best way to cull a young chick - please help - never had to do it!!!

[new_chick]

wow!!! there are a lot of ways!!
i think scissors is a bit too much for me im afraid.... i do have a pellet gun though - does this work every time? do i just shoot it in the head? will it DEFINITELY die? otherwise - i think i might have to go with the car tyre!
someone once told me to put them in the freezer.....dont know how quick it works though......

thanks for all the hints.

 

[mamaKate]

I don't think you necesarily have to cull the chick. It sounds pretty groggy, so probably isn't suffering. Their little brains aren't all that big. I would just wait and let nature take it's course.

 

[peeplessinNC]

And then what do you do with chick carcass? One person said it is burned; do others dig a hole and bury it? Compost pile? This is a part of raising chickens that we all need to know about because unfortunately it has to be done sometimes.

 

[kinnip]

Quote:
I bury mine along my tree line. It makes me feel better. I imagine burning would be quite a good method provided you're already burning a pile of stuff. I wouldn't put it in a wood stove, or anything in the house. Peewwww!

 

[new_chick]

its bizarre - the chick is otherwise feisty chirps and kicks about when you pick it up etc - but just can get off its side (only ever lies on one side - no matter how you put it down - even on its other side) so im a little worried it might be starting to suffer as its mind can be quite active even thought its balance is shot! and now that one side seems weaker as its always lying on it so i guess is not developing as well as the other side!!

 

[CUDA]

Well, let me tell you this... If a hen hatched a chick like that, she would cull it herself, guaranteed, and not necessarily in a humane fashion. I understand a lot of people treat chickens like pets, but part of being a responsible chicken owner is learning to do what is best for your flock, not yourself. If it was my chick new_chick, I would cull it in a heartbeat. Good luck!

 

[kinnip]

I don't know what's wrong with your chick, so I'm not advocating culling it. What I will say is, if you have decided, the longer you wait the harder it will get. I waited to cull a guinea that had a slipped tendon. A little wait turned into a long wait. It ended up freezing to death at several months of age (it couldn't roost with the others). I heavily regret not giving it a clean, good death.

 

[mamaKate]

I found a post on another thread that said you could use lidocaine ointment. It's just regular numbing first aid cream. They said to rub it all over the head and the bird would go quickly and painlessly( with no mess).

 

[mamaKate]

I re-checked the thread. It was benzocaine and it was written by Mrs.CountryChicken. You might try sending her p.m.

 

[Lunachick]

I'm sorry you have to do this. But I am curious as to how you had to handle the situation, if you did have to handle it that is.