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

[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

 

[Sequel]

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

I know it's terrible especially at night!

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[optio100]

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.

 

[Fishkeeper]

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?

 

[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.

 

[cottontail farm]

So sorry about your chick. Having to put down a baby bird is the worst.
Over the years I've butchered many quail and had to put down a few chicks of different types.
Scissors. Just use Scissors, like kitchen shears, and cut the head off. It is instant and you can't screw it up. It takes no more force then cutting a flower stem and is over instantly. I can't imagine a more humane method.

 

[Fishkeeper]

No, OP stated that in the future they'll be prepared to suffocate an animal. That's not humane, any more than it would be to seal the chick in a plastic bag. Suffocation is even LESS recommended for newborn things than for adults.

 

[BantyChooks]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...re-culling-the-injured-and-sick-babies.72140/
Sorry for your loss. For the future—here is an article on using ether. It does not suffocate like CO2 does, and it is extremely quick. When I did it, the chick stopped peeping in about ten or fifteen seconds.

I don't recommend cervical dislocation for chicks, unless there's some other way I don't know about that works better. I've tried it on already dead chicks and their skulls shattered.

I bury dead birds somewhere in the woods, or, in winter, I leave them on top of the snow for some critter to scavenge. I've put them in the regular garbage before too.