Is this cruel?

[Nifty-Chicken]

I'll be honest, I can think of a few times / reasons why I'd want to have a chicken fall fast asleep.

So, lacy, you're saying it works with all breeds? What about dispositions? I've got a few hens that are... um... let's say less friendly. My question then is: How hard is it to take a chicken that is riled up and put it's head under it's wing?

 

[PurpleChicken]

Google "Hypnotize a chicken".

A few friends told me how to hypnotize my chickens. They said that they had
done it a ton of times and that it really worked. I didn't believe it but I tried
it anyways. It didn't work for me the first few times. They must have just
gotten me with a practicle joke and I was all ready to fall for it.

The next time I saw them I said "Good one, you got me". They both said
it was true and asked me how I tried to do it. They then corrected
me and I went on my way.

When I got home I Googled it and tried it again. After some practice and patience
it really did work and there was nothing cruel about it. All you do is hold a chicken
down on it's back and wave your hand (simplification).

So... Is that video cruel?? I don't think so. There is nothing that indicates fear
or discomfort in that bird. My opinion is there is some biological action, similiar
to hypnotizing, that is happening there. Chickens don't play dead unless they
are in shock and it takes a lot more than that to shock a chicken.

Good find

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

BTW, have you seen any of the magicians that seemingly pull a chicken or dove's head off? They simply take a fake head and tuck the real head under the wing. From what I've heard the tucking part is painless.

 

[Bubba]

The chicken looks EXACTLY like my McMurray CornishxRocks. From the face, comb, tail feathers everything. Just wondering why you want your chickens to sleep/passout?

Bubba

 

[Frozen Feathers]

I think it was scared too.

You could hear it clucking, so I don't think it was asleep, just frightened.
You can lay a chicken on it's back and have the same result. Also, if you hold them by their ankles so they are vertical, the will also relax and it's easy to treat them for bugs are whatever that way. Works with everyone and the fastest way to get through dusting without having to fight with a flighty bird. First grab them by their ankles then gently push their head down until they are completely vertical. They will stretch out their wings to their side, making it so easy to dust them or inspect injuries.

 

[jackiedon]

Please no flames

My dad and brother would buy tame quail to train their birddogs. They would do this to quail to for the training. I was younger and not really know what the purpose was but they would show me this procedure.

BTW, several of the quail would make their way back to the house by dusk.

Neither quail hunt anymore.

jackie

 

[homechick]

Interesting views! I remember as kids, one of our favorite pastime was to put the chickens under our shirts so they would sleep. We were strange kids. They would sleep! Sometimes when my chickens are upset and I need to hold them (get a sticker out of their foot, look for mites) I will cup my hand over their eyes..sometimes works.
Chickens are not the brightest.. so I wonder if they DO fall asleep like this!

 

[arwmommy]

My inital response is that the chicken was deprived of oxygen with the neck twisted so hard and pinned under the wing. The rocking also would have been a way to prolong the pinning of the head. Notice the bird did not "wake up" right away.

My 3 babies fell asleep in my arms today on the porch swing, with my arms around them and my 4 year old daughter singing made-up lullabys to them and stroking them. That is the best way to put a chicken to sleep.

 

[momoftwinsinwi]

My husband is a pheasant hunter and belongs to a hunt club. About once every other month, he has to "plant" the birds. They lease land from a local farmer, go the pheasant farm, purchase approximately 30 birds and take them to their hunting land. The "planter" has to "dizzy" the birds before "planting" them. Which in essence is say you have 20 acres, 30 birds, you drive around the hunting land and dizzy a bird (which is what the video was doing) and put the bird down, that bird will stay that way until something....wakes it, be it a hunter or a hunting dog. Otherwise, if they don't do this, they would have 30 birds up in the tree's...LOL

 

[birdnutz]

I used to do something a lot like that when I was a kid. Only I didn't swing them,I'd fold their head under and stroke them down the back. Also if you lay them on their stomach with feet streeched behind them,beak pointed to the front on the ground. Take your index finger,point to the ground right in front of their beak. Make a quick swiping motion straight out from their bill on the ground. It seems to hypnotize them. It doesn't seem to work on my serama bantams. But my Mom raised alot of RIR and leghorns. I don't think it's cruel,what would be is to simply leave them there unprotected.