Using chemicals to euthanize birds

I combed the forums, and gleaned what I could, but, wanted to post the outcome of our attempting to butcher two turkeys using the most humane methods we could find.

So, here goes.

We purchased chickens as novices, really only half way thru the research and learning process, because my dear husband knew I wanted chickens for eggs and he stumbled on chicks at our nearby feed store last March. Due to our not knowing one breed clearly from another as babies, we relied on the clerks to guide us to selecting hens, which, as we have since learned, is a best guess by the most experienced person, and in this case, I doubt the clerks would have been able to do much more beyond reading the bin "pullet" label. So, we ended up with three roosters, one of which was a meat chicken, and 5 hens, one of which was also a meat chicken. We had to rehome one of the roosters, but, chose to butcher the other, along with the two meat chickens. In the process of raising them, we had gotten quite attached, and we found it so difficult to just chop their heads off. We did it, but, it was an emotional experience we hoped we might ease if we did it ever again.

Then, with all the fuss about a possible turkey shortage coming from the bird flu, I picked up a couple of Bourbon Red turkey poults with the intention to butcher them in time for Thanksgiving. Again, my research was not as good as I had hoped, and we found out further down the road that Bourbon Reds don't typically reach their full meat potential in such a short time, but, we forged ahead and considered just keeping them thru the winter and assessing their status in the spring. With the shortage not really happening, we didn't need to butcher them so soon. That is, until the Tom started attacking my hens, and just couldn't be trusted out with them, and with our backyard not being large enough to set up a big enough pen for the turkeys to really get much foraging and what we provided was far too small to spend an entire winter in, we knew we had to make a tough decision.

No one wanted a Tom turkey, and certainly didn't want two turkeys, and their butchering weight didn't warrant offering them as meat. We were hoping to keep the hen, but, knew there was a chance she would become depressed without the Tom. I researched everything I could find all over the internet regarding humane euthanasia, but everything focused on killing pets. Any treatment of euthanasia of poultry was for sick or injured birds that were not gong to be eaten. We wanted something that would ease our birds to sleep, and make chopping off their heads less traumatic for them and for us. I found references to various gassing methods, and a long article from an organic chicken processing factory that is using gas to sedate the chickens before they enter the rest of the process. Several references were regarding the use of ether to put the bird to sleep, and it sounded like the answer, except, we could never get anyone to tell us how much to use for a large bird, most focused on chickens, and nothing spoke to any concerns. It sounded simple and effective. So, we tried it.

Before I go any further, please, know that we are still going through quite a bit of emotional anguish over how it all went down. I am only posting this because I don't want anyone else to make the mistake we did.

We followed the instructions, soaked a couple of rags with ether laced starting fluid, and contained them and the Tom in a large, and I mean comfortable large, plastic container with some air space to allow the gas to gradually mix with the air. I stayed nearby, but, the Tom didn't seem too concerned even when we gently put him in the container. He was immediately relaxed, and just sat and chirped a bit. The hen was out in the yard, and after initially chirping looking for the Tom she went about her business. After ten minutes nothing was happening. We presumed we didn't have enough gas in the container, and so my husband put in another rag. Again we waited. This time the reaction was bad.

The poor thing started to rock back and forth, and then suddenly flopped backwards, and he looked dead. I thought, well, that was easier than I expected, and I was relieved he didn't seem to suffer. Then, he convulsed violently, and before we could get to him it was over. I hope he didn't feel any pain, and that the convulsion was involuntary and after he had passed, but, I can't be sure and it haunts me that he may have struggled and died in terror.

After we got him out of the container we immediately took him and cut off his head. He did flail again, but, as there was no sign of any breathing by then, I am pretty sure that was just nerve ending twitching.

As far as continued reaction, that came in the form of the smell of ether permeating the feathers, the skin, and the internal organs. It was so bad that we couldn't even save the meat. We had done what we had set out NOT to do. We had caused an animal to lose it's life and for nothing. His life was wasted.

We knew we could not, absolutely not, do that ever again, so we have chosen to keep the hen and perhaps consider butchering her in the summer, or maybe not til next Thanksgiving, and this time, whether we like it or not, we will just chop her head off the old fashioned way. Quick and clean. We will not use a killing cone either, as no one can convince me that hanging upside down, restrained, with their throat slashed and left to slowly bleed to death is any more humane than what we witnessed using gas.

I hope this helps someone else, as it would have helped me if anyone could have detailed what to expect when using the gas method. I know many use the vinegar baking soda method, and I can only imagine it has the exact same effect. It's a horrible thing to watch, and I haven't slept since.

If you cut the jugular right with a razor sharp instrument, there doesn't appear to be much pain and as they bleed out they go unconscious quickly.
The axe is quick though. That's how we did it when I was a kid.

Keep the hen, they are fine with just chickens as companions and make excellent pets. Their eggs are huge with very rich yolks also.

Yeah, that's what we're planning on doing. She is a little out of sorts still, looking for the Tom now and then, but, if we sit with her, or spend time in the yard, she is fine. She grew up with the chickens, so, I'm hoping she will just settle back in.

If you have to do it again, break the neck. I did it with a pullet that was dying and was miserable, using the "broomstick method". If I have to do it again I will just use my hands since I think it would be way less stressful than laying them on the ground with a broom on their neck, but the pullet died instantly, and with a lot less drama then there is with a hatchet, or especially hanging them upside down and cutting their neck, which is not an instant death. Almost instantly is not the same as instantly. You would probably have to the broomstick method versus your hands with a turkey, especially for your first time.

I found this to be an interesting thread. Ive proccessed 7 of my own roos and like yourself-- a humane approch was very important to me. I use my hands in a break neck proccess. The little talk w them, in my arms, helps settle us both. That being said: i am not a large girl, really i am rather small... So any really large bird could almost be Dangerous for me. Im not sure what i would do with them, so this is good stuff for me.

I didnt eat my B.Reds this yr either but its because ive become too attached, and i refused to do it. Turkeys are so personafied! Hubby was suposed to, but ive been discouragin him in any way i can, and it worked! We had a mexican chicken dish for the holiday I my turkeys and im def on your side with keeping that hen: my hen causes no issues with my chickens.

Try to rest well with your knowledge that you have Learned a Valuable lesson. Rest well knowing that he was happy and healthy in your care, and know that, by my point of veiw, you did what you thought was right. Thats all anyone can do.

mixedUPturk said:

I found this to be an interesting thread. Ive proccessed 7 of my own roos and like yourself-- a humane approch was very important to me. I use my hands in a break neck proccess. The little talk w them, in my arms, helps settle us both. That being said: i am not a large girl, really i am rather small... So any really large bird could almost be Dangerous for me. Im not sure what i would do with them, so this is good stuff for me.

I didnt eat my B.Reds this yr either but its because ive become too attached, and i refused to do it. Turkeys are so personafied! Hubby was suposed to, but ive been discouragin him in any way i can, and it worked! We had a mexican chicken dish for the holiday

I

my turkeys and im def on your side with keeping that hen: my hen causes no issues with my chickens.

Try to rest well with your knowledge that you have Learned a Valuable lesson. Rest well knowing that he was happy and healthy in your care, and know that, by my point of veiw, you did what you thought was right. Thats all anyone can do.

Click to expand...

Thanks you , those were the words I really needed to hear. It's been a tough week for me, just trying to put this all behind me, and I'm so glad we chose to keep our hen. She is such a joy, and very sweet. After the Tom was gone she made her peace with the chickens and all is well.

I've been away, been too busy to visit BYC, but I'm back for a minute. Several months ago I had a lame rooster, it was around mid to late December. He gradually started getting worse, so I decided I needed to put him out of his misery. Well, I was too squeemish to wring his neck, or chop his head off. I figured there had to be another way, so, I did an internet search. Found a post on BYC, poster said to use 500 MG Tylenol, and some sort of herbal med. Grind them up, mix with some water and syringe into the chickens mouth, the chicken will fall asleep and should be dead in about 30 minutes.

Well, I had the Tylenol, but not the herbal med. Searching through my medicine cabinet I did find some Oxycontin, and some Codine, some benadryl. So I mixed up enough meds to kill a small human. Put it in a syringe, went out to poor Scooter who could not walk at all at this point, held him in my lap and dosed him. I set him in the coop, where the sun was hitting him, so he'd have a nice, warm peaceful demise.

Well.......after about an hour I went out to check on Scooter, to my COMPLETE surprise, he was up and walking around :-0 So the next day I dosed him again, then I dosed him every few days, whenever I saw he needed some pain relief.........This continued for about a month, then he injured his OTHER leg, and I was running out of all the prescription meds I'd been using. Then a light went off in my head, Carotid Restraint! Like the police use, so, I sat him in my lap, wrapped my index finger around his neck, just below his head, squeezed as tight as I could. If you apply a Carotid Restraint too long it is deadly. He did the 'funky chicken' for just a second, not violently, then peacefully passed away. Worked great.

I have tried a couple of ways, but I prefer slitting the throat best. I use a very sharp blade (a banded razor blade) as myself, when I am cut with a very sharp blade, there is almost no pain, it is later that it is sore. My birds just seem to get tired, and lay down. The nerves twitch at the end, are just that, not pain. Each of us have to do it how it works best for us. When I have cut their heads off, the nerve reaction seemed much stronger.
Mrs K

A proper fitting killing cone and a super sharp razor blade are still the best methods