I haven't done cervical dislocation, but I've done taxidermy. Spines are pretty durable. Their whole purpose is to not be dislocated, after all.
I gotta ask; if the goal is to kill the bird quickly, why is taking the head off undesirable? Do some people want the dead chicken intact? I know...
I'm absolutely not disagreeing. A sick animal that's suffering should be put out of its misery, as soon as possible, by the most humane method possible. No reasonable person is going to argue with that, but can you see how personally breaking an animal's neck might be hard for someone if that...
You know some people keep chickens as pets, right? Some people get genuinely attached to their birds. Something being legally classified as livestock doesn't mean people can't keep them like pets, and get attached to them like pets.
It's not unreasonable for someone to have a hard time using their hands to kill a pet, especially in a violent manner. Because that's what beheading or breaking the spine are- they're violent. Very quick, but violent nonetheless. Would you look down on someone who would have a hard time breaking...
I probably wouldn't use starter fluid unless there were no other options. I'm sure the fumes would burn.
To get pure ether, you want to search "reagent grade" online. That's what chemists use. It looks like you can get 500ml for $20 or so, and it's not going to take much for one bird.
I've always wondered about whether decapitation is actually as instant as people put it out to be. When they used to cut off people's heads with a guillotine, it was observed multiple times that people could continue to blink, and in some cases would appear to be trying to speak, for several...
Sleeping pills probably wouldn't work on a bird the same way as a human.
You could see if anywhere near you sells pure ether. Chemical supply places have it. Be VERY careful with it, only use it outdoors, but that's an anesthetic. It used to be used on people for dental things, so we know it's...