Deformed chicks I need to cull.

[Silkie Princess]

I could never

X2

 

[Poultrybonkers]

I could never

That doesnt work Ive hear someone that tried it

 

[Sara S]

That doesnt work Ive hear someone that tried it

Poor chickies

 

[Ashley & Donna Dame]

I copied the whole thing, I hope this isn’t plagarism
thanks @Redhead Rae
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*No chicks were harmed in the writing of this article*

Whether you hatch your own chicks, order them from a hatchery, or buy them from a feed store, sometimes, something just goes wrong.

The chick doesn't thrive and just goes slowly downhill despite efforts to help.
View attachment 2962241
An injury or genetic malformation compromises a chicks quality of life or mobility



Or the chick just gets sick.

No matter the cause, you decide you need to cull the chick to save it from suffering.

Most experts agree that cervical dislocation (when done effectively) is the best way to cull a chick. The question is how do people who are squeamish about the blood, or nervous about not being able to complete the task quickly and effectively do this. I've found a good way to do this that both helps with my squeamishness and contains the mess.

Your tools are a paper towel, a plastic sandwich bag and a heavy duty pair of kitchen sheers (scissors) or as you see in this picture a sharp pair pruning sheers. You don't want flimsy paper scissors, because the blades will bend and not do the job effectively.

For this article, I'll be using a stuffed Peep bunny as a stand in for a real chick

You take the chick (or Peep), and roll it up snugly in the paper towel, making sure you can feel where the chick's neck is through the paper towel. This calms the chick and makes the next part easier.

You place the chick/paper towel roll half in the sandwich baggy leaving the head and neck out.

Take the scissors and place them over the chick's neck, making sure of your positioning.
View attachment 2962242Take a few deep breaths to steady yourself and swiftly snip through the chicks neck and the paper towel. At this point, the chick's body will start quivering. This is completely normal. It is the nerves in the body going haywire when they are disconnected from the brain.

It will take a few seconds but you will start to see blood on the paper towel. This proves that the sheers did their work.

Once you see the blood, you can push the paper towel/chick all the way into the baggy and seal it to contain any mess. After the bleeding is done, you can throw it away as is, put the chick deep in a compost heap, or give the chick a burial.

NOTE: This method of culling chicks works best on chicks younger than 3 weeks. If the chicks are any older than that, it may be hard to get the scissors through the neck in one smooth motion, causing the chick unnecessary pain.

This is horrible. The sad thing is there was nothing wrong with those chicks. They could have even had a frizzle gene making their feathers curl out.
I could never do something like this to a chick.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

This is horrible. The sad thing is there was nothing wrong with those chicks. They could have even had a frizzle gene making their feathers curl out.
I could never do something like this to a chick.

Ive culled chicks but not because of feathers as most of the time the middle feathers just take longer to feather in

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

WAIT! There is nothing wrong with those chicks!! I had a chick EXACTLY like that, and after a couple weeks, her wings completely healed and she is a beautiful hen now. It could be that the feathers are just to heavy for the chick, and the muscles need a little time to adjust. Don’t worry, those chicks are gonna be just fine!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

WAIT! There is nothing wrong with those chicks!! I had a chick EXACTLY like that, and after a couple weeks, her wings completely healed and she is a beautiful hen now. It could be that the feathers are just to heavy for the chick, and the muscles need a little time to adjust. Don’t worry, those chicks are gonna be just fine!

Way too late. Post was made in January

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

Oh…I relized that this thread is old and the OP has already killed the chick. I wish that they would not have done that, as those chickens could have lived great lives. Sometime I wish life wasn’t taken so lightly, and OP would have given them a chance and tried to find them homes. But I understand. I hope OP has a good day, and their next hatch turns out better! My best wishes

 

[SummerTheAnimalGirl]

Way too late. Post was made in January

Yeah… Just relized that. Sorry…

 

[SmiYa0126]

WAIT! There is nothing wrong with those chicks!! I had a chick EXACTLY like that, and after a couple weeks, her wings completely healed and she is a beautiful hen now. It could be that the feathers are just to heavy for the chick, and the muscles need a little time to adjust. Don’t worry, those chicks are gonna be just fine!

X2 so heartbreaking that these littles didn't get a chance. I had chicks like that... They grew out of that awkward stage.