*sigh* How to humanely put a turkey down?

Plain_View_Farm said:

This is never an easy decision to make nor even discuss. I'm sorry your having to go through this.

  I've faced it numerous times with young Poults and Quail Chicks but not an adult Turkey. The method I use on smaller ones may work if you have a big enough box he would fit in. I have a box that I keep only for this purpose. It has a hole in the top of it and I place a plastic bag beneath the hole. I place the bird on the other side outside the bag and spray Ether (Starting Fluid) into the bag through the hole. The Ether puts them to sleep painlessly and the prolonged over exposure to the fumes finishes the job. You would want to make sure the Ether goes in the bag and not spray directly onto the bird. I haven't experienced it myself but I imagine it would burn badly if it were to get in their eyes. The reason I use this method is that it's painless.


  If you felt he is too large for this method, what I would do is use a 22 Cal. with Snake Shot in it at close range to the back of the head. While not totally painless, it would be quick.


Again, I feel badly for you,

David

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Buster52 said:

I am working on this myself. Although I raise mine for meat, I nonetheless want to make the kill as quick and humane as possible.
Great to see someone show compassion about the animal when it comes to dispatch. I was on the eat birds forum and I confronted someone who slits the throat without stunning,which I feel is one of the most barbaric things you can do to an animal.


I have tried chopping (very hard with a big turkey with a thick neck), then stunning followed by slitting (one turkey woke up during the bleed out even though I whacked her twice with a steel pipe, so I won't be doing that again). I would never use ether because then you are just suffocating him. Easier for the killer but not the killee.


I have come to the conclusion that my method of choice will be stunning (again with an iron pipe), then a quick decapitation with a sharp knife so it will be dead before it can wake up.


A 22 to the head would be about the quickest method, though. For those of us who raise them for meat, that wouldn't be very practical in the long term but could certainly work in your situation.


Good luck, and I admire your choice. Even though I don't see mine in that way, it is always hard to put down a pet.

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maxsgoldens said:

Great to see someone who shows compassion when it comes to dispatching animals. I confronted someone on the meat birds forum after they said they neck clot, without stunning which I think is one of the most barbaric things you can do to an animal.

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