Not to be insensitive; when babies have to be culled.

[BarnGoddess01]

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A chick suffereing through starvation and its hatchmates pecking it to death...

Yes, that for me is unacceptable. Like sitting back and watching bullying to the extreme. Thus, I act. As hard as it is. Doing anything else is irresponsible.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
A chick suffereing through starvation and its hatchmates pecking it to death...

Yes, that for me is unacceptable. Like sitting back and watching bullying to the extreme. Thus, I act. As hard as it is. Doing anything else is irresponsible.

If you think of culling as doing a good thing, it makes it easier too.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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Yes, that for me is unacceptable. Like sitting back and watching bullying to the extreme. Thus, I act. As hard as it is. Doing anything else is irresponsible.

If you think of culling as doing a good thing, it makes it easier too.

I am one of those nutty folks that LOVES all her birds. As much as I know they are chickens - they are my babies. I find it REALLY hard to cull any of them. They are all so wanted. But I am also realistic and practical. I will not stand by and watch a creature suffer when I have the power to intervene and end that suffering. I always think of that line from Avatar when I'm doing the deed - "I see you". It gives me some comfort that their lives did not go unnoticed.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
If you think of culling as doing a good thing, it makes it easier too.

I am one of those nutty folks that LOVES all her birds. As much as I know they are chickens - they are my babies. I find it REALLY hard to cull any of them. They are all so wanted. But I am also realistic and practical. I will not stand by and watch a creature suffer when I have the power to intervene and end that suffering. I always think of that line from Avatar when I'm doing the deed - "I see you". It gives me some comfort that their lives did not go unnoticed.

I am the same way

 

[mama24]

I may be a nutty hippie playing back to nature, but when I had a chick hatch last week with a deformed skull, cross beak, and only one eye, which was sideways on its head, I cut off its head with my sharpest knife. Quickest way I have found. It was the 3rd chick I've had to cull in the last couple years since I got chickens. They are not children that I can take to doctors and therapists to help them overcome any problems they are born with. They are chickens. And I got my chickens for food. I would rather cull it that watch it get picked on during its likely to be short life. Even if there was a vet locally who would put them down, which I couldn't tell you if there is or isn't, I would never pay that kind of money to euthanize a bird I can replace for a few bucks. I don't think I could do the freezer thing. It doesn't sound very humane to me, but I am a mammal, not a bird. I'd have to talk to someone who knows more about bird biology before I could make judgment. But I know cutting of the head with a sharp knife is quick and relatively painless, so I'll stick with that.

 

[zzGypsy]

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not so nutty I think...
well, <chemist> so maybe you are,

but on on account of your approach to chickens...

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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Very well put! Would a vet do it more humanely? I don't think so. So why even consider spending/wasting the money? I can assure you, I won't be doing the freezer method again.

The knife is FAR more humane - at any age.

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
If you think of culling as doing a good thing, it makes it easier too.

I am one of those nutty folks that LOVES all her birds. As much as I know they are chickens - they are my babies. I find it REALLY hard to cull any of them. They are all so wanted. But I am also realistic and practical. I will not stand by and watch a creature suffer when I have the power to intervene and end that suffering. I always think of that line from Avatar when I'm doing the deed - "I see you". It gives me some comfort that their lives did not go unnoticed.

I'm not one to get a crush on my birds, and I don't have kids for a reason (2 or 4 legged, with or without wings). but I can totally respect those who do LOVE their birds and see them as their babies, provided they love with compassion. in that compassion is the ability to intervene and end suffering. I've seen plenty of folks who have the "love" without the compassion. to love something so much that you will let it suffer because you cannot bear the feeling of losing it, or of mercifully ending it's pain, is not love. it sacrifices the other for the self. and that's selfishness.

one of the behaviors of real love, I think, is the willingness to bear pain so another does not have to. love with compassion like you're talking about... THAT I get. even if animals I love aren't ever going to be my babies.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
I am one of those nutty folks that LOVES all her birds. As much as I know they are chickens - they are my babies. I find it REALLY hard to cull any of them. They are all so wanted. But I am also realistic and practical. I will not stand by and watch a creature suffer when I have the power to intervene and end that suffering. I always think of that line from Avatar when I'm doing the deed - "I see you". It gives me some comfort that their lives did not go unnoticed.

I'm not one to get a crush on my birds, and I don't have kids for a reason (2 or 4 legged, with or without wings). but I can totally respect those who do LOVE their birds and see them as their babies, provided they love with compassion. in that compassion is the ability to intervene and end suffering. I've seen plenty of folks who have the "love" without the compassion. to love something so much that you will let it suffer because you cannot bear the feeling of losing it, or of mercifully ending it's pain, is not love. it sacrifices the other for the self. and that's selfishness.

one of the behaviors of real love, I think, is the willingness to bear pain so another does not have to. love with compassion like you're talking about... THAT I get. even if animals I love aren't ever going to be my babies.

Quite absurd, really; eyes stinging and literally blinded by tears as I end their suffering. My neighbours (REAL farmers) think I'm nuts and just shake their heads!

But I'm getting better!!!!!