Killing chicks that are hurt

[Newfarmer36]

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.


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.


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.

Thank you! Hopefully I'll never have to do any of this. But if the time comes, I want to be able to do it right.

 

[Pater est Pullis]

What about Ether?

 

[Mimi13]

There are still chances of splay leg, or other complications. I just haven't had as much experience with that happening when hatching under a broody. Watching them hatch... I have been known to sit up all night watching chicks hatch, cheering them on. I do not, however, assist. I have tried and ended up killing the chick anyway. I'd rather let Nature take its course. I feel if a chick isn't strong enough to hatch, there is the chance it will be weak and not thrive later on in life. That's my approach to having a strong, healthy flock.

Hallelujah for Mother Nature AND for someone else who believes in letting her take her course. That is purely and simply the way things should be. Unfortunately not everything is meant to live. Sad, but true! I think most people who grow up on a farm feels this same way...Mother Nature’s way.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Drowning is inhumane for any animal (since I see people suggesting drowning rats all the time), it's only "easier" for the person doing it because they don't have to cut anything or shoot anything, but it's a prolonged way to die, up to several minutes versus seconds if you simply cut its head off.

 

[oregonkat]

Not quick enough or humane enough in my opinion.

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


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.

I agree and I dont think you need a scientific basis to validate your point. Nature wins over artificial methods most of the time and rightly so. We are all (all living things) here because nature allows it. Weakness in any creature is not encouraged in nature. Now, all that being said, I have 34 eggs in my artificial incubator right now and I am positive that a: not all will hatch b: not all that begin development will make it to full development. c: some will not develop at all. Nature will be at work here, and my incubator will do its best to convince her to allow hopefully most of them to survive, be successfully hatched and grow into some amazing chickens. If unhealthy, unhappy and weak chicks are presented to me, they will be dispatched back to nature in the most humane and quick way I believe my method to be. I spend my days in awe of this extraordinary process and my admiration, trust, respect and great love for mother nature is unshakeable.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

As much as I'd want to do the right thing by putting a chicken out of its misery, I could never bring myself to do actually do it. I'd have to take it to the vet to be euthanased. I admire other people's bravery though

 

[lazy gardener]

If one hatches chicks either by incubator or broody, the first and most important part of good animal husbandry is providing excellent nutrition for the breeders. Then selection of the BEST eggs. Then good storage of those eggs.

If incubating, the next step is knowing how to incubate. I can't tell you how many threads are started by folks who have no idea how to correctly manage an incubator. IMO, there really is no excuse for this, b/c there are excellent instructions in the learning center. Yes, things happen. Power goes out, incubators get unplugged, there may be a temp spike. But, no one should be putting eggs into an incubator unless they have calibrated equipment, know what temp they should be incubating at, and can maintain that temp for 3 - 4 days with good consistency.

Good nutrition of breeders, and good incubator management will go far to see to it that there are not deformed chicks. But, sometimes, a chick does have issues. In that case, culling it is much more humane than letting it linger and slowly die. Good flock husbandry involves removing the animals which will not serve to make the flock stronger over time.

IMO, the most humane method of culling a chick is decapitation with a sharp pair of garden clippers. I have a paper lunch bag handy. Wrap the chick in a paper towel, so that the chick is completely covered except for the back of the neck where you place the clippers. One quick snip, drop chick into paper bag, then you can bury bag and all in the garden. The paper towel and lunch bag help avoid the "squeamish" "I don't want to see this." issue. I think CO is too slow.

 

[aart]

For euthanasia:
I use sharp bypass garden pruners on tiny chicks.
Cervical Dislocation using broomstick on older birds.

 

[BantyChooks]

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

It depends on concentrations. Below 30% is what is used for controlled atmosphere stunning, which is indeed humane IMO. Higher does indeed cause distress.

Good topic. I have only had to cull a chick once. I used ether; the chick stopped peeping in seconds after I closed the lid of the box and there was no movement, it just fell over. Poor thing had prolapsed intestines that I couldn't fix. In the future I might decapitate... but I sure would love it if I never had to do it again. I feel really bad about euthanizing the young ones.

 

[aart]

I feel really bad about euthanizing the young ones.

It is hard....but better than watching them struggle for days before making the call.
BTDT, I act more quickly now.