Just culled a day old chick

[ChickieBooBoo]

He was my only Jap bantam chick, the other never hatched. I never had chick starter so I was feeding them hardboiled eggs and the others seemed to like it. Except for this one little guy, he was very active after hatched and then went downhill from there. I came home from school today and he was pretty bad, lying by himself in the corner, wasnt moving very much, eyes closed... I went to the feed store and when I got back he was even worse, I tried force feeding him a bit but his head started twisting back at odd angles and stuff. He wouldnt eat anything, and he only drank a tiny bit. I doubted he would have lasted until morning so I grabbed some tree-branch cutters and put the poor guy out of his misery. It was over quick and he went painlessly.


R.I.P- Japanese chickie

 

[HorizonSon]

Poor guy. It happens. I am glad the suffering came to an end quick... One of my chicks in an order of 25 didn't make it more than a few hours after receiving. I removed him as soon as I noticed; as to avoid bad habits forming from the other chicks eating chicks...

May better fortune fine you in your future hatching endeavours.

 

[debilorrah]

I applaude you for being able to do that. You are a better person than I.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
I had a chick with splayed legs earlier on this spring and didnt make it. He suffered from starvation for a few days before finally dieing, I felt worse for letting that happen then for doing this.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

Quote:
I had a chick with splayed legs earlier on this spring and didnt make it. He suffered from starvation for a few days before finally dieing, I felt worse for letting that happen then for doing this.

I am sorry for your loss...and the only jap bantam to hatch too.

I am with Debi, you are a good, brave person to be able to be so merciful. I don't think I would have the will power to do it, thus is why I have my wonderful neighbor

(my hubby is a softy too)

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I now have some good news now to go along with the bad! After putting all the birds to bed I went to go turn off and clean the incubator because I thought the hatching was done. I walked into the dads office and heard some peeping and I thought "What the heck??" So I ran over and sure enough there was a little chick running around! He is 4 days late and absoulutly HUGE, his legs are soo thick! I put him on the palm of my hand and he pretty much covers my entire hand! He can hardy stand up at all because he is just so heavy! I stuck him in with the other chicks and he is bigger then the chicks who hatched 3 days ago!

 

[wilkey44]

instead of feeding boiled egg you can feed a yellow corn meal (enriched) for the first 3 days I feed all my new chick it and they do great then I mix a medicated feed and corn meal

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
I didnt have any corn meal, I didnt have anything except layer ration and whole grains.

 

[wilkey44]

I dont know if your layer ration is in pellet or crumble but you could have smashed up to ration into small bits and it would have been just fine

I have "dispatched" chicks a few times myself and its not easy and it never gets easy

 

[eenie114]

That's so sad.
But good for you for doing the right thing, even though it hurt. I'm sure the little guy is looking down from the coop in the sky and thanking you.