Cream Legbars

[chicken pickin]

I hatched out 3 CL chicks 2 days ago. Are they all males? Thanks.

Yes all 3 look male.

 

[blackbirds13]

Quote:
I try not to get into the whole 'what is humane or the most humane' issue when it comes to culling as I find it to be a sticky one with potential for far-reaching implications. I agree that we all need to find what works best for us and maybe stay away from statements that insinuate some sort of undue pain and suffering in others. I use a killing cone on my adults and no axe anymore but a sharp knife behind and through the jugular (it's a bit up close and too personal for my husband) and either ether or a sharp blade on the younger ones. There are certain sectors of our society that might deem any method as inhumane. I have friends that find my act of rearing chickens for food as egg or meat in itself an inhumanity.

 

[blackbirds13]

Quote:
X2 - all boys

 

[sweetdreaming]

decapitation is the quickest and the most humane. How do you get the air out of the trap and if it works so well why do you have to wait a few hours to come back. If its your dh who does it have you ever watched and if they are stuck in a trap you wouldnt see the bag moving . Id suggest using a clear plastic bag and watching i seriously doubt it works like your mind imagines it . but like you said to each their own for me personally i wouldnt want their eyes and lungs burning from the ether as they " go to sleep"

I do anesthesia for a living. Ether was used for years for anesthesia on humans. It is very sweet smelling, acts quickly within a breath or two, and DOESN'T " burn your lungs". I hv watched my husband do this bag technique w/ 100's of sparrows. U place the birds in the bag, strip it so it's like a completely deflated balloon, stick the starting fluid straw in, clamp tightly w/ ur hand, blow it up w/ the ether. It is close to 100% ether at that point. Close to 0% oxygen. Clamp it tightly so it doesn't leak. They go to sleep. They don't move again. They don't wake up. Period.

 

[normanack]

I do anesthesia for a living.

Ah, hence "sweetdreaming"?

 

[CibolaChooks]

Very good points blackbirds. And you're right so sorry if I offended anybody and especially you sweetdreaming

 

[dretd]

I feel compelled to make a brief comment regarding euthanasia of chicks.

There are upsides and downsides to each method mentioned before including gas anesthesia overdose (ether) and cervical dislocation/decapitation. Both can be humane forms of euthanasia. The goal is to minimize the stress of the animal while killing it. As I have said to my son before: "your goal is to kill the animal, not hurt it"..which is why some folks think any sort of animal husbandry culling or slaughter is not humane: they do not believe it is ok to kill animals for any reasons, but that's another can of worms.

I think that each individual needs to decide upon a protocol that takes into account their individual situation and part of the equation is the feelings and distress of the humans involved.

If anyone is interested, there is a rather long Euthanasia Guidelines publication put out by the AVMA (American Vet Med Association) It is indexed and you could scroll to the specific areas of interest if you have any questions. https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Documents/euthanasia.pdf

It talks about ether on page 21 and decapitation/cervical dislocation on page 38. Personally, I find that cervical dislocation is quick and easy for rodents and what I use except for client animals, which get euthanasia solution. I have not had to cull chicks from my flock yet, but will probably go that route in the future.

 

[jerryse]

I do anesthesia for a living. Ether was used for years for anesthesia on humans. It is very sweet smelling, acts quickly within a breath or two, and DOESN'T " burn your lungs". I hv watched my husband do this bag technique w/ 100's of sparrows. U place the birds in the bag, strip it so it's like a completely deflated balloon, stick the starting fluid straw in, clamp tightly w/ ur hand, blow it up w/ the ether. It is close to 100% ether at that point. Close to 0% oxygen. Clamp it tightly so it doesn't leak. They go to sleep. They don't move again. They don't wake up. Period.

I had ether used on me as a child for tonsil surgery. It is very fast acting. No burning lungs. A little hard to stay awake later as I was still exhaling a lot of ether. Went away rather fast.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Just set 13 CCL & 11 SFH eggs.
Trying to do a dry hatch.
Temperature suggestions?
I am using a Brinsea Octo 20 with the humidity pump, which is set @ 20% the lowest it will go.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I'd do regular, 99.5-100 F. That humidity should be fine. Just keep an eye on the air cells when you candle.