Culling/Euthanizing for those who "can't" break a neck?

[JCoogle]

Here is a link to a homemade gas chamber. I have not had to use it yet it looks like a method I would perfer to use.
http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/

 

[GarnetS]

The article on using carbon dioxide is a good one. I read a couple months back some discussion on it. A few reported some problems-didn't work, even though they followed directions carefully. In this thread, auto starter fluid was also mentioned. I helped a friend use starter fluid with a very sick rat. It worked pretty well. I put some cotton balls in the end of an empty toilet tissue roll, taped the end, so the cotton balls wouldn't fall out. Soaked the cotton with starter fluid and my friend held the rat with the open end to the rat's nose. The rat didn't like it a first, then tried to go into the toilet paper roll, then relaxed and died.

Later, thinking about how to improve this, it occurred to me that NO (nitrous oxide) is used as a propellant in whipping cream (the kind you get in a can, say, Ready Whip.) Dentists use NO to calm patients-I believe it is also called laughing gas.

I'm not sure how practical NO would be for a full sized chicken, but for those of us with very little chicken/farming experience, I though worthwhile to consider. Anyone with any experience with NO to calm a chicken before euthanizing?

 

[GreenGoddess]

Quote:
I was thinking the same thing! I've gotten burned by being too close to an exhaust pipe! I would NOT want to burn alive!!

Goddess

 

[txgirl90210]

I have an insulin dependent diabetic cat and I know too much insulin will kill her. I have seen her in insulin shock and she is very sleepy to the point she can't even open her eyes. She does not seem to be in any pain. All we do is give her some syrup and she is okay again. So what I am wondering is would a big insulin injection kill a chick or chicken?

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
I was thinking the same thing! I've gotten burned by being too close to an exhaust pipe! I would NOT want to burn alive!!

Goddess

I must confess I did this to a squirel once. I'd read about it. I put the cage in a metal garbage can and put it up to the exhaust pipe. The squirel died and the cage was HOT. I felt so bad afterward. I have never done anything like that again. I don't recommend it. And I hate squirells.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

My husband and I had to kill 2 of my chickens last week. We are both afraid of having blood on the property attracting predators. We used a piece of plywood on the ground and a long heavy ax handle. I laid the chicken down on the wood and put the ax handle across her neck and stepped on it while pulling on the legs. It was horrible. I have never had to do anything like that... I understand it's a part of the responsibility of being a chicken owner. BUT either way chopping or using the handle, the neck is going to break. It took a few moments and there was no struggling or blood to worry about. The ether sounds like something I may have to try...

 

[speckledhen]

The ether is better if it's a chick or a very weak, sick bird. They don't even struggle. Just remember, it's starting fluid, NOT lighter fluid. For tiny chicks, sharp scissors are like a mini-hatchet. Instant death, no time for the brain to even register the cut.