Euthanasia- which is the nicest way to put a chicken down?

[scotratrescue]

Is this really what the modern world advises, when a chicken gets sick chop its head off?

I did join this forum to ask about legislation regarding this practice, im in the uk.

Our cottage neighbours townies moving in from liverpool council estate to keeping chickens of which they will not fork out money for a vet despite being a vet being available.

This guy has lived on a council estate, his chicken developed scaly leg, it became infected and the wound was putrid, an easy disease to treat with ivermectin, and keeping the wound clean wouldnt you agree?

Anyway rather than taking the poor chook to the vet after it suffering for a fortnight, he decided to take an axe to its head to save the vet bill.

I think this practice is barbaric and any animal mammal or bird that has rewarded you with their timidity trust and of course eggs every day deserves a wee bitmore respect and caring than taking an axe to its head.

I dont believe this guy couldve possibly done the job right first off, as one hes never had a chicken, two he didnt have anythign in which to secure the bird so it wouldnt move, surely a chicken wouldnt just sit there waiting for an axe to chop its head off.

if anyone can justify this as being the way forward for chicken keepers, then i really would like to know.

Without a veterinary prognosis how on earth can you decide if the bird you are about to chop its head of really has reached the end of its life?
is it selfishly motivated, no eggs, head for the chop, illness, how are we to know when an illness is termiinal and the bird is suffering and whether we cant treat it?

i wold like to hear from others, cos i personally wish to know the mentality i am up against with my new neighbours.

if hes capable of this kindof brutality what elseis he capable of?

many thanks in advance for any replies

donna
scotrat animal rescue

 

[DuckLady]

Let's get back on topic folks. The question was what was the best way to put a chicken down, not a judgement for doing so.
We have to decide what is right for our own situation and how to go about it. We do not judge.

Thanks.

 

[Saltiena]

Quote:
me neither

Is this really what the modern world advises, when a chicken gets sick chop its head off?

I did join this forum to ask about legislation regarding this practice, im in the uk.

Our cottage neighbours townies moving in from liverpool council estate to keeping chickens of which they will not fork out money for a vet despite being a vet being available.

This guy has lived on a council estate, his chicken developed scaly leg, it became infected and the wound was putrid, an easy disease to treat with ivermectin, and keeping the wound clean wouldnt you agree?

Anyway rather than taking the poor chook to the vet after it suffering for a fortnight, he decided to take an axe to its head to save the vet bill.

I think this practice is barbaric and any animal mammal or bird that has rewarded you with their timidity trust and of course eggs every day deserves a wee bitmore respect and caring than taking an axe to its head.

I dont believe this guy couldve possibly done the job right first off, as one hes never had a chicken, two he didnt have anythign in which to secure the bird so it wouldnt move, surely a chicken wouldnt just sit there waiting for an axe to chop its head off.

if anyone can justify this as being the way forward for chicken keepers, then i really would like to know.

Without a veterinary prognosis how on earth can you decide if the bird you are about to chop its head of really has reached the end of its life?
is it selfishly motivated, no eggs, head for the chop, illness, how are we to know when an illness is termiinal and the bird is suffering and whether we cant treat it?

i wold like to hear from others, cos i personally wish to know the mentality i am up against with my new neighbours.

if hes capable of this kindof brutality what elseis he capable of?

many thanks in advance for any replies

donna
scotrat animal rescue

i completly and fully agree with this statment--i can tell EXACTLY what you mean.i feel that this practice is cruel and unneccassary​

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

I agree that they topic here was how to put a chicken down once you have determined that it's necessary. We are here for education, had a person asked how to treat scaly leg mites and the resulting infection he would have been given treatment options (personally I prefer Tea Tree Oil ointment used topically over ivermetin) not advice on how to euthanise.

The decision to euthanise is always a diffcult one for which I never try and second guess the person. If they don't know the treatment options for an illness and can't get the information then it is most humane to not allow the critter to suffer. The reason we are here is to provide all the information we can so that treatment is an option. Hopefully with that in mind you can help spread the word that we are here with information if someone needs it.

 

[eggchel]

The need to cull birds, whether to improve stock, protect the flock from illness, prepare birds for the freezer or table, eliminate a vicious or a nonproductive bird, or put an end to the suffering of a sick or injured bird, is a fact of life for those who raise poultry.

A sick bird threatens the health and lives of all other poultry, not just ours, but our neighbors, as well. Vets are expensive and it just isnt feasible, economical or practical, to spend hundreds of dollars to take each sick chicken to the Vet, especially if the end result is the same.

Treat them if you can, or cull them as humanely as possible. If they are not a threat to the health of the rest of the flock, you can make them as comfortable as possible and let nature take its course.

Below are some of the more common methods of dispatching a chicken:

>>Quickly snap the neck or pull on the head to separate the spinal column at the base of the skull.

>>Hold the chicken by its legs with the head hanging down until it relaxes. Then, gently lay the head and shoulders on a chopping block and quickly chop off the head.

>>Place the chicken in a killing cone and grasp the head firmly with one hand and use a sharp knife to sever the throat.

>>For those dealing with pets, or who are unable to "do the deed", you can put the chicken "to sleep" by putting a rag doused with starter fluid (ether) and the chicken into a bucket or similar container with a tight fitting lid for a 10 minutes. Dont breathe the fumes.

Nobody likes to do it.
chel

 

[bantymum]

Thanks Eggchel,
That is what I needed to know, with the starter fluid,
is that called Aerostart?? or what name is it.
The lady I got goldilocks from said a box with a tube into a car exhaust was also gentle.

 

[eggchel]

Bantymum, The only brand name that I know of is Prestone. I dont know of any names in the Australian market. Ask for auto starting fluid at a car parts store. Remember to avoid breathing the fumes.

chel

 

[ella]

Yes, Ether aka engine starting fluid was used as anesthesia for sugury before other options became avaliable. I'd say that qualifies as gentle.

 

[nightshade]

The only way I found I can do it is a 22. in the head. It is quick and they seem to not know it is even happening. I just can't seem to cut the head off something I have raised. Even if it is sick

 

[LouManChu]

A sad day comes when you have to do the things that become nessessary.
after reading this thread i seen a few things people didn't talk about.
weve had chickens all our life, and done everything you would have had to do concerning poultry, one day my mom called saying there bringing 25 Roo's from the egg farm they worked at to get a lot of water boiling, they got home and my dad rung the chickens neck and my mom chopped them off, witch ever way they did it the head looked asleep but the body jumped all over the place even looked like it was walking or running around with blood shooting everywhere, so if you chop the head or ring it make shure you secure the body and have a place to put it soon as it chopped for all the blood because the heads dead dont mean the bodys ready to give up,
second, make shure you do it clean and strait the first time, I remember a story in the late 80's of a man chopping a chickens head of and missed some of the head and when the chicken hit the ground to flop and bleed it didn't, it got up and started walking around and peking the ground with most of its head missing, the guy felt sorry for it and kept it and fed it with a straw.
third,
one guy raised a chicken and fattened it up and tied its feet together upside down on the clothes line so it would bleed out when he cut its head off, before he knew it the cops were at his front door arresting him for cruity to animals, he showed them the chicken cooking in the pot, but it didn't matter he had to pay a $1000.00 fine and 30 days in jail.
so I guess, do what you got to do behind closed doors.
I had to put down one of my 10 week old Buff Orf 3 days ago, I was sitting in the backyard watching the babys do there thing and I always got chicks sitting on me or around me and didn't pay attention to much to the buff sitting between my feet till a hour went by and she didnt want to leave so I picked her up and looked her over and she had ripped the whole side of her food sack open and food and water was leaking out and the wound was bad so I held her thinking what would be the best thing to do while she was snuggling in my hand then I felt her artery in her neck then just press ther and she went to sleep right away and just held it till she was gone.
I think it was painless she didnt feel nothing when she passed out, but i know she was herting when she just wanted my comferting.
I still dont know what would cut the food sack open can they eat to much and it rip open??
or she must of snagged it on something.
still theres no easy way to do it but make shure you protect yourself when you do it, either from prying eyes, messy other ways
seeya think I'll cry now...................