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Humane way to put down chick?

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horsekrazy74

horsekrazy74

In the Brooder
9 Years
Apr 5, 2010
72
1
39
I have a baby that I had to help hatch out last night. Well, his legs arent working at all. He cant even make them twitch. We wont be home for hours tomorrow where we can nurse and feed him like we did today. I believe that their is no way he can ever live a normal life, and I dont want to make him suffer.

This is such an incredibly hard decision, and I will be so upset over this little baby.
hit.gif
:hit:hit

Does anyone reccomend a quick, painless way of putting him out of his misery?

Thanks guys for all your help.
--Katherine
 
I know this sounds nasty, but I have done it many times.
Just take a scissor, and cut his head off. Over the garbage can.
I feel it is the quickest, and least stressful for you both.
Good luck, I am sorry you have to do it.
 
Quote:
X2!! I have been unfortunate to have several chicks that I've had to cull.. I will try to save those I can (i.e. cross beaks and a cyclops) but if they can't walk and you can't "fix" the problem, it comes down to quality of life... Sometimes chicks just cannot survive and it's our job as owners to decide what is best, not for ourselves but for the animal..

I normally dig a hole in the ground, take the chick outside, holding it's body with one hand over the hole, snip it's head off very quickly with very sharp scissors.. I then drop the body and cover it up.. Trash can works as well as long as animals can't get into it.. If they can, you may want to use a ziplock bag...

Goddess
jumpy.gif
 
I'm sorry you can't be around to nurse it a little longer. We had a duckling that DH helped out of the shell and she couldn't walk for a couple of days - I had to give her food & water and kept her propped up with a towel in a shoebox so she wouldn't fall over. On the 3rd day, she managed to hop out of the shoe box and join the rest of her sisters and brothers. She is now over 6mo old and will always be a runt, but the cutest little thing. Your chick may be worse off though and I understand how tough it is to make that decision.
 
Quote:
X2!! I have been unfortunate to have several chicks that I've had to cull.. I will try to save those I can (i.e. cross beaks and a cyclops) but if they can't walk and you can't "fix" the problem, it comes down to quality of life... Sometimes chicks just cannot survive and it's our job as owners to decide what is best, not for ourselves but for the animal..

I normally dig a hole in the ground, take the chick outside, holding it's body with one hand over the hole, snip it's head off very quickly with very sharp scissors.. I then drop the body and cover it up.. Trash can works as well as long as animals can't get into it.. If they can, you may want to use a ziplock bag...

Goddess
jumpy.gif


x3

hugs.gif
I'm sorry it turned out like this.
sad.png
 
It's awful to do the right thing sometimes. I get my large knife and my cutting board, lay the chick down with his head under tissue paper, and whack (sorry). The scissors is good too, over the trash can. But I'm more of a cutting board/cover the face kinda person. And I say a prayer.

hugs.gif
 
Last edited:
Mt first turkey poult had an issue with a huge vein keeping him teathered to the egg...and i guess the pressure caused his insides to come out. He was in pain and I had to act quickly. I had heard that putting small animals in a plastic bag and holding htem up to the exhaust of a car was quick and painless. NOT SO. I tried it and it made things so much worse. Still in a ziplock bag, I took him to the concrete porch and got the shovel. I literally hut him in the head, and it was over. I proceesed to go inside, sobbing.
hit.gif


I personally cannot imagine decapittion being quicker or painless. The brain stem is still alive, even of for seconds, and can feel. The shovel, though, will isntantly crush the brainstem and end any siffering instantly (suffering from an issue with the baby or suffering from the cull)

Not saying anyone else's way is wrong, but I could not do it any other way...and I'm so sorry about your chicky.
hugs.gif
 

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