Best way to cull a sick chicken?

[armorwolf]

Hi all,

Unfortunately today I had to cull one of my hens as she wasn't doing well (I suspected EYP or a tumor due to a mass that had slowly formed and wasn't in a place where I was able to justify spending a ton of money on a single chicken) and used the broomstick method. I did find that I was unsure if she had passed right away (maybe 5 seconds) and so I resorted to pulling harder to the point of decapitation. It ended up being messier than I had hoped because of this, however I could deal with the mess (I've worked around farm animals for a while so I've seen a considerable amount of death, though this was my first cull) as opposed to not being sure she had passed and having her be in pain.

While I'm not too squeamish I would, ideally, like to have a little neater of a method that is more foolproof so I don't have to worry about them suffering longer than is necessary. From what I have gathered, a kill cone and sharp loppers is a pretty quick method that decapitates them without having them run all over the place/cause a mess. Personally, I keep dual purpose breeds such as Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks. I do not eat them, as they are pets, so this culling method would exclusively be for the euthanasia of very sick or mortally wounded birds.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance.

 

[nuthatched]

The hatchet or .22 to the head is the quickest, most humane way.
Sorry you lost a bird.

 

[ChickNanny13]

 

[dawg53]

.22 bullet to the head is quick and painless.

 

[theoldchick]

The kill cone with loppers is a method that will prevent a mess. This is never an easy decision. So sorry.

 

[BDutch]

Sorry for your loss.
I dont have a gun and the idea to slit a throat appals me.

So if anyone has a better and comfortable way to kill a sick chicken I’d like to know too. Bringing a chicken to a vet to do the job must be stressfully too and it costs about 80€ which I rather spend on good things for my bantams.

The vet uses two injections. The first to bring it to sleep, the second to kill.

 

[BDutch]

I did some research on this subject and found a wiki page how to kill a chicken.

Spoiler: Wiki methods to euthanise a chicken

. Intro:
Whether you’re raising backyard chickens as pets or running a small poultry farm, it’s important to treat your birds with dignity and kindness at the end of their life. And if your pet chicken gets too old to live comfortably, becomes terminally sick, or gets lethally injured, ending their life early may be the only thing you can do to ease their pain. In this article, we’ll walk you through every scientifically-recognized euthanasia option to put your chicken down humanely and quickly.

https://www.wikihow.com/Humanely-Kill-a-Chicken

Also had contact with a pharmacist for a ketamine injection. But this appeared to be an illegal enterprise. He said 20 mg for a chicken. But Trustpilot gave bad reviews.

 

[Eggcessive]

The easiest method I have used is to tie the legs together and hang them from a nail on a tree. Use a cone instead if you can make or buy one. Then, using a very sharp knife, cut the jugular veins in either side of the neck. I hold them still while they bleed out over about 30 seconds to a minute. Place something under the area to collect the blood or rinse it off with a water hose after.
I have tried the cervical dislocation or broomstick method, and found it difficult. Many say they like that method best, but it may take practice. There are videos online for many methods. Sorry about your chicken.
This video in the first part shows the similar way I usually do it:

https://abundantpermaculture.com/how-to-butcher-a-chicken/

 

[DLA]

Sorry about the loss of your chicken.

This article is from a few years ago but I think it contains some valuable information that might help some people. https://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/euthanasia-for-backyard-birds/
I grew up with chickens, grandpa and several of the neighbors each had hundreds at any given time. They usually went with decapitation with a very sharp hatchet or a .22 to the head so those are my methods of choice because that's what I learned and I know I can do should the need arise. Whatever method you pick, it has to be something you know you can accomplish and follow thru with. No judgements on whatever method someone decides to use.