How to know when it’s time to euthanize and how to do it?

[chickenpal147]

I have this chick that I’ve been having to force feed and give it water from a eye dropper for the last 24 hours, the chick is willing to drink it’s just not able to do it on its own. When I say force feed I mean it won’t eat on it’s own and I’m having to open it’s beak and put food in and make it swallow. She also spends most of her time sleeping.

I think it’s important to note that she is part of a batch of shipped chicks. I ordered 15 ( the hatchery also sent me a free surprise chick) chicks from a hatchery to replace my chickens that got taken out by a predator. They were only in the mail for around 24 hours ( shipped Monday night received on Wednesday) but when I picked them up from the post office 7 of them were gone including the free surprise chick. The other 8 were doing fantastic until Thursday night when one wasn’t doing as good as the others.

The thing is the little girl isn’t getting worse but she isn’t getting better. How do I know when it’s time to stop trying? And when it’s time how do I go about doing it in the fastest most humane way?

 

[CutieBabyChicks]

I have this chick that I’ve been having to force feed and give it water from a eye dropper for the last 24 hours, the chick is willing to drink it’s just not able to do it on its own. When I say force feed I mean it won’t eat on it’s own and I’m having to open it’s beak and put food in and make it swallow. She also spends most of her time sleeping.

I think it’s important to note that she is part of a batch of shipped chicks. I ordered 15 ( the hatchery also sent me a free surprise chick) chicks from a hatchery to replace my chickens that got taken out by a predator. They were only in the mail for around 24 hours ( shipped Monday night received on Wednesday) but when I picked them up from the post office 7 of them were gone including the free surprise chick. The other 8 were doing fantastic until Thursday night when one wasn’t doing as good as the others.

The thing is the little girl isn’t getting worse but she isn’t getting better. How do I know when it’s time to stop trying? And when it’s time how do I go about doing it in the fastest most humane way?

So I actually kinda just went through the same thing - I ordered some chicks, they came Wednesday. Three Silkies, a Polish, and an Easter Egger. One of the Silkies from the start wasn't doing too great...huddling by herself, getting picked at by the others. She also had pasty butt. Weirdly, the two other Silkies and the EE were just MEAN towards her. She just kept deteriorating, even though we did everything we could, like sugar water, feeding her boiled egg, separating her. For the last 24 hours before her death, we could kinda see it coming. We kept her with us for that period... Personally, I never stopped trying. I even let her sleep on me for basically the whole last day of her life. Besides, what else am I going to do? Just let her die with the mean chicks, who would keep pecking her to death? Leave her to die in a box alone? She was always actually calmer when she was with me anyway. I would feel terrible even if death was inevitable, but I wasn't with her... We chose to care for these chicks, so we have a responsibility towards them... About the euthanization, this might help: https://the-chicken-chick.com/how-to-humanely-euthanize-chicken-by-dr/
As he says, the desicioin is up to YOU, based on your values, ethics, etc. Not gonna tell you what to do here, that is your choice.

My chick sounds like your chick, but she also looked basically dead. I also fed her water, and she just gulped it down, but I had to force food into her... How does she look?

PS. I wonder if there is something wrong about shipping chicks? All of my shipped chicks are either vicious, or super weak. But the two batches of chicks I bought from pet shops are all darlings, and they never had any problems... I think my chicks were in the mail for 24 hrs longer than usual, cause of delayed shipping. Maybe that have messed them up...

 

[chickenpal147]

Well that’s the strange part. When I take her out every hour or so to feed and water her she acts like a normal chicken minus the not eating part. But when I put her away after a few minutes she looks dead laying on her side with her legs straight out but she is still breathing. This is where I’m wondering if I should keep trying to get her to come back or if I need to end her short life, I don’t want to and have never had to myself. When I did have to put one of my chickens to sleep it was because she had a bad break and the vet and I decided it was what was best for my sweet girl precious who now has a permanent spot in our coop( had her cremated). I feel that if I knew this baby was hurting or suffering I would feel better putting her down knowing she is at peace not suffering or hurting anymore. But it’s hard to tell because of the way she is behaving if she is or not.

 

[CutieBabyChicks]

Well that’s the strange part. When I take her out every hour or so to feed and water her she acts like a normal chicken minus the not eating part. But when I put her away after a few minutes she looks dead laying on her side with her legs straight out but she is still breathing. This is where I’m wondering if I should keep trying to get her to come back or if I need to end her short life, I don’t want to and have never had to myself. When I did have to put one of my chickens to sleep it was because she had a bad break and the vet and I decided it was what was best for my sweet girl precious who now has a permanent spot in our coop( had her cremated). I feel that if I knew this baby was hurting or suffering I would feel better putting her down knowing she is at peace not suffering or hurting anymore. But it’s hard to tell because of the way she is behaving if she is or not.

Sadly, I think that she isn't doing very well - she sounds like our now-deceased chick. HOWEVER, I wouldn;t want to be too hasty...she still has a chance. Does she look like a skeleton? Close to the end, our Silkie's head lost its feathers, and she grew pale. Is that how she looks? Are her eyes open? If so, maybe give her some more time.

 

[chickenpal147]

Sadly, I think that she isn't doing very well - she sounds like our now-deceased chick. HOWEVER, I wouldn;t want to be too hasty...she still has a chance. Does she look like a skeleton? Close to the end, our Silkie's head lost its feathers, and she grew pale. Is that how she looks? Are her eyes open? If so, maybe give her some more time.

She’s asleep for the most part, when I’m giving her food and water she is awake but keeps her eyes closed. Her siblings are also significantly bigger than she is. She still has all her feathers and fluff.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have this chick that I’ve been having to force feed and give it water from a eye dropper for the last 24 hours, the chick is willing to drink it’s just not able to do it on its own.
The thing is the little girl isn’t getting worse but she isn’t getting better. How do I know when it’s time to stop trying? And when it’s time how do I go about doing it in the fastest most humane way?

Well that’s the strange part. When I take her out every hour or so to feed and water her she acts like a normal chicken minus the not eating part. But when I put her away after a few minutes she looks dead laying on her side with her legs straight out

She’s asleep for the most part, when I’m giving her food and water she is awake but keeps her eyes closed. Her siblings are also significantly bigger than she is. She still has all her feathers and fluff.

I'm sorry about your chick

Do you have photos of her or a video of how she act?
Have you tried giving some poultry vitamins like Poultry Nutri-Drench twice a day?
Sadly, sometimes chicks fail to thrive and they aren't strong enough to make it.

Only you can determine when it's time to put her out of her misery. You are there seeing first hand what's going on. Since culling has crossed your mind and you are asking about it too, it may be time, but again, that decision is up to you. Personally, once I start questioning if a chick needs to be put out of it's misery, then I know deep down it probably does, but my heart hurts for it.

It can be hard to put a little one down. I use a similar method as described in this article below. I think the article is well done. For chicks 3 weeks and under, personally I think this is the quickest and most humane method. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-for-squeamish-people-slightly-graphic.74734/

 

[chickenpal147]

Sadly my little chick crossed the rainbow bridge for chickens sometime when I was at work. At least she is not ill anymore and is able to run around with the rest of her siblings that passed while in the mail.

 

[CutieBabyChicks]

Sadly my little chick crossed the rainbow bridge for chickens sometime when I was at work. At least she is not ill anymore and is able to run around with the rest of her siblings that passed while in the mail.

I'm so sorry! She sounded just like my Silkie chick - same behavior and everything. At least she is happier now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sadly my little chick crossed the rainbow bridge for chickens sometime when I was at work. At least she is not ill anymore and is able to run around with the rest of her siblings that passed while in the mail.

Sorry to hear that.

 

[orloffer]

Sorry your chick didn't make it--but you did what you could for it. Best of luck with your other chicks!