Prolapse- how to treat or humanely cull

[CloneFly]

Hello and happy Thanksgiving to you all. I went out to check on my ladies and noticed this girl with a rather large prolapse...

I've dealt with smaller prolapses and they mostly healed up themselves, but this one won't stay in! I used a little bit of Vaseline and tried to gently fold her back in, but it came right back out. I've given her some meloxicam in hopes that it'll help, but if not do any of you have any suggestions on how to humanely cull her? I've never had to do this before, so any advice would be appreciated... I don't want her to suffer

 

[le_bwah]

That's the worst I've ever seen—poor hen! I'd cull for sure. There are surefire methods you can do with just your hands (cervical dislocation) but a sharp pair of kitchen shears are a good bet. You can do it one-handed, but it helps a ton to have someone else to hold their body. Do you need instructions?

 

[CloneFly]

That's the worst I've ever seen—poor hen! I'd cull for sure. There are surefire methods you can do with just your hands (cervical dislocation) but a sharp pair of kitchen shears are a good bet. You can do it one-handed, but it helps a ton to have someone else to hold their body. Do you need instructions?

Yes please

 

[CloneFly]

Yes please

Are there any methods that don't require complete decapitation? She was a pet of a sort, so we'd like to bury her later if at all possible

 

[Nabiki]

Decapitation is the quickest and easiest. Cervical dislocation will also kill her quickly, but only if you do it right.

I would use kitchen shears. Make sure they're sharp, and give a firm, hard pull when you cut to make sure the head comes off quickly.

 

[le_bwah]

Are there any methods that don't require complete decapitation? She was a pet of a sort, so we'd like to bury her later if at all possible

Cervical dislocation is essentially internal decapitation, but if you botch it then the bird suffers (e.g. paralyzing them instead of killing them). I'd advocate for decapitation with kitchen scissors (think the dismantling-a-cooked-chicken kind, not craft or sewing scissors) because it's harder to make mistakes with.

I keep my birds as pets, too, and killing them when they need it is just good care. You can make the kill in a sink—bathroom works, also contains any runaway birds.

Here's one method for a first-time culling:

1. Beforehand, cut one end (like a quarter sized hole) out of an old sock and put it over the whole bird so their head sticks out the hole—this keeps them still and makes the next part easier.
2. One hand mans the scissors and one gently grips the sides of the beak and pulls the head away from the body so you have a clear view of the neck. You can also nudge the head and body away from one another one-handed, just don't cut yourself.
3. Make a single quick snip through their neck (not too close to shoulder or skull—in the middle). Pressing the scissors toward the neck as I cut seems to ensure it only takes one snip.
4. The carcass will bleed through both cuts, and kick/flap. This settles down within a minute.
5. Bury your bird.

If you can't figure out the logistics of holding them on your own, ask someone who doesn't mind blood to hold the bird's body while you do the task. Make sure the bird's body is horizontal in the sink/bucket when you make the snip, or blood will get where you don't want it.

Note that the bodies flap—sometimes violently—for 10-30 seconds after death. Any flapping or any head movements post-snip are from the damaged spine sending out signals to the muscles, but the bird is dead. They can flap with cervical dislocation, too—just the way bodies are hooked up.

And do bury them if you like! I've buried every pet quail I've lost or culled over six years, and my backyard is littered with old bricks for headstones.

 

[CloneFly]

Cervical dislocation is essentially internal decapitation, but if you botch it then the bird suffers (e.g. paralyzing them instead of killing them). I'd advocate for decapitation with kitchen scissors (think the dismantling-a-cooked-chicken kind, not craft or sewing scissors) because it's harder to make mistakes with.

I keep my birds as pets, too, and killing them when they need it is just good care. You can make the kill in a sink—bathroom works, also contains any runaway birds.

Here's one method for a first-time culling:

1. Beforehand, cut one end (like a quarter sized hole) out of an old sock and put it over the whole bird so their head sticks out the hole—this keeps them still and makes the next part easier.
2. One hand mans the scissors and one gently grips the sides of the beak and pulls the head away from the body so you have a clear view of the neck. You can also nudge the head and body away from one another one-handed, just don't cut yourself.
3. Make a single quick snip through their neck (not too close to shoulder or skull—in the middle). Pressing the scissors toward the neck as I cut seems to ensure it only takes one snip.
4. The carcass will bleed through both cuts, and kick/flap. This settles down within a minute.
5. Bury your bird.

If you can't figure out the logistics of holding them on your own, ask someone who doesn't mind blood to hold the bird's body while you do the task. Make sure the bird's body is horizontal in the sink/bucket when you make the snip, or blood will get where you don't want it.

Note that the bodies flap—sometimes violently—for 10-30 seconds after death. Any flapping or any head movements post-snip are from the damaged spine sending out signals to the muscles, but the bird is dead. They can flap with cervical dislocation, too—just the way bodies are hooked up.

And do bury them if you like! I've buried every pet quail I've lost or culled over six years, and my backyard is littered with old bricks for headstones.

Thank you. I'll have to ask my grandmother if she has any meat scissors- my family is allergic to most meat, so the only heavy duty scissors I'd have would be sewing/fabric ones... or ones for sutures . Thank you again, I'll probably get it done tonight once we leave my grandparents'

 

[le_bwah]

Thank you. I'll have to ask my grandmother if she has any meat scissors- my family is allergic to most meat, so the only heavy duty scissors I'd have would be sewing/fabric ones... or ones for sutures . Thank you again, I'll probably get it done tonight once we leave my grandparents'

Of course, hope it goes well (and sorry she's so injured ). They're tiny critters, and they get hurt easy and can also die easy. You're doing the right thing by shortening her suffering.

 

[Susan Skylark]

I had one that bad this summer, I’ve replaced a lot of prolapses in cattle (rectal, vaginal, uterine) so know a thing or two about getting them back in and hopefully making them stay there. The hen wasn’t having it, pushed it all back out, had to cull. I didn’t own a decent kitchen shears so was doing cervical dislocation, finally got a nice pair of shears. They flop around afterwards in both methods, less blood with dislocation but also a decent chance of not completing the job, with the shears there’s no doubt! Sorry about your loss!

 

[CloneFly]

So, uh, interesting story... we didn't get home until about 8am today, and somehow, by some miracle, she's sucked everything back up and has kept it in all day. (Ignore my misplaced finger in the picture...) She's also in great spirits and keeps pecking at my feet

We're still prepared to cull her should she have a relapse, but right now are enjoying the little miracle of her being alright. Do y'all know of any way to prevent her from laying for the time being? Thank you all again for your advice and help!