Culling a 4 week old, UPDATE

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If he isn't in pain and gets along just fine, then let him hobble. It seems to me that you may not even need to put this bird down. I don't have the knowledge that you have of course, but I'd try to find a way for him to live rather than a way for him to die, if possible to live happy and pain-free that is.
 
If you want to keep him as a pet, go ahead. Personally I wouldn't do it, especially a rooster, but it's your decision. Remember that as he gets bigger and heavier it will be more uncomfortable for him. When it comes to euthanasia I'm a big proponent of cutting off the head rather than breaking the neck, because while both of them LOOK fast, only the first one is fast for the bird. With a broken neck the blood supply to the brain is generally intact so the bird is conscious until it passes out from lack of oxygen (due to cessation of breathing). For example, when Christopher Reeve broke his neck he lay there fully awake but unable to move or breathe, and only survived because a bystander started rescue breathing for him. On the other hand, when you chop off a bird's head the blood flow to the brain stops, and unconsciousness comes almost immediately afterward.
 
I'm just wondering, why do you want to cull it?


If you really want it to live, you could keep it as a pet or sell it on a BYC auction to somebody who keeps them as pets (like me, though I'm afraid I probably won't be able to take it
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I had a pullet chick who did not have use of her leg when she came as a hatchling. I thought it was a vitamin deficiency and treated it as such, but it ended up that the leg turned out at the hock and was very thick and inflexible at that joint. Once I realized that she was compensating, I decided to watch her to see if she would make it as she got older. She learned to get around okay, but I didn't feel comfortable keeping her with my free-range flock. I gave her to someone who had purchased chicks from me and had a very nice coop/run setup where she would be more protected. They say she's getting along just fine, and is improving daily. She will probably learn to all but compensate entirely for the injury.

If your roo doens't seem to be in any pain, I say keep him around.
 
I DO want to keep him for a pet. I just want to do the right thing for the chicken. If he can have a pleasant life, then I want to do what I can to make him comfortable. If he will not have a good life because of his deformity, then I had rather take care of things now so that he does not suffer.

And I agree about the decapitation, as gruesome as it sounds. I don't see how any death can be quicker or more foolproof.
 
Slackwater wrote:

I had a pullet chick who did not have use of her leg when she came as a hatchling. I thought it was a vitamin deficiency and treated it as such, but it ended up that the leg turned out at the hock and was very thick and inflexible at that joint. Once I realized that she was compensating, I decided to watch her to see if she would make it as she got older. She learned to get around okay, but I didn't feel comfortable keeping her with my free-range flock. I gave her to someone who had purchased chicks from me and had a very nice coop/run setup where she would be more protected. They say she's getting along just fine, and is improving daily. She will probably learn to all but compensate entirely for the injury.

That sounds exactly like his leg - I am starting to feel more hopeful!!​
 
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IMO, and not using that method myself. I would think it would work just fine for a Banty of that age.
I would not however use that method on say..... a year old rhode island red.
Your chicken has lived a fine, if not great life, so now it has 2 bad seconds. And, I do not mean
that coldly. I just think of how the rest of our food is treated. When I butcher and it bothers me,
I just pretty much think of how the pig that created the bacon from yesterdays breakfast was treated.
And that really really bothers me. As pigs are even smarter then dogs. So, when we humanely cull
out our livestock.......... it is what it is, and I am glad we are all trying to make it as easy as possible.
I also have rabbits, and have a tool built for me to make that as easy as possible.

the lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits, their kits, a lizard and a kitty the dogs found who will
go to his new home in 2 weeks............ yeah!!! for him.
 
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Well, I decided that it would probably be best to cull little Sam. He was almost five weeks old, and I put the new flock in a small pen inside of the older chickens run. They were all running around, dustbathing and he was trying to join in, but his leg was bent back at such a severe angle that he had a hard time. He didn't seem to be in pain, but he would never be able to be a part of things and I just felt like he would probably get worse as he got older. He limped so badly and his body sagged on the one side with the bad leg. Anyway, I did it and honestly, it was awful. I wish I had done it and walked away for a few minutes, because the body continued to flap wildly for a while and traveled quite a bit. Sorry to be graphic, I was surprised. Anyway, I know that it was the best way for him and I will learn to deal with it. Thanks again for all of the support - you people are great.

RIP little Sam.
 
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I am sorry you had to go thru this. It is one of things in life we don't want to go thru but God bless you
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