Best way to euthanize a chick?

[Amelia Egghart]

Hello!

I came home from the feed store today with a runty 3 day old silver Phoenix chick. At first I thought it might just need some TLC, vitamins and special attention as I thought it just had wry neck and a curled foot. But now that I'm more acquainted, it's looking like it might be deformed. One side might be smaller than the other, and therefore the spine curves to one side. I'm not sure about anything yet, but its got vitamins and can eat and drink on its own, so I'd be hopeful if it wasn't looking so...odd.

Do chicks... Untwist and fill out evenly? Or should I euthanize if it looks like it's going to struggle to live? And if so, what's the best way?

 

[BertandMary]

upload a photo. This one survived by hand feeding vitamins from a spoon.

 

[BertandMary]

here she is today. However, if treatment didn't work, her neck would have been snapped. It is the fastest and most painless way.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

If you look at the stripes, you can see the right side is much broader than the left.

 

[BertandMary]

If she has to go hold her in one hand with her head between the middle fingers. Grasp her head beneath her jaw bone with the other hand and do one quick firm pull.

 

[Chickengal505]

I've seen chicks with severe skeletal issues pull through, but they needed some accommodations and special attention later in life.If you want to try and give her a chance, I'd just keep up with vitamins and see where it goes. If not, I agree with above poster, snapping the neck is easier for the chick, but not necessarily easier on the owner.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Thank you. I was hoping there might be another way but snapping the neck was what I expected. I used to do it for mice so if that's the best fate for this little one, I'll be able.


Found this description here, it seems to fit my little guy/gal:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/190813/lopsided-chick-please-help

Don't know how it turned out for that chick, however. I'm at work until the wee hours of dawn, but the SO is keeping an eye on the little ones. He reported that it was eating and drinking on its own and he has seen it poop and the poop looked normal. Hopeful?

So can chicks that are twisted from being in the egg too long recover?

I guess I'll find out. If it's looking like it's going to be deformed and have a rough life, I'll do my duty :-/

 

[Lady of McCamley]

The neck bones can actually fuse if the chick took too long to hatch. Also, there is a definite incongruity between the sides which looks to be the tip to more problems. I'm surprised the hatchery nor the feed store culled this one.

It is totally up to you if you want to take the time and effort and some vitamins to see if it will recover.

It looks more genetic or severe malformation from hatch to me...but I've not done any wry neck, just hatching deformity from genetics and overly long hatches.

If you want a special needs pet, or don't mind the time to nurse and nurture, then by all means proceed.

Otherwise cull. With little ones this size, one option is good sharp scissors and do the deed inside a baggie. Quick, but that is hardly less traumatic for the person.
LofMc

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Thanks for your insight. It looked like a case of wry to me at the store so I figured I'd give it a shot, but after getting him home, it started looking like a malformity. I'll assess again in the morning and cull quickly if not improved. Thanks for the bag idea. The neck is long and I worried about snapping it correctly. Ugh. Doing it wrong is awful.

Poor little thing!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Agreed...neck snapping has a trick to it that my fumble hands would not be good at. I use sharp scissors on little ones (or sharp, sharp, knife). The adult birds I actually use a 5 gallon bucket with dry ice. Over in 30 seconds and no blood which is nice as I am generally culling for illness not food. (If for food, we send in a bunch for processing as hubby won't help with the deed and I can't do it alone...take live birds in, get nice little packages back, drink coffee while waiting).

Never a pleasant process but sometimes simply necessary.

LofMc