Culling (warning: may contain graphic content)

[FenDruadin]

Little Chance, my crippled duckling, is getting around okay and I'm not giving up on him yet.

But, I realize that if I am going to be hatching ducks regularly, I am eventually going to have ducklings that are too crippled to live a normal life. And if Chance doesn't improve, it may be sooner rather than later.

For those of you who cull crippled birds, can you please share your methods? I want a method that is quick, humane, and also relatively easy for me to do. I think a physical (as opposed to chemical) method would be my first choice, but... I'm open to suggestions.

Please feel free, within the bounds of the TOS of course, to be graphic. I want detailed instructions, because I don't want to mess it up.

Thank you.

 

[walkswithdog]

I tried a few of the methods out there, and though it takes a bit of fortitude, on a new hatchling, scissors is what I settled on. A sharp pair, over the trash can and it's done. No guessing, no real fuss. It's not fun but it takes about half a second, then it's over for you and it.

The other methods meant more handling or more time.

 

[mulia24]

i'm absolutely sorry, but, what's culling? tq heather.

 

[FenDruadin]

Mulia: Culling is when you kill an unwanted baby (or adult). In this case, I am talking about culling when there is a baby who is so crippled it can't live a normal life. It is also called euthanizing. I would never kill a baby just because I didn't want it. And I don't want to kill any, but if they can't survive or be happy in life, then sometimes culling is the most humane solution.

 

[walkswithdog]

Mulia - it is, as being discussed in this topic, humanely killing a crippled hatchling who will not do well. It happens often enough that it is discussed here.

 

[Cetawin]

If you are going to cull a chick or new duckling...the easiest way is get a sharp pair of shears, a plastic bag and hold chick/duckling over the bag and remove the head with one quick cut. With chicks and ducklings, the bleeding and body movement stuff is not anything like an adult bird...there is little to none with young ones.

You can also use ether and put baby in a tupperware container with a rag soaked in ether and close the lid...baby will fall to sleep and pass in their sleep. There is normally not much struggling with that method.

 

[FenDruadin]

Thank you Cetawin. I might try the ether. I thought a physical method would be easiest, but I'm so scared I'll mess it up and not finish the job quickly. Ducklings have pretty sturdy little necks ... wouldn't you have to have some pretty hefty shears?

Ugh. I hope I don't have to do this for Chance. It makes me sick even thinking about it. But I can, and I will, if I have to.

 

[mulia24]

oh, i know now.


i'm going to give you an easy 10 seconds tips heather, very easy and quick.

just take 300 grams of Baking Powder that you use usually in cooking. then put it inside a bowl/plate. then you must have a cardboard box or whatever that can close completely (tupperware or else), just get the chicken and get him inside then pour water (sometimes people like using vinegar) into plate that filled with baking powder, the chicken will die caused by CO2 produced when mixing water with baking powder. he just die painless(completely no pain) die. that's i have ever heard people said about it, and you can find also some way in (if i'm not wrong) raising baby section or managing your flock.

that's all i know. you can use it even with adult chicken, just increase amount of baking powder and water. the tighter the container to keep the chicken the soon he will end his life painless at all die.


edit: here we are, the best culling method.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14845&p=1


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=147192

 

[thecochincoop]

I had a couple with a deformed leg and used ether to put them to sleep and then the scissors to cut off the head. It hurts me to do it

but they go to sleep first with the ether and then a quick snip over the garbage bag.

 

[mulia24]

simply use this way as told by cwc362 :


full credit cwc362

Had to cull one of my my two week old chicks. I got it from the feed store and it was about two weeks. It went down on its legs for some reason and the joints were looking terrible. Even though it was still active and eating and drinking- Didn't want it to suffer having to flop around the rest of its life. Leg joints were already swelling and getting raw from crawling around. I grew up in the country and could have broken its neck or cut its head off , but my mother and my kids just couldn't deal with that- So what I did was modify a method I saw somebody else post on here. I put it in an ice cream bucket and put a margarine dish in beside it. I poured some baking soda in the margarine cup and then then poured about half a cup of white vinegar in also. I immediately closed the lid when it started bubbling. It only took a minute and he was gone. Now I know the little thing won't suffer any more. I read that this anethitizes them first and then they stopped breathing. This worked very well and seemed to be the most humane and less messy method . Just thought I would share that with you guys in case you have a sick chick. I just couldn't stand the thought of him going through life hopping around in the dirt and mud and being miserable.



aw, sorry heather i think i've hijacking your thread.

sorry.