I had to cull my baby chick. I am still shuddering.

[Carrie Lynn]

The whole point of using ether is that the chick becomes unconscious in a matter of seconds. Without consciouness it is not aware of what happens next. Yes, ether can be dangerous, that's why one uses it. It will not cause respiratory problems in a dead chicken. BTW, Co2 causes suffocation too. Also, many commonly used anesthetics can kill you if not used properly. Even then, individuals can have adverse, unexpected reactions and die. That's why I will not go under anesthesia unless my life is on the line.

Obviously you are very sensitive to this issue, as am I. I don't know if I could cull my own bird (not brave enough), I would hope to have it done by a vet should that ever be necessary. I understand that for some this is not an option. This topic caught my attention because I want to know how to do this if, for some reason I can't use the vet.

My brother is an anesthesiologist (misspelled, I'm sure), I am going to ask him his take on the topic. I'll share any info he can give us.

 

[jrobertson]

there is a reason people have been wringing chickens necks for centuries. it is the easiest and most importantly, the most humane way of culling chicks or grown fowl. i use the wringing method for grown birds but as far as chicks go, if i have to, bear in mind that i hate to just as much as everyone else. i grab them by their feet with one hand an strike their head against a hard stationary object, usually a piece of wood. it sounds grusome, i know, but i have done it this way for a long time and there is almost always no movement afterwards. as far as i'm concerned, it is the best way for the chick, as well as the easiest for me.

 

[Sumatra503]

Whether the chick loses conciousness or not the ether method is still cruel in my eyes. It is absolutely horrifying to think of, at least for me. Ether has been banned in some places as euthanasia for animals. There is simply no way to justify it in my eyes. I would preffer that my chicks die quickly and not be placed in a bucket with some ether and left to suffocate.. It is a terrible thought. It makes me shudder.

I understand fully that CO2 causes suffocation. I was just using it as an example. I would never use it.

Of course I am sensitive to this issue. Who wouldn't be. Anyone who cares about their animals at all is sensitive to this issue.

 

[Harlequin]

culling is a necessary evil i guess

you guys need to take the methodology of it to another thread though, this one was for some consolation after doing a heartbreaking act. i've only 'culled' one animal, a baby bunny that one of my cats half-killed. it was horrible especially because of the circumstances (not so much the same as a birth defect

)

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
Actually this thread IS about the methodology.

Quote:
And I told her MY way of putting down chicks that needed to be. Others have their own preferred methods.

There is NO method of killing a bird that cannot go wrong. Not one. Misapplied they can all go disastrously wrong. The same can be said for any form of anesthetic gas as well which is why anesthesiologists first have to complete medical school then years of residency afterwards. Chopping their heads off with an axe can go wrong as well. The one method I like the least is wringing their necks because I've seen it go wrong more than any other method. I've also seen little old grannies do it with seeming ease and finality. Every person has to find a method they are the most comfortable with then do not hesitate when the moment of truth arrives. If twere done then best done quickly. Don't agonize over it just get it done then be done with it.

As poultry owners, particularly those of us who hatch our own, we have a responsibility to our birds to care for them humanely and if and when the time comes to make an end to them then do it as quickly as possible. Find a method that works for you and don't agonize over it. If you just can't bring your self to do the job then perhaps gardening would be easier on your psyche.

 

[lightfoot]

A.T. Hagan :

Quote:
Actually this thread IS about the methodology.

Quote:
And I told her MY way of putting down chicks that needed to be. Others have their own preferred methods.

There is NO method of killing a bird that cannot go wrong. Not one. Misapplied they can all go disastrously wrong. The same can be said for any form of anesthetic gas as well which is why anesthesiologists first have to complete medical school then years of residency afterwards. Chopping their heads off with an axe can go wrong as well. The one method I like the least is wringing their necks because I've seen it go wrong more than any other method. I've also seen little old grannies do it with seeming ease and finality. Every person has to find a method they are the most comfortable with then do not hesitate when the moment of truth arrives. If twere done then best done quickly. Don't agonize over it just get it done then be done with it.

As poultry owners, particularly those of us who hatch our own, we have a responsibility to our birds to care for them humanely and if and when the time comes to make an end to them then do it as quickly as possible. Find a method that works for you and don't agonize over it. If you just can't bring your self to do the job then perhaps gardening would be easier on your psyche.

X2​

 

[bigshoes213]

I really appreciate everyone's responses. I am glad to know I am not alone. I was worried before I even got my first chickens about what i would do if i had to cull one of my birds.

I will be honest when i first realized i would have to put the baby chick down I thought about just putting her in a ziplock bag and letting her suffocate. I DID NOT DO THIS though. Yes it would of been easier on me to not have to actually do the dirty work but there was no way i could possibly just let her suffer more because of something i did to her. I also thought about taking a shovel and decapiating her but I couldnt fathom picking up both pieces in the end. So I just broke her neck. 5 seconds later she was not suffering anymore. I never thought in a million years that i could possibly kill an animal sick or not. As a matter of fact 2 weeks prior my cat got ran over out on the street and I came close to having an anxiety attack picking his body up (i didnt find him right away) and burying him. Actually i was crying so hard I had to get my brother in law to come over and bury him for me. The baby chick was not nearly so traumatic for me but IT is not anything i would want to have to repeat. I hate to see animals suffering. But this experience has made me realize that I am stronger than I thought and if push comes to shove I can do what is necessary even if i dont like it.

You would think supporting my husband through a double lung transplant that I would of realized this but no it took a sick baby chicken.

I have really enjoyed this forum (not always the gruesome details but the information and conversations with fellow chicken people) and I am glad i found it and decided to join instead of just being a lurker.

I also think everyone's situtation is different and what works for one individual may not work for the other but I really appreciate everyone's advice and information on how they would of handled the situation. Prior to my experience I did not have a clue how to handle it or what other options there were.

Christina

 

[dianaross77]

I agree that you did the right thing. I don't have any chickens yet but will be prepared for having to cull should the need arise. I used to have pet mice and 2 of them developed very large tumors. I took one to the vet to be euthanized and cried all the way home. They inject the solution into their hearts! I couldn't stay to watch. I still feel bad for her. When the second developed tumors, my husband helped me euthanize using co2. We did the baking soda and vinegar method. (dry ice and co2 canisters are other options) It was VERY humane. She got a little dizzy, laid down, and stopped breathing. People frequently die from too much co2 and carbon monoxide because it is painless. You lose consciousness and die. The suffocation is so slow, it doesn't cause a panic the way saran wrap over you face would. I disagree that starter fluid is inhumane. I think you should consider your comfort along with the comfort of the animal. I too, am sorry that you had that experience. It was very unselfish of you to end the poor bird's suffering.

 

[shuizar209]

Sorry.

 

[Twiztedrods]

Gassing? Drowning? ReallY?

I guess I am just a little freaked by this. I hunt and fish and have butchered many animals over my life and had to put a few down after wounding them but gassing or drowning never even entered my mind. I am for a quick painless kill by removing the head with a sharp knife. If I wring a birds neck I still remove the head with a quick jerk after a couple of twists. Yeah, there is a little blood, but like another poster said if that affects you on a personal level maybe gardening would be better for you.

I am not trying to down anyone for their killing techniques, I am just stating my prefered method which is quick and painless for the animal that I am dispatching. You can take this with a grain of salt though since I already have a killing cone setup for the chicks I am raising right now for when it is time to cull the flock when they are a couple months old. I am raising these birds as farm animals. Some will be used as work animals giving me eggs and a new flock, and the culls will be used for feeding my family.

If you are raising them as pets you will be much better off having someone else do the culling for you especially if you are sensitive to taking the life of an animal. Even though I am de-sensitized to the killing of animals I still could not euthanize one of my dogs. I have to have a vet do that for me because they are pets. A pet is a pet IMO whether it be a dog, cat, rabbit, chicken, gerbil, or whatever, killing a pet can be rather traumatic if you are attached as us humans easily become.

This post may seem rambling, but when I kill an animal either out of compassion or for sustinence I always think of how would I rather go. Being gassed or drowned are not even close to the top of my list of ways to die. Then again, I think of an old saying I was told many years ago....." When I die, I want to go like my Grandfather, peacefully in his sleep. Unlike the screaming passengers in his car....."

Sorry for your loss, but it is a part of raising animals, especially birds.