Had to cull a chick and feel awful

[Graidyn]

Last night we had to cull one of our 8 bantams. I'm pretty sure it was a hen. We've had issues with her excessively preening from the beginning. Then a couple of weeks ago she started ripping feathers out of the others and eating them. We separated her for a few days, upped her protein, gave her lots of toys. Put her back in (all of them with higher protein and more toys, etc.) and the next day bald spots and bloody spots on other chicks. Lots of squawking and agitation in the broder. She even ripped feathers out of the one I'm pretty sure is the dominant cockerel's face. Removed her again. She had no interest in food, mealworms, nothing. Seemed very depressed. Gave her a buddy (the other of her breed she hadn't picked on much at all) and within 10 minutes she was ripping feathers out of her. Okay, no more buddy. That night and all day yesterday she wouldn't touch ANY kind of her food or mealworms or scrambled eggs. Nothing at all. Would turn her head away. And then she started pulling her own feathers and eating them instead!
We couldn't get her to stop. She had bald bloody spots from her ripping her own feathers out and eating them.

We decided to cull because I think there was something really wrong with her. Did we do something wrong? The 7 remaining bantams seem happy and healthy. There have been some pecking order disputes, but no angry squawking every 5 minutes from being attacked for feathers and they all seem quite happy. No one else acts like her. Did I miss something? She just seemed to be ..... suffering somehow?

 

[azygous]

You did as a responsible and caring chicken keeper should. It isn't easy to have to make the decision you did. It took courage.

Whether you breed chickens for good qualities or whether you keep chickens for only meat and eggs, or even as pets, you wouldn't be doing what is best for your flock by keeping such a disruptive individual. I had to make such a decision a year ago with some new chicks, and I know how hard it is. Mine was an eight-week old cockerel that was thrashing the pullets.

I've had feather pickers. Most are dealt with by giving them pinless peepers to wear that slow their actions, but some have brains so miss-wired that they are compulsive feather-shaving machines in spite of wearing the peepers. I had one of these incorrigibles, and I had fallen in love with her before I came to the realization what a bad chicken she really was. So I lived with her extensive problem for years since it's almost impossible to cull a chicken you've become so attached to.

You did the right thing for your flock and the right thing for yourself. You'll come to be comfortable with your decision and know you saved yourself a mountain of grief by taking this action when you did.

 

[aart]

We decided to cull because I think there was something really wrong with her. Did we do something wrong?

Sounds like you made a very tough, but good, call.
Kudos the peace that will now reign should help ease the pain.

 

[sniper338]

Sometimes you gotta kill em. No big deal. Gotta think as a big picture.

 

[CrzyChickyLad4]

Sounds like you did the right thing.

I have no experience with this but this post reminded me of something I saw at our feed store the other day. Maybe try this if it happens again
/ https://www.amazon.com/Rooster-Booster-Pick-More-4-Ounce/dp/B00E9RKPD2

 

[Graidyn]

You did as a responsible and caring chicken keeper should. It isn't easy to have to make the decision you did. It took courage.

Whether you breed chickens for good qualities or whether you keep chickens for only meat and eggs, or even as pets, you wouldn't be doing what is best for your flock by keeping such a disruptive individual. I had to make such a decision a year ago with some new chicks, and I know how hard it is. Mine was an eight-week old cockerel that was thrashing the pullets.

I've had feather pickers. Most are dealt with by giving them pinless peepers to wear that slow their actions, but some have brains so miss-wired that they are compulsive feather-shaving machines in spite of wearing the peepers. I had one of these incorrigibles, and I had fallen in love with her before I came to the realization what a bad chicken she really was. So I lived with her extensive problem for years since it's almost impossible to cull a chicken you've become so attached to.

You did the right thing for your flock and the right thing for yourself. You'll come to be comfortable with your decision and know you saved yourself a mountain of grief by taking this action when you did.

Thank you very much. It does make me feel better to hear that. I truly do feel that I made the right call, but just wonder if I could have done something earlier and changed the behavior. Something that I didn't do, or that I missed. I did consider pinless peepers, but considering she was willing to basically starve herself if she couldn't get feathers to eat I ruled that a non starter.

Sounds like you made a very tough, but good, call.
Kudos the peace that will now reign should help ease the pain.

Thank you. There are some pecking order disputes on and off, but no feather eating and it is so much more peaceful! I just wish I could tell for sure who are cockerels a d who are hens!

Sometimes you gotta kill em. No big deal. Gotta think as a big picture.

I agree. And big picture was my focus. I come from farming lines and I'm sure my granddaddy is shaking his head in heaven that I even thought about it long enough to make this post. I know some will have to be culled like she was, I just don't want it to be because of something I missed.

Sounds like you did the right thing.

I have no experience with this but this post reminded me of something I saw at our feed store the other day. Maybe try this if it happens again
/ https://www.amazon.com/Rooster-Booster-Pick-More-4-Ounce/dp/B00E9RKPD2

Thank you. I did consider this as well, but I would have had to coat the entire flock. She wasn't picking at bloody spots (which my understanding is what this is for), she was just ripping out and eating all of their feathers. If there wasn't a feather there she wasn't interested.

 

[aart]

Some birds are just psycho...probably neurological issue.
You did the right thing.