*No chicks were harmed in the writing of this article*
Whether you hatch your own chicks, order them from a hatchery, or buy them from a feed store, sometimes, something just goes wrong.
The chick doesn't thrive and just goes slowly downhill despite efforts to help.
An injury or genetic malformation compromises a chicks quality of life or mobility
Or the chick just gets sick.
No matter the cause, you decide you need to cull the chick to save it from suffering.
Most experts agree that cervical dislocation (when done effectively) is the best way to cull a chick. The question is how do people who are squeamish about the blood, or nervous about not being able to complete the task quickly and effectively do this. I've found a good way to do this that both helps with my squeamishness and contains the mess.
Your tools are a paper towel, a plastic sandwich bag and a heavy duty pair of kitchen sheers (scissors) or as you see in this picture a sharp pair pruning sheers. You don't want flimsy paper scissors, because the blades will bend and not do the job effectively.
For this article, I'll be using a stuffed Peep bunny as a stand in for a real chick.
You take the chick (or Peep), and roll it up snugly in the paper towel, making sure you can feel where the chick's neck is through the paper towel. This calms the chick and makes the next part easier.
You place the chick/paper towel roll half in the sandwich baggy leaving the head and neck out.
Take the scissors and place them over the chick's neck, making sure of your positioning. Take a few deep breaths to steady yourself and swiftly snip through the chicks neck and the paper towel. At this point, the chick's body will start quivering. This is completely normal. It is the nerves in the body going haywire when they are disconnected from the brain.
It will take a few seconds but you will start to see blood on the paper towel. This proves that the sheers did their work.
Once you see the blood, you can push the paper towel/chick all the way into the baggy and seal it to contain any mess. After the bleeding is done, you can throw it away as is, put the chick deep in a compost heap, or give the chick a burial.
NOTE: This method of culling chicks works best on chicks younger than 3 weeks. If the chicks are any older than that, it may be hard to get the scissors through the neck in one smooth motion, causing the chick unnecessary pain.
Whether you hatch your own chicks, order them from a hatchery, or buy them from a feed store, sometimes, something just goes wrong.
The chick doesn't thrive and just goes slowly downhill despite efforts to help.
An injury or genetic malformation compromises a chicks quality of life or mobility
Or the chick just gets sick.
No matter the cause, you decide you need to cull the chick to save it from suffering.
Most experts agree that cervical dislocation (when done effectively) is the best way to cull a chick. The question is how do people who are squeamish about the blood, or nervous about not being able to complete the task quickly and effectively do this. I've found a good way to do this that both helps with my squeamishness and contains the mess.
Your tools are a paper towel, a plastic sandwich bag and a heavy duty pair of kitchen sheers (scissors) or as you see in this picture a sharp pair pruning sheers. You don't want flimsy paper scissors, because the blades will bend and not do the job effectively.
For this article, I'll be using a stuffed Peep bunny as a stand in for a real chick.
You take the chick (or Peep), and roll it up snugly in the paper towel, making sure you can feel where the chick's neck is through the paper towel. This calms the chick and makes the next part easier.
You place the chick/paper towel roll half in the sandwich baggy leaving the head and neck out.
Take the scissors and place them over the chick's neck, making sure of your positioning. Take a few deep breaths to steady yourself and swiftly snip through the chicks neck and the paper towel. At this point, the chick's body will start quivering. This is completely normal. It is the nerves in the body going haywire when they are disconnected from the brain.
It will take a few seconds but you will start to see blood on the paper towel. This proves that the sheers did their work.
Once you see the blood, you can push the paper towel/chick all the way into the baggy and seal it to contain any mess. After the bleeding is done, you can throw it away as is, put the chick deep in a compost heap, or give the chick a burial.
NOTE: This method of culling chicks works best on chicks younger than 3 weeks. If the chicks are any older than that, it may be hard to get the scissors through the neck in one smooth motion, causing the chick unnecessary pain.
