Best way to euthanize a chicken?

[oellian]

I have a sick bird that I need to euthanize before taking her to the state lab, who no longer performs this procedure.

 

[azygous]

https://the-chicken-chick.com/how-to-humanely-euthanize-chicken-by-dr/

 

[Weeg]

Decapitation is the best and most efficient way of euthanasia. An axe and stump, or kill cone can work. A traffic cone with the end cut off, nailed to a wall can make a DIY kill cone. Once she's in the cone, loppers with two cutting edges can work.
I'm so sorry you have to do this.

 

[coach723]

I do it the same way as @Weeg mentioned, killing cone and loppers. I have loppers that are only used for this so they stay very sharp. A cone can be as simple as a large jug (I have large vinegar jugs) with the bottom removed, the top opened enough for the head to fit through, and hung upside down. Mine hangs in my barn with a bucket lined with hay or straw below it. It's pretty mistake proof. Good article here:
https://www.muranochickenfarm.com/2017/06/the-easiest-way-to-cull-chicken.html

 

[oellian]

https://the-chicken-chick.com/how-to-humanely-euthanize-chicken-by-dr/

Thanks for that; it's very informative. And particularly interesting for me in that the method I was thinking of, bleeding out with a killing cone, something I've used before for meat birds, is NOT considered humane. I thought it was.

 

[oellian]

Decapitation is the best and most efficient way of euthanasia. An axe and stump, or kill cone can work. A traffic cone with the end cut off, nailed to a wall can make a DIY kill cone. Once she's in the cone, loppers with two cutting edges can work.
I'm so sorry you have to do this.

Thanks, Weeg. I think that's the method I'll use. And it's tough, because she's been living in our kitchen for a few weeks to isolate her, and keep her where we can monitor and treat her, so we've gotten more attached. :-( She's a sweet bird.

So the question is, my Felco bypass loppers, which I can put a good edge on (I'm an edge fanatic, with a good set of King water stones) or our top-notch Japanese sushi knife, which is like a scalpel?

 

[oellian]

I do it the same way as @Weeg mentioned, killing cone and loppers. I have loppers that are only used for this so they stay very sharp. A cone can be as simple as a large jug (I have large vinegar jugs) with the bottom removed, the top opened enough for the head to fit through, and hung upside down. Mine hangs in my barn with a bucket lined with hay or straw below it. It's pretty mistake proof. Good article here:
https://www.muranochickenfarm.com/2017/06/the-easiest-way-to-cull-chicken.html

Thanks, Coach. I have a killing cone, so I'm set in that department. I'll read that article. The remaining question is knife or loppers...

 

[Kiki]

Eenie meenie miney moe... I think I'd go with the knife.

Will you report back with your necropsy results?

 

[Lizzy733]

I use cervical dislocation.

Place bird on flat ground, put a thick metal pole or similar across their neck and hold them by the legs - steps on either side of the pole with your feet and pull upward. (Step, step, pull)

It is over 'very' quickly. I did this with one of our 'pet' shavers.There was a split second of distress and then she was completely gone.

They do flop - a nerve reaction to severing the spinal column, but they're already gone at that point. Unless you take the head off, there's little to no blood with using this method.

 

[oellian]

I use cervical dislocation.

Place bird on flat ground, put a thick metal pole or similar across their neck and hold them by the legs - steps on either side of the pole with your feet and pull upward. (Step, step, pull)

It is over 'very' quickly. I did this with one of our 'pet' shavers.There was a split second of distress and then she was completely gone.

They do flop - a nerve reaction to severing the spinal column, but they're already gone at that point. Unless you take the head off, there's little to no blood with using this method.

Thanks for that input, Lizzy. From what I read in the linked article above from azygous, it sounds a little too risky in the possible miscue department for me, and maybe adding a little more distress time and trauma for the bird.