Slaughter by insulin?

[Valerie47]

Thanks for all your replies. Killing chickens by cutting off their heads may well be the most humane method - and this (or breaking their necks) has probably been the preferred method for thousands of years. I wonder though, if in our modern age we could do better - or perhaps not? I too am a RN and RM, I was a professor of midwifery before I retired so I know a little about insulin and its actions. I believe that if the overdose is large enough the symptoms of low blood sugar, nausea etc might be over very quickly before the bird succumbs to a deep coma. Who knows - perhaps I will try it. Perhaps not!
I just wanted to canvass opinions to see if I was totally off beam with this. And I agree that it wouldn't be harmful to eat a chicken full of insulin, as insulin cannot be absorbed via the stomach, but we don't keep our chickens to eat anyway, so that's not an issue.
I was interested in the comment about lethal injections to dogs and that sometimes they are conscious when their respiratory muscles are paralysed. Horrible.
Thanks!
Valerie

 

[aveca]

well said galani

 

[Oregon Blues]

Unless I had seen several scientific studies about a chicken's reaction to insulin, I wouldn't try it.

I do mean scientific study and not "I read it somewhere on the internet".

For all I know, chickens don't even have insulin. I sure wouldn't inject them unless I knew for absolute certainty what it would do before I injected them.

 

[nakstk]

I have read most but not all of the posts so I am not sure if this question has already been answered. Why the birds have to be culled? If they are healthy birds then why not try to give them away first. Put a flyer up at the feed store or put an ad on Craigslist.

 

[Kassaundra]

I think for a mamal it is a very plausable at home way to end suffering. My only thinking w/ fowl is in all the pics and diagrams I've been researching trying to get my courage up to process I have never seen a pancreas, leading me to believe their physiology is not insulin based. I don't know that though.

 

[True Grit]

That lethal injection isn't always an easy death for an animal, either. Sometimes, the drug will cause their breathing to stop before they're unconscious, and they die terrified, struggling to breathe. Our vet told us when we had to put down one of our horses that the kindest, quickest death is to shoot it. Same with a dog. It's just not as neat and clean as an injection. If you're adverse to eating them yourself, is there someone you can give them to who could use the meat? Or take them to a processor, have them processed and donate to a food shelf? I am also of the opinion that a quick head removal is the quickest, most humane death for a chicken.

When I was reading up on this I came across a scientific study concluding that destruction of brain tissue resulted in the least pain and awareness or fear so I agree shooting or perhaps crushing of the brain is best rather than decapitation. Hope I never have to do it though.

 

[bobbi-j]

When I was reading up on this I came across a scientific study concluding that destruction of brain tissue resulted in the least pain and awareness or fear so I agree shooting or perhaps crushing of the brain is best rather than decapitation. Hope I never have to do it though.

Sorry - I wasn't very clear on my point. Shooting a horse or dog may be more humane than lethal injection. One shot, done. But a chicken's brain is so small that there is a margin for error. Therefore, I think decapitation is kinder to the chicken. With a good, sharp instrument, it's over in seconds. We tried shooting a turkey in the head once to kill it. We only tried once... Never again will I do that to any bird.

 

[frostbite]

Chickens do have a pancreas, and do have insulin receptors. If you google chicken insulin, you'll get references to studies of insulin in chickens and the variable effect on liver vs muscle tissue, and various other things which aren't particularly relevant to the current question, but support that their metabolism is chemically similar to other warm-blooded vertebrates, and that an overdose would have some effect. I don't know if there are any structural differences between avian insulin and human insulin that might impact their effectiveness, however.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I'm honestly not sure. I'm very interested in exploring methods that are humane for the chickens and not disturbing for humans, because I personally like to provide the calmest death I can, and because I am very interested in trying to get more people involved with their food (and the head lopped off with the axe isn't always the easiest intro for people, haha). I haven't found any really good information yet.

BW

Quote: That sounds like a pretty good way to go, and am glad you were able to provide your cat with the comfort of home.

In the chicken context, that is really interesting about the insulin levels and any effect on edibility.

 

[galanie]

This lady has the best way, so far as I'm concerned. It's graphic, as she will slit it's throat, but take a watch: [VIDEO]