Ruffatoa
In the Brooder
We have a very young, no more than 2-3 months, hand-reared cockerel that we are sure has Merricks. He has all of the symptoms, and we have had chickens in the past with it so we know our flock is contaminated.
His health has quickly deteriorated over the past couple of days, including lethargy, spasming, and rapid weight loss. He used to be very friendly with a personality as dumb as a rock, and I absolutely love the little dude and I don't want to keep seeing him suffer. He is obviously in pain, and has been making panicked noises whenever he loses control of his balance.
For short term, we keep him separated from the flock during the day in a small rabbit hutch with water and food so that he doesn't get left behind or picked off by a red-tailed hawk. It is unlikely he will get better, however, as that has only happened once in my entire pet-chicken-raising career. It would likely be best for us to humanely put him down, but I don't have the faintest clue on how to do it. I have not had to put down poultry before, and I do not know if using a hatchet or doing the vertebrae detachment method would be feasible due to my attachment to the little fella. It would be amazing to have any advice on the best way to do it, whichever is fastest and the least painful to him. I just don't want him to suffer any more but at the same time not be scared while I do it.
His health has quickly deteriorated over the past couple of days, including lethargy, spasming, and rapid weight loss. He used to be very friendly with a personality as dumb as a rock, and I absolutely love the little dude and I don't want to keep seeing him suffer. He is obviously in pain, and has been making panicked noises whenever he loses control of his balance.
For short term, we keep him separated from the flock during the day in a small rabbit hutch with water and food so that he doesn't get left behind or picked off by a red-tailed hawk. It is unlikely he will get better, however, as that has only happened once in my entire pet-chicken-raising career. It would likely be best for us to humanely put him down, but I don't have the faintest clue on how to do it. I have not had to put down poultry before, and I do not know if using a hatchet or doing the vertebrae detachment method would be feasible due to my attachment to the little fella. It would be amazing to have any advice on the best way to do it, whichever is fastest and the least painful to him. I just don't want him to suffer any more but at the same time not be scared while I do it.