Had to Cull ~ Bum Leg on Newly Hatched Chick

[MoodyChicken]

You could have fixed it with splints. I've had worse and I've fixed em up good as new. But it does take a while to heal when they're badly deformed.

 

[gabrielle1976]

oh how could anyone do such a thing omg.
I take my animals to the vet if they need to be put down.
Im not trying to stir up trouble or be rude but it just seems horribly harsh to chop of somethings head.

 

[speckledhen]

It isn't harsh. It's very humane and they know nothing at all. Vets do not usually know anything about chickens and many cannot afford to take a day old chick to a vet. It's just a fact of life owning chickens, that you must have the ability to humanely euthanize a deformed or ill bird. Believe me, no one wants to do it, but it's just a fact of life.

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Believe me....I didn't want to do it! I always give them chances but this little one just couldn't get up, her face was planted on the tub floor & all she did was cry. She tried so hard to get up but couldn't.... I did splint her legs & have done it before with success, but she wasn't going to able to walk it was VERY obvious. Poor thing!

I couldn't do the scissor snipping, so I had the DH put her in some warm water & it took but a second for her to go peacefully. They say drowning is a peaceful way to die. She didn't even struggle & yes, I actually cried!

I feel horrible but it is what you have to deal with when you are raising chickens.

Speckled Hen is right, most vets do not know a thing about chickens.

 

[daisychick]

You did the best you could and that is a good thing. Sorry to hear that it did not work out.

 

[MoodyChicken]

Aw, poor baby. I know some can't be saved, I just wanted to let you know that there are options (in case you didn't). I had one chick last year hatch with deformed hips. It wasn't fixable and there was no possible way she could walk. I had to put her down.

Next time... hope there isn't... you can place them in the freezer. They just fall asleep and die, no fear.

 

[Fancie]

Quote:
freezer is not good! Your most likely killing them from suffacation rather than freezing. but either way... I wouldn't want to die that way! Granted it is the most hands off approach... But not humane. When I did taxidermy that was how I would kill the chicks I did at first. One time I opened the freezer the next morning to find chicks still alive. I never put a bird in the freezer again.

The quicker the death the better!

I started injected there brain with water using a syringe. They died right away. Sounds horrible, but I couldn't snip the head off, or drug them in any way or they would be unuseable to me and/or the raptor rehabilitators I gave them meat too.

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Well thanks for all the comments. I still feel bad but I know deep in my heart that I couldn't help her. I still think I like the drowning method.

 

[USMC_LB]

Quote:
I have to agree. Quicker is definately more humane. Humane has more to do with the swiftness of action than the actual action performed.

Snipping the chicks head off with shears SOUNDS awful but it IS quick and instant. No pain.

When I was a young teenager, I witnessed a litter of puppies slowly die
from some puppy disease that I dont remember the name of.

The pups had already been taken to see the vet by their owner but there wasnt much that could be done for the pups. I cant remember the name of the disease that had contracted but the pups couldnt keep anything down for long. I tried hand feeding some but anything we got down came back up quickly. The owner was in his twenties and was from the city.

They suffered for a few days and one by one they died. I remember an
old man that came by made the remark that the young man should have
put them out of their misery instead of letting them suffer for days. I also remember some others that were present being revolted by the old man's words.

After watching them cute pups suffer for days I knew in my heart the old man was right and was probably talking from life experience.

Sometimes doing the right thing is hard.


LB

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

^ That was probably parvo. I had a Cocker Spaniel puppy contract this. It did live for five years but, I kinda wish I had it put down because it always had a compromised immune system and stayed sickly.


Bummer to hear about the chick. I recently had to do this to one that was born with the leg joints turned completely inward like they formed wrong. I tap their head against a solid object. It is hard to do believe me.