Cull? What to do? Help Please!

[j'schicks]

I hatched 5 EE chick 3 weeks ago, then bought 2 more. From the beginning, one had no use of it's left leg. When it was tiny, it would hop around on one foot but in the past week or so, it hasn't been able to get up at all. It scoots around the brooder to food and water by kicking off of 1 leg. Lately the other chicks have been sitting/standing/jumping on top of it. Not 1 or 2 but all of the other chicks in the brooder. I've checked with some local sources and I can't seem to find anyone who can/will care for it, I'm not spending the $ to take it to a vet (sorry if that sounds mean), and I just don't know what to do. I feel awful for the poor thing. I kept it initially with hopes that it would get better but that doesn't seem to be happening. I don't want it to live in pain all of the time and I don't want to wake up one day and find it smothered by it's siblings. What should I do? If I need to cull it, what's the most humane method?

 

[duckyfromoz]

It could be dislocated- or have a slipped tendon.. By now either would be too late to treat. I have a duck that hatched with a bad leg last year. She is my house duck. Alot of work- and has multiple problems. But she is here to stay as long as her tiny body holds out. She is less than half the size of a regular Runner and is always skinny from the energy she uses to hop everywhere. I had another one hatch and took it to the vet to be put to sleep. I didnt want another duck to go through what Regie has. After seeing her a whole year- I realize that having them put to sleep peacefully is the kinder thing to do. Some animals cope better than others with a disability.

What you do with the chick is your decision to make-no one can make you keep one that will obviously not live a normal life. No -one can make you keep it either. As for the method..I cant comment. I could never end the life of one of mine- I have taken them to the vet when it needs to be done.

 

[j'schicks]

Anyone? Bump...

 

[pnuts]

one of my chicks has a similar problem but its more an all over skeletal problem. if her bad leg works but she just isn't putting weight on it you can try to hobble her legs together with a band-aid cut in half(there is stuff on this site as to how to go about that). otherwise idk

 

[Shellyb]

I too have a chick with a severly disabled leg. It is a blue silkie chick that I recieved from Meyer's hatchery. (A friend also recieved a blue silkie chick from them with the same issue, both tried informing Meyer's so they know about that breed and they were less then understanding) I thought at first it was from shipping. Tried seperating it for a week, no improvement. Then I started noticing the toes were all curled. It gets aroung by hobbling,hopping, and using it's wings to balance, very sad. Now it is almost 8 weeks old and It's leg bulges out very badly too. I had hoped it would get better on it's own but this is my first time dealing with these issues and I didn't act soon enough I'm afraid. I can't believe it has held out this long honestly. 6 other silkie chicks are in with it because if it was going to make it, it would have to learn to do so with it's coop mates. They are nice it her, but the chick is MUCH smaller then the others and gets bounced on alot. So sad. I too am wondering what to do. The chicks constantly get shavings in their feeder and cover up their food but I can't raise up the feeder and waterer because the little chick is so much shorter then the others and I'm afraid it won't get it's share. That is going to be an issue when they get moved to their new coop because they do like kick their shaving all around them to get comfy and I'm wasting alot of food. I can't help you with what to do, but just wanted you to know I appreciate your position.

 

[willys_truck]

I am sorry to say this, but it will benefit you, your flock, and the the bird itself if you put it down. I have done it before and it sucks, but it has to be done.

 

[Olive Hill]

There are several methods to cull a chick. Shears and/or garden pruners can be used to remove the head. You can also break it's neck. If you can't bring yourself to do either of those you can put it in a sealed container with a bowl of baking soda and vinegar, it will suffocate. The latter of those options is not as quick and easy as people would like to think so if you go that route I would suggest an opaque container for your sake, it can be difficult for some people to watch.

 

[FlipFlopFarmer]

i would seperate and give some liquid vitamins, food and water, maybe something to prob it upright with and give it a week or so, if no improvement, then i would cull.

 

[j'schicks]

Thank you everyone.