Most humane way to cull

Gabby, that's news to me, I've always heard cervical dislocation promoted as the most humane method, that it caused instant death, recommended by veteranarians & other animal handlers. I use a different method when butchering meat birds, but have always broken the necks of ones I had to cull for other reasons. It just seemed too sad & messy to chop dear old feathered friends, and besides, I have a hard time severing the heads with one neat blow of an axe.

And Beth, I know what you're talking about, I do any culling of my flock by myself. I spend the bird's last moments holding her gently and talking to her nicely, and take her to a pleasant place in the butterfly garden for her last look at life. The only help I ask for from husband or sons is to dig a deep hole under the drip line of a favorite bush or tree. Then my feathered friend can, in a way, continue to live by helping the plant to grow.
 
Quote:
Yeah, i'm with sunnysideup. I've read a LOT of information - and specifically about culling birds, and the three minutes thing isn't right. And i'm not an RN or anything else, but i performed the cervical dislocation on my bird and she was definitely dead.
I don't have the source right now, but it's my understanding that gas chamber and cervical dislocation are the only recommended methods by whatever association veterinarians belong to that do studies on that kind of thing.
smile.png
i know .... that sounded very professional. i'm just saying, i think you need to check your sources because your information doesn't add up.

oh, and to dshappychicks,
i'm sorry your thread is turning out probably a little different than you meant it to. sadly, threads with this particular title almost always heat up a bit on this site. everybody here cares about their birds and have very personal experiences and feelings that tend to get us riled up.
i hope you do whatever you think is right and don't worry about the rest of us arguing about statistics and whatnot.
smile.png

hopefully we'll all try to be more sensitive.
hugs.gif
 
Cervical dislocation of the neck "without sedation" is NOT an approved and humane method of euthanasia for chickens..........
See this link.......... http://research.uiowa.edu/animal/?get=euthanasia#Farm%20Animals

I
stand by my statements.........I have treated way too many 'humans' with broken necks and fractured cervical spines..........
They need someone to breathe for them 'immediately' after their broken neck/fx. spine occurs......or they will sufficate.
They will spend the remainder of their lives with a tracheostomy and a ventilator, as they cannot breathe........period.
Sorry, this is medical fact.
Oh and 'Punkinpeep'.....you may have 'thought' your cervically dislocated chicken was dead...........but they are actually paralyzed, and
cannot move.

If the chicken is anesthasized FIRST, it 'is' an approved and humane method, as the chickens does not "sense" not being able
to control the movement of its diaphragm, as they are rendered unconscious.........
Not trying to be confrontational............but these are the facts.
 
Last edited:
Ya dont just tap the neck gently outta place, ya about pull its head off. If its still alive after ya break its neck then ya didnt do it right, you do that really hard and quick. I think humans and our bodie's are a little differant than a chicken's, huh? Stop tryin to make everything sound human. For example: Not to long ago I had a severely broke leg, and I healed up fine. Now if it woulda been a horse on the other hand, it woulda had to have been shot, no questions asked. What works and dont work for a human is differant than in animals, period.
 
Oh please, I am NOT trying to "make everything human".
And just because 'you' think "humans and our 'bodie's' are a little different than a chicken's, huh"?.........biological facts
are NOT species specific. It is actually what occurs, physically, that I am talking about!
The question was about the HUMANE-EST way to cull a chicken.
And I am stating medical facts..........and I'm sorry if you don't like them.
In my experience, big, strong "Ugly Cowboys" are often way too cavalier about the suffering of other beings.......
like it doesn't matter.......................

Believe it or not, whether it is a chicken, or a chimpanzee, or a mouse, or some beef cattle.............it 'is' a
sentient being! It can and does know fear and pain. It actually 'can' suffer, believe it or not!!
The question is NOT whether one would put a horse down when it breaks it's leg (vs a human)......but it would be put
down because it is the most HUMANE thing to do for the animal. They cannot rest on the sofa, or walk with crutches!
They will get pneumonia from being in a sling, and founder in the hooves they 'can' put weight on.

And no, I am not an animal rights nut..............just someone who cares about animal WELFARE.
And I believe, unlike too many people, that for any animal, if we have control over what happens to them, they deserve a respectful death.
 
Last edited:
Quote:
Gabby,

I read the article you referred to - at least the part that applies to us, and i would like to point out that these are federal guidelines for research animals. If an investigator reports that a research animal was euthanized by cervical dislocation without being put to sleep, they have to tell why. If the researcher shows that his or her experiment would be compromised if the animal were unconscious or by the chemical that would make the animal unconscious, then cervical dislocation is allowed on a conscious animal - even in a research lab.

In the backyard farm, conditions and availability of chemicals are much different.

I would also like to refer you to the American Veterinary Medical Association's Guidelines on Euthanasia, which does hold up Cervical Dislocation as an acceptable means of euthanasia for poultry. It also mentions that research has shown that there "may be electrical activity" present in the brain for as long as 13 seconds when cervical dislocation is performed.
www.avma.org/resources/euthanasia.pdf

Everyone here is looking out for the best outcome possible in these tough situations. Please, let's not attack each other. We all come from different backgrounds. And this is a place for us to support each other.
 
I have had a cross beak 2 month old that I've needed to cull but just wanted to "wait and see". It seemed to be getting worse so..... I handed it to my DH today and made him do it, away from me.
hide.gif
 
Punkinpeep' replied..........Please, let's not attack each other. We all come from different backgrounds.

Again, I am not attacking anyone.
I have 'seen' with my own eyes what physically and biologically happens when a neck is broken or dislocated.

I do tend to 'disagree' when anyone says I am anthropomorphic towards animals.
And have a right to debate 'facts' and 'alleged facts' when my knowledge is questioned, or my sensitivity
toward animal welfare is mocked...................

The original post was asking for the most humane way to cull..............
I gave my educated opinion, with utmost concern for the apparently much-cared-for roo's welfare.
If my posts encouraged anyone else to rethink their beliefs on 'the most humane way', then I am happy.

I have found that too many people in this world 'believe' what they 'think' is true.......

Then we can all agree to disagree...........

My last post on this subject.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom