How to cull

[wbruder17]

Depending on the age of the chick(en)....and if you don't want any blood, which I certainly did NOT....a quick snap of the neck is very easy, painless and quick. My DH had to do the deed for me with a very sick chickie, and he said it was suprisingly easy, tho very unpleasant.

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

This is probably one of the quickest ways: pull the chicks head up and pull the body down.
Personally here is what i do: i feed him some type of medicine that makes you sleepy like benadrly. then when they fall asleep i try to discard them as fast as i can. (sometimes if you give them too much they will pass peacefully in there sleep cause there heart will stop thats what i do most of the time but adda a teaspoon of watter to every 2 tablespoons of benadryl)

 

[The Chicken People]

For chicks you can put them in an airtight container with a cup of baking soda inside of it and pour vinegar into the baking soda and shut the lid! It will die fast!

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
Well, that's probably not how ANY backyard chickeneers dispatch their chicks. But it'll be the top method of culling because that's how the commercial hatcheries dispose of their day-old roos that nobody wants. I've seen video footage of it and it's pretty horrible. Poor little guys. All that struggle to hatch and then less than a day later and BAM you're getting mashed up for pet food.

For culling birds I think it's important to do the best thing for the bird, not just what makes you feel least bad. I've never had to dispatch a chick but if I did, I'd go for the sharp scissors. It's swift and very definitive. For culling adult birds I use the same method. After dark when they're calm and dozy I just pick them off the roost and whack their heads off with an axe. I honestly think that is kindest for the bird. Instant severing of the spinal cord means that even in the final second when the bird is still conscious, it won't be feeling pain in its body.

 

[cubalaya]

culling is an important part of breeding chickens. if you cant cull then dont breed.

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
Not entirely correct. Some people keep their 'culls' but just don't breed from them. Some people find them good homes in pet flocks where they know they won't be bred from. Some people grow them then eat them. Having a strict breeding programe doesn't necessarily mean you're going to have to dispatch loads of chicks...

 

[cubalaya]

thats not what i said. culling could be eating your un needed. culling could be selling your un needed. obviously we are talking baby chicks that have something wrong with them. if that is the case then yes, cull them humanely

 

[HenoftheWoods]

Quote:
I did the same when we had fancy rats and they got old and in pain. It does work well and seems very humane. They just seemed to go to sleep and was very non-tramatic.