A Squeemish Subject: Euthanasia

[kari_dawn]

Quote:
There's a youtube on it that explains it better. But essentially you put the bird on the ground with a broomstick over their neck. Stand on both sides of the broomstick with your feet (straddling the broomstick) and pull up on the chicken's legs, snapping the neck.

This is the only method I've been able to do, and I've only done it once (thank goddess).

(warning, chicken culling).

Thanks for the video. It looks simple enough, and I would not consider that inhumane...as far as death goes.

 

[ekemily]

Quote:
TOTALLY agree. The animal is going to die. Kill it quickly. The only thing I would ask the folks trying to come up with the ridiculous dry ice contraptions is to please set it up in an aquarium where you can watch the slow, horrible death. Watch them flailing, gasping for breath and trying to escape with the "i'm dying" freak out session going on in their head.
Or, get an axe, killing cone with knife, or broomstick.... grab them up.... and done. If you can't do it, then find someone who will. I remember reading a post on here from a woman that was trying to find the most humane way to kill her chicken that was in horrible condition and in obvious pain. She let it continue this way for days. By the time she figured out the best way FOR HER to kill it, it died. She spent so much time worrying about her feelings, that the animal died a slow, agonizing death. shame.

 

[kari_dawn]

again, the point of this thread is to help people determine which method is easiest for them and their pet, no need to be harsh. You can use a fish tank if you choose, however, it is very hard to get a tight seal on a fish tank, and solid walls that cannot be seen through are less stressful for the animal. The gasses from the dry ice work a bit like carbon monixide poisoning. The majority of animals who go through this don't even realize it is happening. Yes, there can be some flailing, but that is with any method of death as the animal's brain looses control of it's nervous system.

The dry ice method I keep refering to was approved as a humane (and LEGAL) method of euthanasia by the American Veterinary Medical Associatin, unlike some of the other methods mentioned.

Decapication and cervical dislocation are both accptable methods as well, but only (and I quote from the AVMA guidelines) "When properly used by skilled personnel with well-maintained equipment" and "Skill and experience of personnel is essential. If the method is not performed correctly, animals and personnel may be injured. Inexperienced persons should be trained by experienced persons and should practice on carcasses or anesthetized animals to be euthanatized until they are proficient in performing the method properly and humanely."

Decapitation and cervical dislocation may actually induce more suffering if done by an inexperienced or skilled person, in which case, methods such as dry ice would be superior. And as many of us here on this forum are not "skilled and experienced" in physical methods of euthanasia, it may be better for the animal involved to use the afore mentioned method.

Along with it's lack of asthetic appeal, one of the listed disadvantages is "Death may not occur if equipment is not maintained and used properly." Again, many people here are NOT trained, or even accustomed to this method, and in the long run, newbies trying this could create more harm than good at the expense of the animal in question. Please do not use your personal biases to belittle other people's choices when it comes to their pets.

I knew there would be some conflict when I created this thread, but I also feel like we need to give people who are not comfortable with decapitation or experienced enough with it to make it into a humane method for them to personally use, other options.

 

[loanwizard]

I am amazed at how civilized this forum is compared to others I frequent. I don't think that anyone has been mean or said anything untoward about the other methods.

I was actually talking to my girlfriend about this thread. We chuckled, but not in a condescending way.

Here, we are talking about ending the suffering of a sick bird. Yes, some are squeamish which is why their vet puts down the family dog or cat. Have any of you ever been with the vet when he/she administered the "shot"? I have and it was heartbreaking. Meow had leukemia and had to be put down. This was a cat that waited for the family to get out of church on Sunday (we lived next door), and got between me and a coon that was out during the day (Sick, I presume).
I held that cat, and watched as my vet (Dr. Butcher) inserted the needle and the cat just kind of crumpled in my arms. I cried. I am a man and not afraid to admit it. I wouldn't cut the head off of my cat or dog because their bodies are different than a chicken, but I will maintain that the quickest, and most effective means of dispatching a chicken with the LEAST amount of suffering, that puts them out of their pain and suffering is with a knife/axe/hatchet. I personally don't use a hatchet because 1. I don't own one and 2. might chop off my hand. That said, everyone has a favorite knife that they use to cut meat in the kitchen. Use that and 1 chop (cleaver) or slice (sharp knife) and death is instantaneous. If you don't want to see the blood or chicken close its eyes the final time, put a towel over it. There is the calming darkness. I can't imagine collecting all the materials to do the dry ice, or helium thing. To me, it's well.... not ludicrous..... but lets just say different.


Respectfully,

Shawn

 

[loanwizard]

As an afterthought, I thought Euthanasia were young Asians...... just sayin....

 

[zzGypsy]

I don't think anyone has described this method for neck breaking, so I'll add it.
I hold the bird tucked under my left arm like a football, wings tucked in, feet haning out the back. left hand is across the chest, pressing the bird with my left arm firmly to my side.

right hand goes palm down (facing the floor) over the bird's head. with the thumb going under the jaw and the fingers closing around the head over the top.
the motion used to break the neck is sharp, firm, quick. you have to commit to the action, don't be tentative. to pop the neck, thrust the right hand down and out away from you, in line iwth the chicken's neck, sharply rotating your palm to face away from you as you do (thumb down, little finger up). you are both extending the neck and rotating the bird's beak up towards the sky. the idea is to break the neck at the point where it joins the skull.

this takes a sharp, committed movement, and a firm grip on the bird (both hands) but does not take a lot of strength. chickens are easier to kill than ducks, and this method may not work on larger birds like turkeys or geese, unless you've got a bit more power and longer arms.

mechanically what you are doing - how the neck is broken - is similar to the broomstick method, but the technique is slightly different.

so here's why I use this method...

as a kid my dad used an ax for killing ducks and geese. the ducks expire pretty quickly, but the first goose we did, although cleanly decapitated, got up and sprayed blood around quite a bit before properly expring. I know this is just nerve firing, but it freaked me out as a kid and it still makes me grit my teeth. so I prefer a bloodless kill, although I'm going to immediately decapitate to bleed the carcass out. I'm ok with blood, I just don't like it spraying around.

the other factor has to do with my heritage. I'm part native american, and I spent a year studying with an apache shaman... it changed and refined my ideas about my relationship to the world and everything in it.

please understand, this is my personal experience, and is not a criticism or commentary on anyone else's approach. and for those of you who are practical farmers - I totally get your position. I was pretty much farmer-practical before training with the shamman. now I'm farmer-practical, with an unexpectedly strong spiritual underlayment (at least it was unexpected when I discovered it mattered to me.)

for me, killing an animal is a spiritual act as well as a practical or veterinary one. when I kill an animal to eat it, or to end it's suffering, that's something I find to be a personal spiritual interaction between me and that animal, and I want to be as present as possible to that act. with our sheep or goats or any of our birds, I personally do as much of the killing as I have the skills to do effectively. if I can't do the job effectively myself, I am still present and participate where I can. with chickens and ducks, I can kill them with a neck snap in this hands-on way, and so I do.

one of the things I came out of the spiritual training with was an understanding of how unaware I had been of the life (and death) that suppored mine. the training gave me a profound appreciation for those lives (and deaths) and part of that appreciation, for me, is being participant not just while they live but when they die. I find shielding myself from that experience dimishes my respect for the animal, and that is something I no longer wish to do. the fact that it's uncomfortable for me is not relavant. the fact that I personally complete my responsibilities to the animal in as many ways as possible is.

it's hard to explain the experience of this process exactly, I just know that I didn't have this expectation or understanding before the training, processing livestock was purely practical, but that in some essential way the training changed me so that now that practical and humane aspects are part of a larger spiritual background.

it's probably odd. certainly some of my friends think so. but there it is.

 

[ekemily]

Quote:
I do not know where you are getting your information concerning the dry ice method. This was taken directly from the AVMA website:
"Recommendations—Carbon dioxide is acceptable for euthanasia in appropriate species (Appendices 1 and 2). Compressed CO2 gas in cylinders is the only recommended source of carbon dioxide because the inflow to the chamber can be regulated precisely. Carbon dioxide generated by other methods such as from dry ice, fire extinguishers, or chemical means (eg, antacids) is unacceptable."
Also, you really have to know what you're doing to measure the exact levels of CO2 in your home-grown kill chamber. I think the average person would have much more eperience with a knife (ever cut a carrot?) or hatchet, but then, I'm kind of a tomboy.
And, no, I'm not trying to get all huffy (no pun intended). I think many people are misinformed. There is no easy way to do it. What I have a problem with is people prolonging the death of a poor animal because they can't figure out how they can kill an animal without the side effect of death. If a person really cannot put an injured/dying animal out of its misery, then they really should take the animal to a vet or find a helper that will do it for them. It's never easy and shouldn't be.

 

[Davian]

I just sharpen the hatchet and go from there. Quick and clean.

I think as chicken owners we owe them that much for what they give us. Same with any other type of animal kill...make it clean and dont make them suffer. This goes for livestock or hunting.

 

[kari_dawn]

I can concede to being wrong. I know CO2 is acceptable, but I have no qualms about retracting an incorrect statement. My apologies.

 

[FrenchToast]

Just wondering if anyone has given any other kinds of medications either RX or over the counter that would put the chicken down?
Say for instance Ambien or over the counter sleeping pills? Even if the drugs used were just used to sedate the chicken while the "deed" was done.
Anyone ??