NY chicken lover!!!!

[why do birds]

NICE TILLER! Nice job on the garden patch too!

 

[why do birds]

I also suspect I have an egg eater. I just separated out my blue opringtons, they are now under lights....still need to put the speckled sussexs and lavs in their own pens. We'll see what pens lay. I hoping to find out who my egg eater is, though it probably won't end well for her!

But I think I'm going to try golf balls this weekend.

marsala chicken?

 

[JLaw]

Well just had to put a chicken down. Had a bad prolapse vent and I think its the same one as before. This time I don't have room in house to fix it and it was real bad this time with poo/other excretments forming ice on rear. Only problem is I tried to take garden shears you know the like 12 inch long ones and use that but they wasn't sharp enough to do a clean cut. They broke neck and cut some but her neck was inbetween the blades but when I opened she did the headless dance. Just wish it was a cleaner cut. I need to set up a block and get a hatchet for winter time.

Really didn't want to put an egg layer down but didn't want to keep dealing with it and I didn't want to hatch out her off spring and pass this bad trait down. Have to say I'm getting better at this putting chickens down just need to have the correct tools. I think a shorter set of sheers would have worked better the kind made for cutting thicker branches not trimming the smaller ones.

 

[Overhill Flocks]

Well just had to put a chicken down. Had a bad prolapse vent and I think its the same one as before. This time I don't have room in house to fix it and it was real bad this time with poo/other excretments forming ice on rear. Only problem is I tried to take garden shears you know the like 12 inch long ones and use that but they wasn't sharp enough to do a clean cut. They broke neck and cut some but her neck was inbetween the blades but when I opened she did the headless dance. Just wish it was a cleaner cut. I need to set up a block and get a hatchet for winter time.

Really didn't want to put an egg layer down but didn't want to keep dealing with it and I didn't want to hatch out her off spring and pass this bad trait down. Have to say I'm getting better at this putting chickens down just need to have the correct tools. I think a shorter set of sheers would have worked better the kind made for cutting thicker branches not trimming the smaller ones.

Sorry JLaw -- never a pleasant task, no matter how well equipped.

 

[Metella]

Yes - so sorry...

I'm the same - I have some rooster that need culled - but I am waiting for a tree to be cut down so I can have a handy heighted stump ... I could be just putting it off.

Sad story - but thanks for sharing as I never thought of sharp branch shears for that - and that might work for me.

 

[Overhill Flocks]

Yes - so sorry...

I'm the same - I have some rooster that need culled - but I am waiting for a tree to be cut down so I can have a handy heighted stump ... I could be just putting it off.

Sad story - but thanks for sharing as I never thought of sharp branch shears for that - and that might work for me.

I work in veterinary medicine and while I am not sentimental about culling birds or the web of life, I am completely adamant about ending their lives in the most humane way possible. That said, I spent so much time mulling over which technique would be the most effective and least stressful for all parties involved that I realized I was absolutely just putting it off.

 

[JLaw]

Yes - so sorry...

I'm the same - I have some rooster that need culled - but I am waiting for a tree to be cut down so I can have a handy heighted stump ... I could be just putting it off.

Sad story - but thanks for sharing as I never thought of sharp branch shears for that - and that might work for me.

I thought of them because of what the amish use for turkeys. They was like 5ft long handles with a hole at other end with sheers in it or something. So one lady held wings back making neck extend other slipped it over head and then just squeezed handles and head rolled, fast and clean cut. I was tying to do the same but poorly equipped had wife hold wings so I didn't have to fight with hen.

 

[why do birds]

Well just had to put a chicken down. Had a bad prolapse vent and I think its the same one as before. This time I don't have room in house to fix it and it was real bad this time with poo/other excretments forming ice on rear. Only problem is I tried to take garden shears you know the like 12 inch long ones and use that but they wasn't sharp enough to do a clean cut. They broke neck and cut some but her neck was inbetween the blades but when I opened she did the headless dance. Just wish it was a cleaner cut. I need to set up a block and get a hatchet for winter time.

Really didn't want to put an egg layer down but didn't want to keep dealing with it and I didn't want to hatch out her off spring and pass this bad trait down. Have to say I'm getting better at this putting chickens down just need to have the correct tools. I think a shorter set of sheers would have worked better the kind made for cutting thicker branches not trimming the smaller ones.

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your egg laying bird! Is it possible to knock out the bird first, maybe with a mallet? I never thought about this part of the whole chicken raising thing. Just figured they'd die out naturally. Miltex makes some really nice scissors. During the hatch I used a small pair of Miltex Iris scissors to puncture the shell and remove small segments, however the chick had already expired. Iris's may be too small for this purpose, usually they're used to delicately dissect soft tissue. Perhaps a veterinary person would know of a better instrument for this purpose? Is the technique to sever the vertebral body mid level of the neck?

 

[marquisella]

Well just had to put a chicken down. Had a bad prolapse vent and I think its the same one as before. This time I don't have room in house to fix it and it was real bad this time with poo/other excretments forming ice on rear. Only problem is I tried to take garden shears you know the like 12 inch long ones and use that but they wasn't sharp enough to do a clean cut. They broke neck and cut some but her neck was inbetween the blades but when I opened she did the headless dance. Just wish it was a cleaner cut. I need to set up a block and get a hatchet for winter time.

Really didn't want to put an egg layer down but didn't want to keep dealing with it and I didn't want to hatch out her off spring and pass this bad trait down.  Have to say I'm getting better at this putting chickens down just need to have the correct tools. I think a shorter set of sheers would have worked better the kind made for cutting thicker branches not trimming the smaller ones.

I use the handle of a rake or something long like that. Put the bird on the ground n lay the handle over the neck so the head is on one side step on the handle with both feet one on each side of head. Pull up on the feet quickly and hard. This separates the spine at the neck and they die instantly. It's the only way I find to be quick and not bloody.

 

[stonykill]

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your egg laying bird! Is it possible to knock out the bird first, maybe with a mallet? I never thought about this part of the whole chicken raising thing. Just figured they'd die out naturally.

I'm not sure I see the difference. Hit a chicken in the head with a hammer or cut it's head off. Not seeing how hitting it with a hammer males it less stressful for the bird.

IF you are going to raise livestock you really need to be prepared to kill. To kill your livestock, to kill predators who are killing your livestock. These are things you NEED to know you are GOING to have to do.

You should really read my blog. You would benefit from it greatly.