really need advice but, please don't preach

[Cherstin]

Quote:
Have you ever been very, very cold? It's pure misery. The chick may well pass out, but only after suffering tremendously. This is NOT a humane solution! Not everything you read on the internet is the gospel; you have to use your own judgment and experience, being that cold is NOT painless!

I would imagine getting your head cut off is also not very painless. As I said, my apologies. Lesson learned, thanks for all the wisdom. I see there's someone on the board who's chickens got eaten by predators: maybe someone should go tell them how their chickens suffered, too. I followed bad advice: I'm not the first person to have done that, nor will I be the last.

 

[kaybats]

My heart goes out to you OP.

I do NOT envy what you have in front of you to do. The last time I had to "put down" an animal was 35 years ago. She was my beloved 12 year old dog. She was hit by a car and could not be saved. The vet did it, but I am no stranger to pet/animal death. It's hard all around. Just since March in the chicken department I have lost 8 chicks/chickens...one to a predator, 5 to disease, one to what I think could have been old age, and one completely unknown reason.

I know it's not the same as having to cull yourself, especially for animal lovers. I'm not saying that it got any easier after each one, nor am I saying that I am prepared to cull should the time come. What I am trying to say is that towards the end of my Cocci epidemic, when I thought I couldn't take one more death, I made a decision. I took on this responsibility, for better or worse. And after reading thousands of posts here, I realized that it's not always going to be a bed of roses...there will be some thorns. I was going to have to either accept what may or may not happen, or get out. There will be tears, no doubt, but I chose to stay "in" because the rewards far outweigh the "bad" stuff...in my opinion.

As has been said here, it's best to just "do it" versus prolonging the poor thing's suffering.

I wish you all the best to get through this tough time.

 

[Beaky Buzzard]

There are countless ways to put a bird out of it's misery QUICKLY. I recently was given six nice bantams which I quarantined as a precaution upon bringing them home. Within a day or two one by one all showed signs of disease I had not noticed when picking them up. The former owners refused to take them back at which point I did a lot of research only to be told it could be several things by some experienced poultry people in the neighborhood and that treatment would be costly and iffy at best.. The majority suggested killing the new birds rather than taking a chance on infecting our flock. I killed the birds by a blow to the head, they never knew what hit them. Although my comment may seem crude and inhumane I know for a fact none of those birds suffered an agonizing death. Hey thats just part of the responsibility that goes with animal husbandry. Chickens are not people or babies as some have suggested and like dealing with any farm animal in times of suffering you just do what has to be done! Don't be too hard on yourself experience is the best teacher in this situation, you had the best intentions, no one can blame you for that. I too would not consider puting a lot of money in rehab for a bird, you did what you thought was right don't let people ruin your day with their self-righteous opinions about livestock!

 

[kari_dawn]

You guys, we are doing exactly what the OP asked us not to do. We have already had that discussion twice.

 

[dandydoodle]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Please, everyone that is enough on picking on that person who used a method that people don't find ideal. Honestly there is no method here that is ideal and no one wants to do it. She was trying to put the baby out of its misery and thought the baby would be going to sleep. Cut here some slack. I am sure there are a lot of situation of beheading that doesn't go so well either. NOT to mention seemed like people were appalled that I hadn't put it to sleep already. A lot of people on here have handicapped chickens that live good lives, at least they get a life. I thought to begin with this chicken might have a chance at a somewhat normal life. Since things have gotten worse I now know that isn't possible but, this is hard enough. So those giving people a hard time please ease up. For those who gave me links to try to fix it, I have tried all this.

Again thanks everyone.

 

[kari_dawn]

dandydoodle, will you please keep us updated on what you decide to do, and how it worked for you?

 

[riane'smimi]

Quote:
Have you ever been very, very cold? It's pure misery. The chick may well pass out, but only after suffering tremendously. This is NOT a humane solution! Not everything you read on the internet is the gospel; you have to use your own judgment and experience, being that cold is NOT painless!

I would imagine getting your head cut off is also not very painless. As I said, my apologies. Lesson learned, thanks for all the wisdom. I see there's someone on the board who's chickens got eaten by predators: maybe someone should go tell them how their chickens suffered, too. I followed bad advice: I'm not the first person to have done that, nor will I be the last.

You did the best you could and you are not the only person who sticks them in the freezer to cull .I know a few people who also do that method.Don't kick yourself over it ,it's over and done.
Now you know there are other options that work better. If you can not do it yourself ask another to do it for you.Chopping the head off is quick and is painless as there is no time for it to suffer.The brain is no longer connected and death is the second the head comes off.
I agree I would not even try to break a chicks neck because if I didn't do it right I would cause more pain to the poor thing. NO MATTER HOW YOU DO IT " You are going to suffer as it's not easy to take a life even knowing it has to be done.
Do the best you can and don't dwell on yesterday it's gone.

 

[umanduhbree]

This happened to us. We tried to fix the problem once we noticed the problem, but by 6 weeks it was so sad, that putting the chick downs the only humane thing to do. We used a sharp hatchet. It took one swipe and the deed was done. If we had let it live, it would have suffered. Whatever way you do it, just make it quick. the chick has suffered enough, at least I know know mine had by the time we finally put her down.

 

[MommyMagpie]

Definitely not trying to stir the pot here, but someone mentioned dry ice and I thought I would just post that the first (and only, so far) chicken I have culled was done with dry ice. I bought my son a gender-unidentified chick that we soon discovered was a cockerel, and shortly thereafter he began to show symptoms of a respiratory infection (runny and watery nose and eyes, occasional labored breathing). At that point I knew we could not grow him out and then butcher him for meat, so I researched online and decided that dry ice was the best way to cull this particular bird.
When I opened the box the next morning (I waited until he was drowsy and mellow before moving him to the box where I had the dry ice in a container and over it a rack with some bedding) his head was tucked under his wing and he looked just like a sleeping chicken, just not breathing any more.

To the OP I am so sorry you are having to deal with this, I am sure you are doing the best you can in the circumstances.

 

[dandydoodle]

My husband and I didn't decide before bed what exactly to do, neither one of us has had to do this before. Yesterday I took her out of the cage that I had her in with her newspapers and all and laid her down in the brooder In nice soft chips. She wasn't hungry because, I made sure she had food and water. I put her in with the 5 little 5 day old chicks I had bought to keep her company. I checked on everyone before bed and she wasn't crying and was very much alive. She was able to lay comfortably with the other birds in the chips. They were all snuggling together and she wasn't crying. This morning when I went down her and one of the babies had passed in their sleep.

I took the two of them and buried them together snuggling. I think this is probably the happiest she has been in the past week in a half. I know some won't agree with how I did this but, I am happy with my decision and think it was what was best for my chick. I let her make the best of her last night and I didn't want to try to put her down and something not go as planned and put her through more pain. Now I have 2 rhode island red and 2 gold laced wyandotte babies I hadn't planned on but, that is okay.