Today is a sad day. I have a flock of four beautiful birds, and when I went out to them today, I noticed that two of them have "bubble eye". This is the third time in three months. I've treated the flock with antibiotics twice before with success, but whatever respiratory illness they have just keeps coming back. I've made the tough decision that I will have to cull the entire flock. This is a decision that I hoped never to face, but now that I've decided, I'd like some suggestions for the most humane way of accomplishing the unpleasant task.
I am so sorry for your losses Hopefully this experience will not turn you from poultry. Whenever I needed to cull a bird, I found that the quickest and easiest way for both myself and the bird was just a quick chop with an axe. You can drive two nails into a wood block about an inch apart. Put the birds neck between the nails and pull it back so that the head stops at the nails, and the neck is stretched out over the wood. This minimized any chance that you might miss, wounding the bird without killing it. I don't know how experienced you are with chicken death, but be prepared for some flapping. This doesn't mean she is suffering. It is the neurological reactions. Your birds won't feel a thing. Again I am so sorry for your loss.
Around here, we use the broomstick method. Place the handle of a broom under the pads of your feet, standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, tuck the chicken's head under the broom and while holding the feet firmly, quickly stand up. Its very quick and generally, very clean.
