How to handle having to cull flock?

[Daisy June]

Thank you, Coach. I may switch to this as well, instead of the broomstick method. Bookmarking now.

That is a super good article. Thank you so much for giving us the link! I've not had to cull anybody yet, and I know it will affect me deeply. This cone method seems as responsible as can be.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We have used the broomstick method. We just have a good-sized bucket handy and put the bird in it immediately. But I have to have DH do it. I believe I could use this method Coach recommends by myself so will try it instead. The best method is the one you can do.

 

[WingItRanch]

I'm so sorry.
If it comes down to having to do it yourself, this is how I do it.
For many of the same reasons as the article author.
https://www.muranochickenfarm.com/2017/06/the-easiest-way-to-cull-chicken.html#more

Just a warning that is not covered in the article, make sure not to get the ratcheting kind of tree loppers. It must be one smooth motion and it needs to be large enough to completely fit around your largest chickens neck. You don't want to crush, you want it sharp.

 

[SmiYa0126]

I'm so sorry I'm gutted for you. My flock are my pets.

 

[BantyChooks]

Thank you so much. We ended up having a vet help us. They came to our house and I got to hold and rock our chickens as they passed peacefully. I feel so guilty about putting them down. I hope we did the right thing.

I am sure they passed knowing they were loved. Sending support to you, that is a really difficult decision to make.

 

[Bawkbok]

Thank you so much. We ended up having a vet help us. They came to our house and I got to hold and rock our chickens as they passed peacefully. I feel so guilty about putting them down. I hope we did the right thing.

It's great that you found a vet who makes home visits. It is normal to feel guilty but know you did the right thing for them as there is no cure and they would have continued to languish and diminish and ultimately passed. Better to watch them "sleep" peacefully, holding them as you did, saying goodbye, than to find a carcass in the morning. That is also a traumatic event. Sending you comfort in your grief. Most here have been through a chicken loss so you have lots of support.

 

[WingItRanch]

Thank you so much. We ended up having a vet help us. They came to our house and I got to hold and rock our chickens as they passed peacefully. I feel so guilty about putting them down. I hope we did the right thing.

It sounds like you definitely did the right thing and prevented future suffering. I'm glad you were able to say goodbye.

 

[Sarajobe]

I'm so sorry for your loss. We don't have vets around here that will see chickens and definitely none for house calls. You're definitely lucky with that. We used nitrogen to put down one of our girls last year and that will be our method. I cannot make my pets bleed. It sounds like they were well loved until their last moments.

 

[Bawkbok]

We used nitrogen to put down one of our girls last year and that will be our method.

Please can you explain this method for myself and others who might want to consider it?

 

[Sarajobe]

Please can you explain this method for myself and others who might want to consider it?

We set up a small cooler with a nitrogen hose hooked to the emptying port. He welds, so we always have nitrogen available. We covered her eyes and wrapped her in a comfy blanket so she was comfortable and not struggling and put her in the cooler. It was obviously still dark so she didn't move. We went really slow with the nitrogen so it wasn't a sudden alert for her body. We let it go for probably about 10 minutes. We heard one tap on the inside just once, but she was still wrapped when we got her out, so she didn't flap or anything crazy. I'll have to ask my husband if he still has the info he found so I can share that. Our girl had been having seizures and was so weak at the end. I'm not sure how well this method would work for a live and we'll bird. Debating trying a mask of sorts the next time since ours are all used to being held. Here's a link that had given us the idea. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nitrogen-euthanasia.934727/