How to humanly euthanize baby chicks (Almost one month).

[SilkiesForEver]

Hi,
I have five chicks that (99% positive) have Infectious Coryza. They are going down hill, and I heard that if they survived they would become carriers for life. I just can't risk that in my flock. I need an effective way to euthanize them. Please don't suggest using an ax, shotgun, bucket of water, exhaust fluid, or dislocation. Sorry, I'm a little squeamish.

Jenae

 

[AmyTx101]

take them all to the vet to have them euthanized.. they may give discount for more than one.. thats my opinion.. im not squeamish im in love with my birds and that would devastate me..

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I've called all the vets in my area. Including the ones who only do cats and dogs, and they said they charge $51.00 for five baby chicks. Way to much money.

 

[TNBowen]

get someone else to do it? my friend who also has chickens, had one that went lame and had some issues, he couldn't do it either so asked me to, but I never did it since they kept saying "maybe it will be ok" it eventually died a couple weeks later anyways =( I was just going to shoot it since I don't think I could ever do the axe thing either, but as far as baby chicks go I wouldn't know what to do.

 

[Sphynxcrazy]

since there your babies and you don't want to euthanize them yourself, why not have someone else do it?? The most humane way, and cheap is a single bullet, they don't even feel. Maybe you could find someone to do that?

 

[Southern Oregonihens]

Do you have any friends who are homebrewers or welders? Get the smallest bucket they will all fit in, and drill two holes in the top. Attach a tank of CO2 or Argon to one of the holes, using the regulator to dial the pressure down to about 25 psi. Put your chicks in the bucket, and put on the lid. Say your last wishes to the little ones. Turn on the gas, allowing the air to escape from the second hole until the bucket has purged. Time will vary depending on the size of your bucket and your regulator pressure. Cover the second hole. Wait. They should fall unconscious and then suffocate gently.
Youtube chicken gas chamber, though, from your description, you may not find their humor to your liking.

 

[Roxannemc]

Ive done this to mice caught in a trap but not dead..put them in a coffee can with lid on until they run out of air. Not super fast I guess but painless .I dont know but i assume as oxegen drops you get out of breath and sleepy
Also thought o turning on the carIn a garage and leave the chicken in a box in the closed garage but may asphexiate youself turning the car off and gas is high.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I have heard of people gassing birds in a rubbermaid or like container using dry ice. I believe the idea is that you create a CO2 filled space and the birds will pass out and asphyxiate. I have NOT tried this myself so I am not recommending it as I do not want to recommend something that I have not tried. But it is something you could read about it and see if it is right for you or not if you are running out of options.

I do know that you need to be very careful and do a lot of research if you are going to consider this because you can make an explosion if you mess with gases incorrectly. I am also not sure how humane or not humane it is.

I'm sorry you are going through this. The first bird I euthanized I held her crying in the backyard for over an hour because I worked up the nerve to break her neck.

 

[madamwlf]

I had my husband make me a gas chamber when we raised mice for our snakes. He used a CO2 tank from his paint ball gun and made a sealable chamber from a plastic container. Worked the way I needed it to.

 

[Backyard Hencam]

Quote: Please, please, do not do this!!! It is very dangerous!

I wish I had known how hard it is to get rid of unwanted chickens. I think you are going to have to "buck up" and do the task in whatever way is the least distasteful to you. Be aware, that whatever you do you will feel bad. Just know it is a part of working with animals. Good luck.