An alternative to culling aka, not having to do the dirty work myself.

[spookyevilone]

I had a Coturnix chick hatch this morning with obvious disfigurements. One eye is super small, the other is bulging, the skull shape is wrong, one wing is nonfunctional, beak is crossed - they all look like a genetic sport, not a hatching issue. We're calling the chick Quasimodo, because it's a mess. However, a successfully hatched surviving mess. It needs to be a cull - it can't peck properly and is never going to be able to eat right. It looks like the skull itself is misshapen.

I can't kill it and I know that if I don't get rid of it, I'm going to get attached and wind up with a mutant quail that needs to be syringe fed its whole life.

Today, I called the wildlife rehab center and asked if they wanted it, as food for something else. They want it only if it's dead already. So I called the raptor center and they said they'd take it. They cull and feed them to the birds.

So.. for those of you who can't cull .. there's an alternative, and for those with dead culled chicks, if you need disposal, wildlife rehab centers will take them if they're dead and frozen.

I'm sad about Quasi, but realistically, it needs to be a cull and I don't want to just throw him away.

I thought maybe the suggestion would help other people in the same boat.
-Spooky

 

[spook]

Thank you, that is very interesting!

 

[monarc23]

That is a great thing to suggest!

I'd do that if i knew of any falconry owners around me....I have thought about inquring to some I search online and see if in return of being a full time supplier to them if they could be my mentor in falconry (my dream hobby). Atleast here in PA, you need to be mentored and then approved by the mentor to the game commisision, THEN that mentor OR someone else licensed to do so, I pay to collect a wild caught-in-the-nest chick....i think it's cruel but from what i read you are only allowed to do it that way.....unless im reading it wrong, to me however, it would make more sense to buy from a falcon breeder...if there is sucha thing....

I'd love a redtail, perigrine, or a kestrel even (lil cuties).

I've been collecting culled chicks since I started with my birds months ago, once I get to a dozen I'm going to advertise them for snake owners who need more of a variety in their snakes diets. I'm considering doing the same for infertile fresh eggs for anyone with an african egg eater, BUT not everyone owns those snakies (though I plan to someday hehe so cute)!

 

[spookyevilone]

Quote:
Check with wildlife rehab centers and ask around for raptor rehabbers - they may know some private citizens who do it. I'm licensed as a journeyman falconer - I can fly supervised, but can't own my own bird or hunt with them. I started out volunteering for the rehab center, then got licensed and mentored by one of the senior falconers.

I haven't worked with them in a long time, but I still get called on during the spring when they need people to help with sad little fledgies.

Hadn't thought of snake food. That's another good idea, for the ones that die on me.
-Spooky

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Check with wildlife rehab centers and ask around for raptor rehabbers - they may know some private citizens who do it. I'm licensed as a journeyman falconer - I can fly supervised, but can't own my own bird or hunt with them. I started out volunteering for the rehab center, then got licensed and mentored by one of the senior falconers.

I haven't worked with them in a long time, but I still get called on during the spring when they need people to help with sad little fledgies.

Hadn't thought of snake food. That's another good idea, for the ones that die on me.
-Spooky

WOOOOW you're already in-it with falcons awesome!!!! I fear i wont ever get to do my dream of it BUT I hope!!!

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[spookyevilone]

Quote:
Yes. I used to do exotic animal and raptor rehab, but had to get out of doing it. There are just too many stupid/cruel/mean/evil people in the world and I'm not capable of being nice to them when they drop off animals. The good people who rescued the animals didn't nearly make up for the number of bad ones who should never have had animals at all.

Now I just help out when they need extra hands, or when they need someone to take babies home and not cuddle them like pets.

I highly recommend finding a mentor, though, if you really want to do it. It was some of the most rewarding time I've spent in my life, even if I can't handle the people side of it anymore.

It lead to some great stories, though. I've been bitten by an anaconda and lived. (It was 4" long and about 2 months old..) I've been defended by a tiger against an attack turkey. And we found out that our amputee bald eagle could understand English when some brats on 4-wheelers buzzed the yard and threw beer bottles at the aviary. I was cleaning it with the door open, the eagle was walking around the yard getting some exercise.. I glared and pointed and jokingly said, "Sic 'em!" .. and he did. He chased after the 4wheelers, screaming at them, and bit a huge chunk off the back of one. The kids didn't come back. Bald Eagles are /fast/. They're also huge. Same eagle adopted a sad, sick little kestrel and thought it was its chick. Kestrel came in covered in nicotine because some dumb bunny kept it in a budgie cage and smoked so much around it you couldn't even see any white on the bird. It had tar poisoning and a host of other ick, and wing issues and starvation issues.. the eagle was out and about and when the kes was drying on a towel after the degreasing bath, hopped up on the table and churbled at it, then sat on it, fluffed up, and wouldn't let us near it again. This was a MALE bald eagle and he went broody over a small little falcon. He taught the kes how to be a bird, but then the silly little thing thought he was an eagle and ate fish and wouldn't touch his grasshoppers.

There are worse problems, I suppose.

-Spooky

 

[peewee]

spookyevilone, I truly feel what you went through with those people. My passion in life is animals and I wanted to get into what you were doing. I never made it as far as you did. I started working for a vet (6 years) that worked with exotics. After 6 years of stupid people and their unknowingly (some not so unknowing) harmful ways with their animals I just couldn't take it any more. I got so tired of biting my tongue and I would go home so mad. I would bring home these poor things, after their owners would sign them over to us, and I would spend hours every day for sometimes months at a time to get these guys rehabilitated. Ever try to put a Florida mud turtle on a diet because it was kept in a bowl to small for it to swim in and all it had to do all day was eat?? It got so big it couldn't fit into its shell!!! Along with being obese it had a skin infection from being in dirty water.
One lady had a jungle cat that she brought in that accidentally got into her laundry dryer for a full cycle. She got so mad at us that we were not able to save it. She kept saying that that cat was her only female and now who was she going to breed??? Don't even get me started on the parrots that came in. Or the snakes.
I still get called for some animal here and there and I take in what I have the time for. But now I am more into the parrots. Have only four at the moment but there may be another one on the way. Still waiting to here about that one.
Just wanted to let you know I know what your talking about.
Keep up the good work!!!

 

[monarc23]

Wow Spookie !I didnt read all of this until now!

I've always wanted to also do wild-life rehab work as theres not many rehabbers around here,a nd i'd enjoy the occational baby animal i'd need to bottle feed and release into a good area. Need a mentor for that too I assume (and would expect).

Those stories are awesome....maybe some day for me. I already dislike people who are idiots with animal care, so what hits me if i ever get to do these things won't make me feel any more disgust for teh human race than i already do

lol.


Quote:
Yes. I used to do exotic animal and raptor rehab, but had to get out of doing it. There are just too many stupid/cruel/mean/evil people in the world and I'm not capable of being nice to them when they drop off animals. The good people who rescued the animals didn't nearly make up for the number of bad ones who should never have had animals at all.

Now I just help out when they need extra hands, or when they need someone to take babies home and not cuddle them like pets.

I highly recommend finding a mentor, though, if you really want to do it. It was some of the most rewarding time I've spent in my life, even if I can't handle the people side of it anymore.

It lead to some great stories, though. I've been bitten by an anaconda and lived. (It was 4" long and about 2 months old..) I've been defended by a tiger against an attack turkey. And we found out that our amputee bald eagle could understand English when some brats on 4-wheelers buzzed the yard and threw beer bottles at the aviary. I was cleaning it with the door open, the eagle was walking around the yard getting some exercise.. I glared and pointed and jokingly said, "Sic 'em!" .. and he did. He chased after the 4wheelers, screaming at them, and bit a huge chunk off the back of one. The kids didn't come back. Bald Eagles are /fast/. They're also huge. Same eagle adopted a sad, sick little kestrel and thought it was its chick. Kestrel came in covered in nicotine because some dumb bunny kept it in a budgie cage and smoked so much around it you couldn't even see any white on the bird. It had tar poisoning and a host of other ick, and wing issues and starvation issues.. the eagle was out and about and when the kes was drying on a towel after the degreasing bath, hopped up on the table and churbled at it, then sat on it, fluffed up, and wouldn't let us near it again. This was a MALE bald eagle and he went broody over a small little falcon. He taught the kes how to be a bird, but then the silly little thing thought he was an eagle and ate fish and wouldn't touch his grasshoppers.

There are worse problems, I suppose.

-Spooky

 

[monarc23]

Oh my gosh about the cat Peewee! If that was MY cat, i'd be bawling about it suffering NOT about $$$ my gosh! That upsets me so bad! Scares me too. My boy cats think nothing can hurt them (both are mutt cats) Monte my orange and white has tried on several occations to get into the dryer...luckily I've been right there and spotted him before he did.....but imi always worried im not going to be paying attention and it'll happen one day...however, id' think i'd notice the banging and open it.....but still. That and the dang oven....all 4 of my cats are HOGs......always worries me they're going to burn their nose. We dont have a fireplace here but we plan to buy ahouse with one when we start looking for our own place and that is my hubby and my worry for that is that they may burn themselves there.....we'll buy guards and stuff but still wonder if they'll know enough to stay away.....blah!

I've seen more than my fair share of animal neglect and ignorance and i dont even do anything like that....it just makes me sick how people dont care. Or the fad wares off so they slack on even the minimal care towards their pets. I've learned however, that people like that arent opened to being told how it is....they think they're right or i get the phrase "it's just a dog" OR "my animal is WELL Cared for!" while it's extreemly obese and can't even move......

Quote:

 

[kenman]

Spooky,
I have never really thought about working with rehab birds but would love to take care of that bald eagle. I know several people who could use a good "sick'em" from that guy!