Should I CULL??

[Kennyhasquails]

I have a day old chick and she was an assisted hatch. I helped too early. She cant cheep or eat or stand, but she has been kicking her curled up feet a lot, and was pretty active. Breathing very hard too. I gave her sugar water throughout the day. She does seem like she may be suffering, but I don’t know if it’s too early to make the discussion to cull her. Should I give her more time?

the pictures are a time line of her since she hatched.

 

[RoosterML]

I would cull, we did. A quick and easy way was to wrap it up and a wee towel and put it in the freezer. It was gone in minutes. It looks like it won’t last. I don’t agree with the don’t intervene as have had two beautiful birds from assisting. Like the guy I watched said it might not live but it definitely won’t if you leave it. I felt with my bungling attempts at incubation I owed it to them. Two of my chicks that came out themselves didn’t make it. Two I assisted are fantastically healthy. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad! You did what felt right at the time!

No way! Sorry doesn’t sound quick to me. Easy for you maybe but surely not the chick. Grab a sharp pair of shears/sturdy scissors and remove the head. Now that is what is quick, easy and the responsible thing to do.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I have a beautiful healthy bird that was from an assisted hatch, so I agree that you shouldn't feel bad for helping.

I've had several healthy birds come from assisted hatches (and a few that had to be culled).

...so it may have not even made it out if you hadn't intervened.

You gave this little one a chance at life, and one day of living is better than NO days of living.

 

[Kennyhasquails]

I’m sorry everyone but I came to see that she died in the brooder today... she didn’t seem to suffer at the end however. May her soul Rest In Peace.

 

[Rose Quartz]

I have a day old chick and she was an assisted hatch. I helped too early. She cant cheep or eat or stand, but she has been kicking her curled up feet a lot, and was pretty active. Breathing very hard too. I gave her sugar water throughout the day. She does seem like she may be suffering, but I don’t know if it’s too early to make the discussion to cull her. Should I give her more time?

the pictures are a time line of her since she hatched.

Any chicks unable to stand at a day old of mine have never survived. It doesn't look to me like this chick was too early, unless you removed a yolk or there's one that I can't see in the picture. The first pic looks like a head over wing malposition. It might have stayed in egg too long, and gotten weak. My most recent hatch I had a malposition chick that I assisted, wasn't too early, but it still didn't make it more than a few hours.

I also had my first chick I had to cull myself this hatch. It hatched unassisted with it's navel still open, and something happened over night and the yolk pulled out, it was pooping through it's belly. :/ A sharp knife and a cutting board was a really quick way to go about it. I don't think any of my scissors are sharp enough to kill any thing quickly. That's another option, if you're looking for something quick.

 

[Ebony Rose]

In a couple of the pictures one foot looks deformed. Is it? Could be the reason you had to assist hatching, and one of the many reasons I choose not to assist during hatches.

I noticed that too, and if it is deformed, agree that it very well may be the reason it had trouble escaping the shell.

I would cull, we did. A quick and easy way was...

If that foot is deformed as the images seem to indicate, I would cull her. My preferred method is to take sharp scissors and cut her head off, it's precise and instantaneous. I flush the remains (I have septic).

 

[ShannonR]

No way! Sorry doesn’t sound quick to me. Easy for you maybe but surely not the chick. Grab a sharp pair of shears/sturdy scissors and remove the head. Now that is what is quick, easy and the responsible thing to do.

Agree with this.

 

[tn_artist]

Agree with this.

I had to cull twice now. Both babies. The quickest and easiest, because I didn't have to look, was to dig a hole, lay baby in the hole, place shovel at neck, quick, hard shove downward. Quick and I could immediately shovel dirt on top to bury it. Only way I am able to stand it.

 

[Kennyhasquails]

Thank you for all of your help and support

 

[tn_artist]

So sorry. I'm glad you didn't have to do it. If your at all like me, it is tough to do, even if necessary. You gave her all you could.