How to cull a chick?

[txchickie]

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Ooohh....we have some of those. They things that they use to crimp off "the cord" when castrating horses. Masculators or something? Ew....maybe it's not those.

 

[MrsWright]

OMG....that was a horrifying bunch of posts....my heart just sank.
I don't think I could ever do that. I used to work at a pet store when I was younger. Alot of the employees would have to kill the sick animals, by either a rubber mallot, hitting them on something hard or snapping their neck.
I preferred the freezer. Put them in a bag and into the freezer. The sick animals were cold for a bit and then they would just go to sleep. Of course they were pretty sick at that point and didn't really move around to much when I did it. I even do that to the mice I find around the house if we catch them.

 

[silkiechicken]

Freezing an animal is cruel, especially if it is a warm blooded one. They don't just fall asleep in the freezer, their bodies slowly shut down and they die. Just because you can't see the death and it's in the freezer so painless for yourself, doesn't mean it was painless for them.

 

[DulcyDoll]

Freezing is a horrible way to die. It is drawn out and the animal feels every minute of it.
I would rather chop a head off and be done with it in seconds rather than knowing that he is freezing to death in my freezer

I have had to cull 2 6 month olds due to tendon problems, an old stump and a hatchet worked well for me, might need someone else to hold them in place.

I find these posts very helpful. Culling is a part of raising chickens, like it or not, it is something to be prepared for and these kinds of posts show what the more popular and proper ways of culling are, and how effective they are.

 

[Roosterboy]

Thanks all.
Now i am not worried about me killing chicks painfully if they get sick

 

[Sunny Side Up]

The freezer is what I've been advised to do, also by someone in the pet store trade, who said that's what they did with the finches & parakeets that were ill. Put them in a paper lunch bag & set in the freezer. They go to sleep & then die. I have done that with little chicks who were sick beyond hope, and seemed to be suffering. But I think if it was a chick with some awfully painful injury I'd give it a quicker end & give it a snip or chop through the neck.

You're right, this is a very sad subject to consider. But it's essential that we know how to care for the birds entrusted to us, and that includes knowing how to best put an end to their suffering when we must.

A friend of mine had a very sick hen and decided to put her out of her misery by setting her in the freezer overnight. The next morning they opened the freezer and the hen walked out, fully recovered! They changed her name to "Miracle" after that.

Have you heard the joke about the profane parrot? His owner had tried everything to get this parrot to stop saying bad words and finally, at his wit's end, decided to shut him in the freezer. The next day the parrot begged his owner to let him out and promised to never swear again. After his owner agreed, the parrot said "I know I've been a very bad bird with my profanity, but tell me, what in the world did that turkey in there ever do?"

 

[Roosterboy]

I don't know about chickens but i assume as with mammals all warm blooded animals that get hypothermia die because of the cells exploding when they freeze. This is incredibly painful even if done quickly. Think about how cold it is for you in winter? Imagine that times ten but naked and already in pain

 

[redhen]

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Now thats just cruel. Do people really kill chicks just because their color isn't perfect? Now I hate showing animals even more (its never made any sense to me).

I don't think I'd ever cull even if they are likely going to die. There;s still the chance they might make it.

Dill..you would or SHOULD if it was suffering!!..or you shouldnt own them..its cruel to let them suffer...i am a BIG animal lover, BUT,i know i could do it if i had to, becaus i care more about the animlas suffering than myself...its very selfish of people to let their animals suffer...when my RIR got stepped on..and i saw her flopping around on the ground in pain..i IMMEDIATLEY told my husband to go get the hatchet..and even though i am a whimp and it would have killed me after..i KNEW right then and there(when i saw her suffering), that i could and WOULD do it to end her pain..thankfully she passed before my hubby got back with the ax..(it was only a minute)..but, i would have done it in a heartbeat..for her..., Wendy

 

[DTchickens]

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Now thats just cruel. Do people really kill chicks just because their color isn't perfect? Now I hate showing animals even more (its never made any sense to me).

I don't think I'd ever cull even if they are likely going to die. There;s still the chance they might make it.

Dill..you would or SHOULD if it was suffering!!..or you shouldnt own them..its cruel to let them suffer...i am a BIG animal lover, BUT,i know i could do it if i had to, becaus i care more about the animlas suffering than myself...its very selfish of people to let their animals suffer...when my RIR got stepped on..and i saw her flopping around on the ground in pain..i IMMEDIATLEY told my husband to go get the hatchet..and even though i am a whimp and it would have killed me after..i KNEW right then and there(when i saw her suffering), that i could and WOULD do it to end her pain..thankfully she passed before my hubby got back with the ax..(it was only a minute)..but, i would have done it in a heartbeat..for her..., Wendy

been there. was chasing some biddies (Most people call them chicks), around in a pen about... 1-2 years ago during the summer (bout 95 degrees and high humidity), this one i cant catch... I went light headed and it was like everything just stopped... Went blank. i eventually come to ( i think only a few seconds later) and im standing on the roosters head, hes steady kicking and pulling and flapping etc, i immediately pick my foot up and grab him, look him over real good. (he seemed.. ok actually. just wouldn't hold his head up), i knew then he was dying. few more seconds. died right there in my hands

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I think putting anything in the freezer is horrible and I'm sorry - cowardly. I don't like to kill anything, but sometimes it has to be done. I want to KNOW it is out of its pain and misery, not just NOT SEE it.