How do you cull unwanted chicks ?

[Nichole77]

I'm sorry I don't understand. I get putting them down for medical reasons. I don't get putting them down because you have too many roosters. Why not raise them until they are big enough to eat?

 

[rooster-red]

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Or simply give them away?

 

[KKluckers]

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that is so funny. My husband say the same thing to people about me. lol

 

[SimplcitiyAltered]

There will be times when culling is in the best interest of the chick i have had to this with baby chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. Somtimes it is best to wait take for instant my goose Mongo he was born blind other then that he gets along perfectly fine also have a cornish cross who had splay leg after isolating her from the others in a hospital pen and cutting down on her feed she made a full recovery now 18 weeks later she is doing wonderful and is running yes a cronishX running around with the rest of my chickens. When it comes to ones that I know will not be able to make it no matter what I find it the easiest to break thier necks if done properly they go real fast. You should never make one suffer if you get too many roos rehome them I am sure there are plenty of people on this board who would scoop them up. Or place an add somewhere. If the chick is healthy it is your responsiblilty to find a decent home for them if they are unwanted.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

SimplcitiyAltered - a very kind and compassionate response to a difficult question.

Thank goodness i live within 5 minutes of three different vets who can take care of my chicks when they need urgent care. i honestly do not know if i could take a life. i hope i never have to. But i surely respect those who can step up when it's necessary.

 

[king2]

I could never do it either. We had problems hatching chicks last spring we lost about three, but they were clearly suffering so my dad had to cull. My mom and I couldn't do it. Thank the Lord for my patient dad, even though he thinks my mom and I are crazy for having so many chickens

 

[KingsCalls]

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[gritsar]

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Wow Silkie! What a great response! Very well put. I know culling is going to be a fact of life for me if I want to raise chickens; something I'll have to get used to. Luckily for me, the SO has no problem with it, having grown up around the commercial chicken houses.

 

[aran]

thank god i have not had to cull a bird in terms of killing one but I have culled in terms of thinning the flock by selling or giving birds away. In fact I envisage doing it again in the spring to make room for new breeds. I would like to think that unless we are planning on eating the birds that we are all here capable of either a very quick axe blow or ether as a means to end a birds suffering.

 

[Kimblee]

I have a big popcorn tin (like the christmas ones?) and I support ether/cloroform culling.

(We have a good deal of both.... BBQs and a very odd aunt who works for a medical supply co.)