Need advise

[Woobbie]

Hi All.
I have had chickens for about 4 years. Every year we hatch a few eggs to keep our flock revolving with new layers to replace those no longer laying. But I have always not been able to get rid of the Roos. I keep a few to stimulate egg production and for the ability to hatch new hens. This year I ended up with 10 Roos. I tried to find places and no one wanted them. So I had to donate them to my neighbor who breeds wolf dogs. We euthanized them first then the dogs had a good fresh raw dinner. It was hard having to do that to 10 of them. This year I decided I would euthanize the baby Roos right after hatching and use them to feed my ball python. Frozen Rats are so expensive, I figured I could freeze the chicks and be a self sustaining homestead. My question is what is the most humane way to kill a just hatched baby roo? And is my idea of using them for the snake make me a terrible person? I would rather do the deed when they are tiny instead of having to do what I did just a few months ago after not being able to place them. Any advise would be appreciated greatly.
Thank you,
Christine

 

[Mrs. K]

Circle of life... some people will object on here. I see your point, I have never done it, but I have heard that pruning shears are quick and and easy to manage.

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't know how to do the job appropriately, but there's nothing terrible about using the male chicks as feed for your pet.

It's no different really than me scooping a dozen dubias out of my sister's colony that I'm minding for her while she's in mid-move and tossing them to my hens.

Life feeds life.

 

[Woobbie]

Circle of life... some people will object on here. I see your point, I have never done it, but I have heard that pruning shears are quick and and easy to manage.

Yea, I was hoping for more of a non violent manner. Plus I’m not sure if the head needs to be intact for the snake. Lol. I have read about using either baking soda and vinegar or using dry ice. The CO2 is supposed to knock them out and then they die in their sleep. I think I may try that and see how it goes.

 

[Woobbie]

I don't know how to do the job appropriately, but there's nothing terrible about using the male chicks as feed for your pet.

It's no different really than me scooping a dozen dubias out of my sister's colony that I'm minding for her while she's in mid-move and tossing them to my hens.

Life feeds life.

Thank you. That’s kinda how I was feeling. Life sustains life. And by doing it much younger, it won’t be as emotional as I won’t be attached to them yet. It was horrible having to get rid of the 10 Roos I had raised for 6 months. Not doing that again.

 

[Brooks_]

It was horrible having to get rid of the 10 Roos I had raised for 6 months

I wish I had known how easy it is to get attached to the boys.

 

[BGcoop]

The baking soda and vinegar works. It only takes a few seconds, but the chick does gasp a little and that is hard to watch. Apparently if you slowly pipe the gas from the mixture into the container with the chick it works more like an anesthetic first and is even more humane- I’m just not sure on the logistics of making that type of set up(I have only culled this way once for severe spraddle leg that was not correcting with treatment).
I personally feel feeding them to your snake is a very good option as you plan to cull humanely and not just waste the life.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Haven't tried cervical dislocation on a chick, but that would keep the head intact and if you can do it right, it'd be over instantly, minus some flapping.

Otherwise yes cutting off the head is generally the quickest, easiest way to put down a chick.

 

[aart]

Yea, I was hoping for more of a non violent manner. Plus I’m not sure if the head needs to be intact for the snake. Lol. I have read about using either baking soda and vinegar or using dry ice. The CO2 is supposed to knock them out and then they die in their sleep. I think I may try that and see how it goes.

That's how I did it...when I had sexlinked chicks.
Needed way more BS and Vinegar that I thought, so be ready to add extra.

 

[BGcoop]

That's how I did it...when I had sexlinked chicks.
Needed way more BS and Vinegar that I thought, so be ready to add extra.

huh, I only needed a very little, but maybe it has to do with the size of the container, or the fact that I was culling an already imperfect bird.