Why culling isn't always a bad thing

[ladybrasa]

OK. I thought she said a mouse was stressing them out. Quail usually jump or flush if they are startled.

Yeah, unfortunately this particular situation sounded way more complicated

 

[Brooks_]

I do try to make sure they have the best life I can give them while under my care

Whether pet or meat, I think we all share that.

 

[21hens-incharge]

It is not an easy decision but it is one that inevitably we all face at some point. I get it. I have had to cull elderly birds in failing health as well as remove flock members that were to disruptive to flock harmony.

 

[Fallenone05]

So far I've only had to dispatch roosters that were unneeded and causing stress to my established flock/established male when they get old enough to eat. This year, however, I had a bird that was sick. He became unable to walk, his feet were cold, and he just wasn't happy.

My other chicks (around 2 months old) became lethargic but they perked back up after some Gatorade and medicine for coccidia, but he just never recovered. One of my older chickens just put it on herself to attack the chick and then I had to put matters in my own hands. She tore him up pretty good and with his muscle weakness and super cold feet, I knew it was time.

I didn't eat him, and he went back to nature (I didn't know what he was sick with and didn't want to risk it) but I felt better after culling because he was losing weight and just wasn't thriving. The adult being an ass to him didn't help, either.

 

[3LilChickadees]

I grew up on a farm where culling livestock was normal. The thing about on here is some people are raising pets and not livestock. They simply get too attached to the animal, try to give animals human emotions and thought processes, or worry about their feelings over the well being/health of the animal.

I have to remind my daughter these are livestock. If a bird gets sick, we'll cull them not take her to the vet. I told her we'll keep them when they stop laying since part of the reason for our flock is bug control, but we may still need to euthanize them in the end.

 

[Mrs. K]

Coup de grace. Once you do it, you really recognize that your failure to do it, was very hard on the bird. And really the flock. The flock often does not like that around them.

Once I kept a cross beak way too long. I will not do that again. It is truly animal husbandry to care for animals. These are tough decisions, but it is part of keeping them. Or should be.

Mrs K

 

[ElizaMay]

I grew up on a farm where culling livestock was normal. The thing about on here is some people are raising pets and not livestock. They simply get too attached to the animal, try to give animals human emotions and thought processes, or worry about their feelings over the well being/health of the animal.

Yup, 100%.

 

[Twilia]

I have to remind my daughter these are livestock. If a bird gets sick, we'll cull them not take her to the vet. I told her we'll keep them when they stop laying since part of the reason for our flock is bug control, but we may still need to euthanize them in the end.

You should try to consider your daughter more seriously.
Denying your animals vet attention is not responsible or acceptable to a farmer.

 

[Fallenone05]

You should try to consider your daughter more seriously.
Denying your animals vet attention is not responsible or acceptable to a farmer.

Some of us don't have vets in the area that will see chickens, just large livestock. I'm not driving 4+ hours for a $20 chicken when I can try to home remedy or if it's suffering, culling it myself.

 

[Iluveggers]

I hatched a chick once that had guts on the outside. She was alive, but you could tell was struggling. Friends told me to put her in the woods so nature would take care of her. I couldn’t do it. I got the sharpest pair of scissors I could, put her head in a bag, and snipped it off. Then I cried, bawled for about an hour. It was very hard, but very necessary and the humane thing to do. I figured I shouldn’t be hatching if I can’t handle doing that. DH hunts and he couldn’t bring himself to do it “to the baby”.