Need to put down a chick?

[Eddyhamilton]

Hello, today I dropped a board by accident on the ground, and one of my chicks was under it. she was struck on her back and immediately started writhing on the ground. I determined she had broken her neck. I have done my research, and I found the stats to be one in ten living for 6 months and one in 200 living a full life. Knowing this I decided she must be put down. I have never done this before and I chickened out. i placed her it the smallest container i could fine with 2 paper towels, spray them with ether starter fluid, and closed the top. I was scared that she would suffer long, but before I even could turn around and runs out of the room, she quit struggling and closed her eyes for the last time..

Someday, I will need to butcher chickens for food. I am not sure I will be able to do it. but I know this. She struggled from fear of confinement for only 2 seconds. She died quickly and painlessly.


for anyone who would ever need to do this, first, be ABSOLUTELY SURE that it is ENGINE STARTER FLUID, and contains ether.
also, I don't really recommend this method for larger chickens, as the container would be larger.
and lastly, MORE IS BETTER !! it is better you use more than necessary then you use too little and let your little fuzzball suffer!!!

I am not yet man enough to do the job with a knife or axe, but hopefully if there is ever a need, I will be able to.
please, if you have a severely wounded chick, don't fret and make your self sick trying to decide to chop or snap (this is what I did)

You can not eat chickens killed this way but I did not plan to. it is more expensive than chopping, but I had Can of Starter on hand and didn't need much to soak the towels.



I hope this helps someone. I need to go bury a chicken now.

 

[Nutcase]

Thankyou for the post, and sorry about your loss sometimes accidents happen

 

[A Chicken Owner]

Even if I had a chick/hen who had a terminal illness and was in a lot of pain, I just can't cull them. I had one sick leghorn hen 14 months old (to this day I still don't know what she had). I nursed her hand fed her, gave her water through a syringe and I gave her some infant multivitamin. She got really bad then I bought the multivitamin and she started to improve. She got to a point where she started eating and drinking herself (if I left food next to her as she couldn't walk). She didn't die from her mystery illness. This is what devastated me she ended up dying because she chocked on a grain when she was eating. As I only have a small backyard flock, if a hen were to get sick, I would nurse it.

 

[Eddyhamilton]

To the post above: It was not the first chicken with terminal illness I have had. I belive in giving them a chance. But her head was snapped backwards, this was not just an illness she may have recovered from. It was my fault she was in pain, and I. Know she was in pain, because every few minutes she would flop and flap, I found it my duty to help it go peacefully. Perhaps you don't understand. Her neck was broken. Most of the time, the chicken would have died on the spot. She did not, and it would have been downright cruel to make her keep hurting. I love all my birds, and most of the time, I would not have done what I did. But it was my fault and there was no hope for her. I do not regret it and she is buried in a spot of honor in our little cemetary. She was embalmed in the ether and buried on a coffin( a rare honor!).

 

[A Chicken Owner]

I'm not critizing you or saying you shouldn't have put the chick down. I understand in your circumstances you had put the chick down. I am referring to a hen that has an illness.

 

[A Chicken Owner]

And also referring to the poll about a sick chicken not a wounded one.

 

[Eddyhamilton]

I know and understand..... half of me was unsure if what I did was right and trying to justify it and the other half is still mad at myself for dropping the board. So that cane out on my response.. sorry if I offended anyone

 

[Sandstorm495]

No problem, i'm sure others would do the same to stop their chickens suffering. Sorry for your loss.

 

[A Chicken Owner]

You did the right thing and didn't offend me. The only thing I don't like about online communication is sometimes people might misunderstand what people are trying to say. If we were talking person to person, you would understand that I'm not critizing you or anything like that. Pretend I'm saying this in a normal, calm voice

 

[A Chicken Owner]

Sorry for your loss (I apologize, I should have said this before anything else) and good luck with the rest of your chicks.