Killing chicks that are hurt

[oregonkat]

My method for the small and un salvageable chick is to hold the chick in my left hand and rest its neck and head between my middle and forefinger of my left hand and to take my same fingers from my right hand around its head grip and pull quick. The neck is very, very delicate and easy to break . This is ALWAYS a distressing time for the chicken owner. I doubt anyone here would disagree.

 

[oregonkat]

Thank y'all for the responses. I've seen pics online of chicks with their neck twisted. Some that are limp and chirping like they're hurt. Under developed ones, tumors... I was wanting to ask. I think one of my hens may be going broody and I think it would be neat to watch them hatch but I'm very soft hearted and I don't know if I could handle a chick that's dying.

If you are going to hatch under a broody hen, you wont have to worry about an unhealthy chick, the mother hen will take care of it for you. Nature will have her way, the key at that point, will be for you not to interfere. That part might be tough also.

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't have any chicks yet. But I was curious to know how all of y'all humanely kill chicks that are sick or hurt when they hatch and its evident that they won't make it. I've seen several different ways.

Good for you for doing thorough research BEFORE you get the chickens! So much better than panicking when the time comes. At our place, they are decapitated. We believe it's the quickest, most humane method of euthanizing a chicken that needs to be put down.

DON'T DECAPITATE CHICKS TRY TO HELP THEM GET THROUGH IT FIRST!!!

Unfortunately, there are times when a chicken is so ill or injured, that it's not going to make it. The kindest thing to do is end its suffering. Sometimes a person has extra cockerels that they just can't keep. It's more responsible to put them down, if it's done humanely and quickly. That is a person's right to do so if needed. We all raise chickens differently, and if they're not being abused or allowed to needlessly suffer, it's none of anyone else's business how others manage their flocks.

I think the scissors sounds like the best method for young chicks. What about for older chicks, say two months old? Would the scissor method still work as well?

At two months and older, I think a hatchet and stump or cone and sharp knife would be a better option. Fortunately, my DH takes care of that for me. If I were to do it myself, I would use a cone and sharp knife. I'm just not comfortable (or coordinated) enough to want to try the hatchet and stump method. You could look for videos on the broomstick method, too. I have not tried that, and don't feel confident enough to want to. It's all personal preference. The main thing is to be as quick and humane about it as possible.

 

[happyhens1972]

I put my in an auction, for i.e. a chick with splayed leg. Never was able to fix one that had that, but others have had success. What about drowning them, or exhaust pipe fumes? Just guessing here, never tried either.

I would say both of those methods are inhumane. Drowning is definitely a stressful way to die and although it wouldn't take long, it would be long enough for the animal to be frightened and stressed. Same goes with exhaust fumes, due to their odour. I have tried CO2 which is, at least, odourless and much quicker acting, but exhaust fumes are very unpleasant to smell and taste and the levels of carbon monoxide are not sufficiently high, in my opinion, to do the job quick enough.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I don't have any chicks yet. But I was curious to know how all of y'all humanely kill chicks that are sick or hurt when they hatch and its evident that they won't make it. I've seen several different ways.

Hi.

Thank you for asking this VERY valid question.

I have been hatching and raising enough chicks that I can tell when one isn't going to make it far before they die. I do everything possible to ensure healthy chicks... including NOT assisting hatch, not breeding known deformities or close inbreeding, providing adequate nutrition. Once they hatch and get their land legs I supply poultry nutri drench in the water for the first quart (then plain water) and crushed crumbles sprinkled to peck at. I will give extra help with water and a direct vitamin drop to the beak of anyone who seem to be weaker then expected for a period of time. I will drop food bits to attract their pecking. I ALWAYS check for pasty butt first since that is deadly fast.

Birds either thrive or they fail. If I can tell one is going to fail... I won't let them slowly die from malnutrition, whatever their internal defect is! I breed for strength, vigor, health, and conformity. Survival of the fittest TO A DEGREE here. My husband told the ladies at work that I kill chicks and they are all appalled. Well I think I did the humane thing. If you have hatched chicks enough times... you know...

I recently had some splay leg chicks which I tried to correct. One was successful and even adopted to a broody hen! Others were not and I culled them. After that experience I will cull splay leg in the future right away.

Power failure gave me a hatch with a few bent toes. I didn't cull those as it was my first experience with ANY deformity. Also, killing chicks isn't an easy choice ever! In the end I will be eating the boys with bent toe and letting one girl go to a pet home.... THINK I will cull those in the future too.

Used a kitchen knife and a paper towel wrapped into a make shift cone, not preferred. Kitchen sheers work, though I have only tried from the front and find it best to stretch the neck a little with the scissors before slicing. Holding the bird in an upside down position removes ALL drama and fighting, completely calms them down... and you. Sometimes it tries to pinch the feathers instead of slicing clean off.. like when you got to much hair in the scissors. I think that's where the pulling it tighter helps.

For bigger chicks I had to cull for Marek's... I use a water bottle or 2 liter (cut into cones) depending on size of bird... screwed to the barn wall with a lined trash can underneath and the same knife I use to to cut jugular on other birds we process. We really hate processing... but proud to have done it... to know where our food comes from and the sacrifice that was made. We now pay someone else to process when possible. But we are especially thankful for the experience having done it so we now have the SKILL to help out a bird that really needs it.

I haven't read the post that came since I started typing yet, but I hope people can put controversy aside and realize that we all must do what think is best for our flocks, our goals, and ourselves.. and we are here to share our experiences not judge. I don't always like what I learn but it has been invaluable!

 

[oregonkat]

I saw where someone used baking soda and vinegar .

Please dont use this method. The gases given off by this reaction cause severe respiratory distress and whilst it does work, its not quick and painless.

 

[MartinsPoultry]

If we have a chick that is dieing, we euthanize it with a bullet to the brain. A small .22 long rifle I hold the chick as I escort it to the rest in piece spot with my fiance at my side we talk to it. Lay it down and my fiance puts the gun muzzle to the chicks head and gone instantly, absolutely no pain. We've done with when butchering as well

 

[birdofhermes]

Oh I see. Well, mine were not ill, they were roos and I could only keep one of four. If I have poorly chicks, I will do everything possible to save them and would only resort to this if all else had failed and I felt the chick was suffering unduly. I'm sure the OP would do the same and was just asking on a 'just in case' basis. Anyone who hatches chicks or keeps chickens, has to have a plan for unwanted cockerels or sick birds. Of course we try everything else first but sometimes there is a need to cull humanely and this is my preferred method for chicks of three weeks or less.

doesn't seem like there's a real humane way of treating these animals but i'm sure you do the best you can given the world you've found yourself in

 

[happyhens1972]

Please dont use this method. The gases given off by this reaction cause severe respiratory distress and whilst it does work, its not quick and painless.

When I said I used CO2, this is the method I referred to. In my case, there was no sign of distress at all, the chicks behaved normally, then within the count of three, dropped down into unconsciousness, then maybe another ten seconds before they stopped breathing. There was no flapping or cheeping or anything else I would associate with stress. I was perfectly OK with the method but decided that the scissors was quicker and removed any doubt at all xxx

 

[bobbi-j]

I put my in an auction, for i.e. a chick with splayed leg. Never was able to fix one that had that, but others have had success. What about drowning them, or exhaust pipe fumes? Just guessing here, never tried either.

Not quick enough or humane enough in my opinion.

doesn't seem like there's a real humane way of treating these animals but i'm sure you do the best you can given the world you've found yourself in

There's nothing inhumane about quickly euthanizing a bird that you can't keep.

Thank y'all for the responses. I've seen pics online of chicks with their neck twisted. Some that are limp and chirping like they're hurt. Under developed ones, tumors... I was wanting to ask. I think one of my hens may be going broody and I think it would be neat to watch them hatch but I'm very soft hearted and I don't know if I could handle a chick that's dying.

Usually you don't see the weak chicks with a broody hen. Either they just don't hatch, or sometimes they die right away. In my opinion, broody hatched chicks are healthier and more likely to thrive than artificially incubated chicks. I have no scientific basis for this, just my opinion.