How to euthanize - have a newly-hatched Coturnix chick with problems

[optio100]

This is a difficult topic, but I never see people discuss it. My last hatched quail chick is twisted in a way that it's not going to get up and survive. What should I do with it? Of course it's already being picked on. How do you put it down? I don't want it to suffer needlessly.

I also would like to know what you all do with remains of deceased animals, and how you put them down, generally. I know it's awful, but I see people write about losses all the time, so there have to be methods? I'm trying to be adult about this, in a face your fears kind of way. Thanks.

 

[Fishkeeper]

If you feel confident doing it, just get a pair of strong, sharp scissors, hold the bird in one hand, and cut the head off right at the base of the skull. It's a lot simpler and harder to mess up than cervical dislocation.

For future hatches, if you want, you can try to get some pure ether. Put an animal in an airtight container with some ether on a rag, shut the container, and it'll fall asleep and not wake up. Then leave it in there for a few hours. Since it's an anesthetic instead of suffocation, it's humane.

For something that little, I'd bury it under a plant somewhere.

 

[optio100]

Lord, it's going to have to wait til morning. I can't do this in the middle of the night. Why does this stuff always happen at night? It's so much more upsetting at night.

I read in another thread that there's a lot of enjoyment from this, eventually, and I'm trying to picture it. So far, mostly stress, but I do tend to take things earnestly. I have to say, though, this is one of the best sites I've been on. People are so helpful. Aack

 

[micstrachan]

So sorry. Hugs. Get some rest. The joy will come. You could go pick up one of the sleeping babies for a quick cuddle and have some joy right now.

 

[BantyChooks]

sorry, 10 to 15 seconds is too long for any creature to suffer. why on earth would you inflict that? someone please explain to me how a person can justify doing that when other methods are instantanious?

Did you read the article? It's not suffering, it can still breathe, and the way I understand it there's not the same replacement of Oxygen that CO2 uses. Wish I could find that study again that I saw. Ether is an anesthetic and was used on people for quite a while. I'm not so sure that decapitation is instant either.

 

[micstrachan]

So sorry. I believe several people here do cervical dislocation (breaking neck.) In particular, the broomstick method. Maybe a pencil would work on such a small bird? There are videos on broomstick method on the forums. You basically pin the bird down with s broomstick across its neck and give the legs a firm, swift tug until you feel a pop. I think. @Wyorp Rock ?

 

[The Dapper Duck]

If you feel confident doing it, just get a pair of strong, sharp scissors, hold the bird in one hand, and cut the head off right at the base of the skull. It's a lot simpler and harder to mess up than cervical dislocation.

For future hatches, if you want, you can try to get some pure ether. Put an animal in an airtight container with some ether on a rag, shut the container, and it'll fall asleep and not wake up. Then leave it in there for a few hours. Since it's an anesthetic instead of suffocation, it's humane.

For something that little, I'd bury it under a plant somewhere.

There is actually peer reviewed literature steering away from asphyxiation in neonates. It takes a lot longer than in adult animals and should be avoided if possible. I would go with scissors.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This is a difficult topic, but I never see people discuss it. My last hatched quail chick is twisted in a way that it's not going to get up and survive. What should I do with it? Of course it's already being picked on. How do you put it down? I don't want it to suffer needlessly.

I also would like to know what you all do with remains of deceased animals, and how you put them down, generally. I know it's awful, but I see people write about losses all the time, so there have to be methods? I'm trying to be adult about this, in a face your fears kind of way. Thanks.

I'm so sorry to hear about your quail chick

I'm not trying to be blunt, for lack of better words, here goes - for chicks and juveniles I would chop the head off. It's quickest. For babies, I wrap them in a paper towel, using a large heavy razor sharp knife, I cut the head off. The towel pretty much holds all together. Something that small I have a little cardboard box ready and put the paper towel wrapped chick in the box and bury it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Lord, it's going to have to wait til morning. I can't do this in the middle of the night. Why does this stuff always happen at night? It's so much more upsetting at night.

I read in another thread that there's a lot of enjoyment from this, eventually, and I'm trying to picture it. So far, mostly stress, but I do tend to take things earnestly. I have to say, though, this is one of the best sites I've been on. People are so helpful. Aack

How are you this morning?
It can be upsetting, but you are taking responsibility and doing what needs to be done.
There is enjoyment in raising birds, but like with anything bad comes with the good unfortunately.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just a quick update because you all were so nice to help. It passed away this morning. There were 2 others in the incubator. One that hatched on it's own and the other one that I helped. BTW, the two that I helped were trying for so long, and I didn't take them out for fear of damaging them as people had mentioned. But one of them had it's eye open, looking at me from the partially broken shell. However, when I moved the other one into the brooder, I could see that it wasn't walking right, and it didn't fluff out like others. At first, I thought it had a slightly broken or misangled wing tip, and was wondering what it's quality life would be, when I saw that the feet and legs were misshapen-ed. At this point I knew it couldn't survive. It had such spirit, believe it or not, but it was very small and the other birds were pecking at it's toes. This won't be popular, but I chose to freeze it. In the future I will build one of those CO2 devices to be ready to handle these tiny animals. They are about 1/5 the size of the chicken chicks, and this was even tinier.

I had considered putting down older animals and newborn deaths. I guess I didn't think enough of things in between. Being on this forum shows a lot to try to prepare for. Thank you all again.

I'm sorry for your loss

Please, please do NOT freeze an animal to kill it! It is not a humane death, it is not a recommended method of death for vertebrates. It causes an animal severe distress before it dies. It is not a clean and merciful death.
CO2 is not recommended, either. As was stated above in the thread. Suffocation is not humane.

You either need to find a way to rapidly destroy the brain, to decapitate an animal, or to anesthetize it. With actual anesthetic. To do otherwise is cruel. The point of euthanization is to be merciful, and as such it should be as free of pain and fear as possible. Neither of the methods you're choosing are humane.

Why would you make a thread asking how to euthanize something, and then choose a method you know isn't humane? One that no one here even remotely recommended?

Quite harsh don't you think? How many chick(en)s and/or quail have you actually held in your hands and physically put down?
I understand that some methods seem more inhumane than others, but what's done is done. The OP has already stated that they will be prepared in the future to humanely cull their birds. Show a little compassion, putting a chick down is hard enough without someone ripping at you.