this always happens. It's just the reaction of the nerves.

I don't recommend shooting, as their heads are very small and their brains are the size of a pea, so you could easily blow her face or beak off and shell still be alive and in a lot of stress and pain.

Sharp knife or axe. Don't hesitate.
Best of luck.x

I agree with everything above.