Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Gargoyle]

I always refer to them as a "mob".

that's one heck of an avatar you've got there- I tried to squish it on my screen!

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Beekissed

I agree that the neck is the fast and best way to go, unless you need the bird for taxidermy purposes, then the freezer has it's advantages.
My chickens aren't shivering mammals though, are yours?

 

[Beekissed]

No...never seen one of my chickens shiver yet.

 

[loanwizard]

I haven't tried it but have read up on it a little. I was under the impression that you could only feather sex sex links. I have only mutts.... er... hybrids, so that leaves me vent sexing.

 

[galanie]

Why doesn't he sex his chicks, I wonder?  Easier to make money that way and get rid of unwanted roos, I figure. 

Killing a 3 wk old bird is much the same as one older...just easier.  The head comes off very easily when that young so just about any motion putting tension on or cutting the neck will result in pretty quick death.  Holding the head in your hand and letting the body go, give a quick up and then down motion and the weight of the body will do the rest.  Dislocation of the neck...and sometimes the whole head will come off in your hand, but that comes with the territory.

Some folks just cut their heads off with scissors, nippers, pruners, etc.  You can even hold the feet and give a sharp swing of the head against a hard object to kill.  Or place the head under a broom handle, stand upon the broom handle and pull upwards on the feet very quickly...but the head will come off if you put too much torque on even an older bird while using this method. 

I've even killed birds using a tailgate cable....just slide the neck into the "V" formed by the cable and the tailgate, bend the head sideways a little, hold firmly and then pull downwards on the feet...on a bird this young the head may come off as well. 

 
ETA:  I don't recommend freezing if wanting to do this humanely and quickly.  Go outside in subfreezing weather, no coat or adequate clothing, and sit in a box with air holes cut out and see just how long it takes for you to "sleep peacefully away".  All mammals die pretty much the same way while freezing...shivering, discomfort, etc. before sleeping. 

Agreed - decapitation or dislocation of the neck is quicker and far more humane than freezing them to death. Less than one second, and they're gone. Much faster than being stuck in a box, put in a dark, cold place and left to shiver and suffer discomfort before "peacefully falling asleep". Less than one second vs. a minute or more.... Sure, if you stick them in a box you don't have to see them die. It may seem more peaceful that way. Decapitation or neck dislocation with the chance of the head coming off isn't quite as neat.  But sometimes the hardest things for us to do are the kindest for our animals.

Exactly.

 

[Beekissed]

I haven't tried it but have read up on it a little. I was under the impression that you could only feather sex sex links. I have only mutts.... er... hybrids, so that leaves me vent sexing.

Well...sex-links are pretty easy at a glance. Mostly the males will have a completely different color or color markings than do the females. When folks talk about feather sexing they generally are talking about comparing the primary feathers in emergence on the tips of the wings on chicks that are a day or two old.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well...sex-links are pretty easy at a glance. Mostly the males will have a completely different color or color markings than do the females. When folks talk about feather sexing they generally are talking about comparing the primary feathers in emergence on the tips of the wings on chicks that are a day or two old.

Yup. And... as I understand it, the lines used must be bred specifically for this feature. One cannot just feather sex just any old line of birds. It's one of those quirky things.

 

[galefrances]

Thanks for the practical advice. I know I should probably cull, but I fully admit to being unsure if I can do so. How would one even kill a 3 week old chick? I'm asking seriously. Also, I won't buy from that breeder in the future. I have found another breeder a bit farther away, but he is state tested and has lots of awards. He even e-mailed me credentials this morning. I talked with him about my problem too and he also suggests culling. Only problem is that he sells straight run chicks and I do not want roosters! I'm not breeding. I want enough eggs for my family and some entertainment value. Still going to be on the look-out for a reputable place to get sexed chicks from.

I got my chicks online from "My Pet Chicken". They don't promise 100% but they're pretty darn close on their sexing. I know others that have purchased through them and were very satisfied. You can order as little as 3 chicks and they arrive to your post office.

 

[ONSTAD1]

Quick revert to a few pages back. Last night there was a hawk sitting comfortably on top of my coop. Luckily, all my 9 week olds were locked up tight in the run. I have no doubt that he/she could have taken out one of my pullets, but my question is will a typical sized hawk go after my hens when they are fully grown ....large fowl, EE's, Stars and australorps.

mo

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
What some of us breeders have can not be compared with "My Pet Chicken". State law in many states would prohibit selling/giving less than 6 chicks. Commercial hatcheries have trained professionals taht sex their chicks. A small breeder can not afford such a luxury nor has the time to learn the art.