How do you know when to cull...and

[they'reHISchickens]

I admit I asked my visiting son to take care of a youngun with a crossed beak. It was only a few weeks old, but as it was growing it was getting worse weekly. We free range, so feeding was always going to be a problem.
Son wasn't attached to it and removed it and quickly snapped its neck before I even realized it. I thanked him profusely. SO... it's easier if you don't have an attachment to it. Ask a friend
And yes, I'd do it for a friend. I think it would be easier if it wasn't my chicken. Go, do the deed, and leave.
And as for nature taking its course... when it's starting to suffer, it's only fair that you mercifully help it along. JMO

 

[Penturner]

Depends on why you are considering culling. if you mean having to put a chick out of it's misery there are several ways.

 

[SarahIrl]

I lost one to nature, I did a certain amount of extra for the chick, got it revived a small amount and thought well it will or won't survive, I'll know in the morning. It had died. Another I had to cull, and I broke it's neck. When it's gone, the eyes will close, it will stop breating, but it will keep jiggling around for about a minute. Very upsetting, very sad, but it's important to know that the chick is dead, and you don't keep pulling as it's unecessary and makes a mess. I culled one due to a leg problem, I was able to hobble one chick, but this one had lost temperature in it's foot it was so bad, and it was losing it's leg. Not a quality of life at all, even if it managed to eat and drink (and it was).

 

[A.T. Hagan]

It's a matter of what you are selecting for or whether you are selecting for anything at all.

Obviously any chick that seems to be in pain or is greatly deformed should be culled quickly. It's no kindness to prolong their suffering.

Minor deformations some folks seem game to try to keep them alive and are apparently willing to go to great lengths to do so. I'm more hard hearted than that in that I think we should be selectively breeding to improve what we've got.

After that it is entirely up to what you are trying to achieve. We have some folks who don't seem to care what they produce so long as the egg hatches. Other folks are more selective to a minor or major degree. This may mean growing out the culls to eat them or giving away or selling the unwanted birds or if you're quite certain at an early age they are not what you want then you can euthanize them.

Now as to how to carry out the actual act of killing the chick a butter tub with a bit of paper toweling in the bottom and a good squirt of engine starter fluid (mostly ether) before sealing on the lid will get the job done with a minimum of drama and trauma.

It's entirely up to you where you fall in this.

 

[NYRIR]

ok...thanks for all the input everyone...I guess you would know when to do it just by assessing it's overall health.I just wanted to be prepared before my eggs hatch...so thanks