The Poultry Keeper

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1875 Location: Cheshire

I go on a cat forum and someone on there is having a lot of problems culling the injured birds that her cat brings back as 'pressents' and responsibly wants to learn how to kill a small injured bird quickly and humanely.

Can anyone put into laymans terms (and sensitivly) how to wring a birds neck?

Any links to other posts with diagrams might help clarify matters - this person has no knowledge of birds anatomy so you might have to be descriptive.

Thanks in advance.

NannyP · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:47 am Post subject:

I was told this recently when asking about my own chicks and the difficulty I have when one obviously needs to be culled.
I won't name the source, but I have every confidnece that the advice was given with the birds best interest at heart.

Get an empty margarine tub, place the bird in and put it in the freezer. As it cools it will fall asleep and die of hyperthermia. When I questioned this and suggested drowning, I was informed that the sleep then hyperthermia route was more humane and faster than drowning.

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1875 Location: Cheshire

Oooh nasty Crying or Very sad

. But yes I would agree that is definately 'better' than drowning. Im not sure I could cope with that... what would you do in the mean time, would you go and have a cup of tea whilst you are waiting? At least neck wringing is quick.

Thanks Nanny for your reply. All points are valid and its an interesting theory. Did you do that technique in the end and if so what were your experiences?

NannyP · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:19 pm Post subject:

I haven't used it, not needed to yet, but will definately next time. This was for young birds (just hatched ), but I would think for an injured bird, in pain, it is quite humane. As it cools, which will be quite quickly, it's metabolic rate will fall, so sleep will come quite quickly (what am I doing, your a nurse, you know this Laughing

).

I will go off and get on with doing whatever I am doing....and as I am raising table birds, I have become less (attached) than I once was, so would not be waiting and wondering.

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1875 Location: Cheshire

I think its all relevant to your circumstances at the time. It would not be my first choice, however, having said that, I know that at this time in my life I draw the line at physically performing what I consider to be a violent act (but necessary I might add) of neck wringing, and so I would have to find an alternative option. So if it was the best option available to me at the time I would consider it. Personally (speaking as a cat owner, not a chick owner) I would prefer to let the cat finish off the job.

gentle1973 · Joined: 30 Mar 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Poole, Dorset

This method is commonly used for fish that are dying, but not sure I could do it with a chick. (Then again, I know that I definitely could not wring one's neck) pale

Wendy x

mojo · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject:

the thing to remeber is the spinal cord needs to be snapped.....to put it bluntly ....DONT READ FURTHER IF UPSET ......................................................make a U shape of the neck (head to back) and compress U completely

adamntitch · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 51 Location: edinburgh

DO NOT FREZZIE VERTABRATES

it causes the blood to frez and the eyes to pop and thats before the birds or animals dead the only time its used humanly is on day old mice but in chicks and other animals it causes a slow and painful death

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6728 Location: isle of lewis

may be the person involved could buy a small set of cick dispacthers
it might be easier and could probably cope with the smalll birds that the cat brings in ,
yep agree with mojos post quick and final,not nice for the person but in the best interests of the bird

NannyP · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:01 pm Post subject:

adamntitch · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 51 Location: edinburgh

not your fault and i think if done to a chick still wet just hatched not as bad but i chick up and running about is diffrent even lifting a chick out the bator just hatched and wet dies quickly due to being cold and wet but u cant blame your self you where told it was ok and fallowed advice most people would so dont let it get you down

Danjwright · Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 16

It's OK when it's small because they have a large surface area for their size. I don't think the chick would have suffered much. It would have felt cold but there would have been no eye popping or blood freezing before the bird's temperature to have dropped enough to kill it, certainly no actual pain. For the blood to freeze, the whole chick would have needed to be well below zero degrees C. Hypothermia kills at around 30oC. A small chick in a -20oC freezer would be dead in minutes. Remember that hatchling chicks can't even keep a steady body temperature and can get hypothermia at room temperature.
Freezing is not something you should do through choice but you needn't worry that the chick you froze suffered too much.

thenesteggs · Joined: 25 Sep 2007 Posts: 66 Location: Cheltenham

I find the quickest and most humane way to dispatch any small animal is to shoot it in the back of the head with an airgun at point blank range.
I find this is a lot more effective than dislocation on the vertebrae, which if done incorrectly can cause a slow and painful death.

Barny_Velder · Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 164 Location: North Wales Coast

Axe. Swift and foolproof. Air rifle if it's to hand but make sure it is a clean headshot...

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 293 Location: Cornwall

The quickest way to despatch a chick if you can't wring it's neck is to decapitate it with large strong scissors. But you can buy proper despatching scissors which ensure a quick and painless death, if you do it quickly.

I used to despatch my quail with the special scissors, it's not nice to do, but the bird doesnt suffer as it's so fast.

With larger birds or adult hens place a broomstick on the ground, put the birds head under it, put one foot each side of the birds head ontop of the broom, and pull the body up at a right angle swiftly.

Another method is to tuck the bird under your arm, place the head between your index and middle finger and and flick your hand down and back quicly, to dislocate the neck and break it.

I prefer the broom handle method.

Large birds like geese are best done by your local butcher, they're very tough birds to kill humanely at home.