... I just culled a quail, it had broken its legs somehow and was getting covered in feces. This is probably a stupid question, but I'm worried I did a bad job with the cull. Is it normal for the body to flap around after you break their neck? I'm feeling sick that I might have tortured the poor thing.
You certainly did the best thing for the bird but culling is always difficult. I'm sure that you did the very best you could and I doubt that it felt very much. Obviously I don't know exactly how you accomplished it but on method that has work well for me is to hold the bird's body firmly with one hand while with the other I place the neck between my first and second fingers. I pull upward quickly until I feel a slight separation. This separates the spinal cord and the bird doesn't feel anything. Keep up the good work. Culling is a necessary part of responsible husbandry.
That roughly the procedure I did. Or tried to. I think I'll stick to scissors in the future, the slight mess is worth it to be sure I'm doing things quickly and effectively. Still have 11 going strong, however... check out my lone Blue Scale with his rockstar pose in the center.
