OH, WHAT DO I DO NOW?!!

[Sylviaanne]

I had a chicken with a crossbeak. Once every 3 weeks we trimmed it so she could eat half way decent. The chicken used kind of a scooping motion when it ate. Unfortunately a rooster pumped up on testosterone killed my cross beak girl. I have had to cull chicks before and it is not pleasant but necessary. I know what I would do with this disfigured chick but you know what they say: opinions are like @#!holes..Lol.. I am hoping for the best case scenario for this chick.

Did he kill her because she was different?

 

[dsbailey70]

No I haven't learned to tube feed kittens yet, but then I haven't needed to yet. Aside from this little one, I've only lost two others, last year. They were already close to starvation by the time I got them. Tubing most likely wouldn't have helped anyway.

 

[bobbi-j]

I am not offended. I went through this thread and looked at how many posts people have done and saw that out of all that have posted Donrae and Bobbi-j have the most posts. Both of them are very sure that I should put the baby down. I believe they have enough combined experience that I should listen to them. But I can't. I'm just not made that way, I can't give up.

By asking if the lady from Craigslist had any experience, I seem to have offended her but I hope she will give me a 2nd chance. She said she has hand fed and raised baby parrots. I think it might a good fit with her. I am waiting for another email from her to find out if she wants the baby.

This was posted as I was typing out my last response. I would like to explain something here. When I first started raising chickens, I wasn't "made that way" either. I'm still not. It makes me sad every time we get one that needs to be put down. To be honest, I've never killed one myself. I will tell my husband that there is one that has problems and he will take care of it for me. This is NEVER a decision that I make lightly. (Last summer, we had to put down our 10-year old lab who had cancer in his mouth - the vet said there was nothing they could do. The night before DH took him on his last walk, I sat with that dog, petted him and cried my eyes out. But I knew it was time.)I do know that sometime the day will come that I will have to put a chick down for some reason or another and I will steel myself and do it. I will have a good cry, and remind myself that I did what had to be done in the best interest of the bird. I have lived with the consequences of trying to make an animal better, even when I knew that it would be best for the animal to be put down. Pretty much, the animal ended up dying anyway and suffering longer than it should have because I just couldn't give up on it. If the lady from Craigslist is willing to give this bird the special care it needs, good for her. I admire you for not wanting to ship the poor chick. That would just add more stress to its little life. Please understand that I am not a heartless monster. I may come across as harsh, but I really do feel for you in this situation.

I really feel that people can be too quick to say cull, cull, cull to any animal that is born with some problems. No one really knows if the chick is suffering or not. I would give the chick a chance just like your instinct is telling you to do. There are plenty of chickens that have overcome horrible things. I am sorry people are so willing to kill it. You do what you feel is right.

I'm quick to say "cull" when I know an animal will most likely not have good quality of life. Chickens are flock animals. They are happiest when with other chickens. Unfortunately, the flock will sometimes turn on a weaker or deformed member and try to kill it. That's their instinct. You can intervene, but attacks can happen so quickly that that poor chicken will suffer fear and pain for a few seconds, at least. Secondly, if it needs to have its beak trimmed frequently, it will likely be stressed every time that happens. It can't see on the one side. It may not see a predator coming up on that side and could get eaten. Yes, I am one of "those" people...

I think she knows that. She just can't kill a baby chick so you've got to understand that. Don't mean to be rude, but some people have very soft hearts and just can't do that (like me and her). I think she knows what she's talking about.....sometimes you can just TELL that a animal isn't in pain.

Believe it or not, some of us that feel the chick would be better off if put down also have soft hearts. As I stated before, I've never put one down myself. It will be a hard thing for me to do when that time comes. We all have different ideas of what's "kind", I guess.

OP, I wish you and your chick the very best. I really do. I have spoken from my experiences, and I do get passionate sometimes. And, you can't "read tone" so some things I've written may be seen as harsh, when they really weren't meant to be that way.

 

[AmericanMom]

I think she knows that. She just can't kill a baby chick so you've got to understand that. Don't mean to be rude, but some people have very soft hearts and just can't do that (like me and her). I think she knows what she's talking about.....sometimes you can just TELL that a animal isn't in pain.

And sometimes you cannot!.. I raise chickens, turkeys , geese and rabbits and have had to make that decision many many times as have others who raise animals do... It is common knowledge that most animals in distress don't show any signs of pain, look it up. Many of us are tenderhearted and cry our eyes out when those difficult decisions have to be made. I feel for her but right now she needs to take a hard look at that poor chick and make the decision that's right for it and put her feelings aside.

I am done with this discussion, its saddens me to see animals suffer because people are so stinking hard headed to listen to the advice they ask for.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Put the chick in a vessel like a bucket.
Next rig up a shelf (A small cardboard box works well) to some how hold some dry ice higher than and away from the chick.
Lay the dry ice on the shelf and quickly coven the vessel being sure the vessel is out of any drafts.
The dry ice will quickly evaporate and the CO2 (which is heavier than the surrounding air) will settle to the bottom of the vessel quickly rendering the poor chick unconscious and gently putting it permanently to sleep.

The same thing can be accomplished by using a small box of baking soda in a bowl, then quickly adding a cup or two of apple cider vinegar.

My own sense of ethics only allows me to manually sever the unfortunate peep's spinal cord because it's quicker and cleaner than rigging up a temporary Rube Goldberg death devise machine. Besides, in my humble opinion if I am unprepared or unwilling to do what is necessary to make all my animals' lives worth living, then in my humble opinion I am unworthy of owning them.

 

[lightchick]

But tons of chickens live normal lives with crooked beaks! Just because they aren't perfect or will have a challenge at first doesn't mean his life isn't worth living! I think every chick is special. They may have a harder time then the rest, but that doesn't mean they'd rather be killed! I mean she said she'd take the chick to a vet tomorrow! The vet knows what he's doing! What if she killed the chick then found out that he could of had a happy life! I'm pretty sure she and everyone here would feel horrible. I mean how do you know FOR SURE. You can't! I'd take him to a vet and see what he has to say.
I think she'd rather have him confirmed to be in pain etc and have him put to sleep humanely, then be guessing and kill him herself.

I have had to put a young pigeon to sleep before, but not until I had a vet see him and I had the VET put him to sleep. I cried, but I KNEW it was for the best. I know each person has their own opinion about this, but it's really up to Sylviaanne.

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

I know this is old but I'd like to know what happened to this chick?

And also i think it was morally wrong not to cull it.

Also what causes such bad deformities ??

 

[cmom]

I don't know and I usually cull. This one eluded me. Recently she was killed by a fox. She was 3 years old.