How do you humanely put a bird down

star · Post by **star** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 11:24 pm

I have a gouldian that fell to the cage floor tonight , right after I turned out the lights. He then just kept twirling in circles. His head stays tilted to one side. He can't stand up. I know he will not be able to eat or drink. He looks dead already on hospital cage floor. His eyes are open. I am not comfortable with the idea of trying to hand feed. If he was still able to eat and drink on his own, I would have tried nystatin. He was flying just fine during the day. Now this. I know this is called twirling. How could it happen so fast?

Anyway I can't bear the thought of him being hungry and thirsty, and maybe he is suffering too? How can I quickly and humanely put him down?

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 11:41 pm

You can use helium or carbon dioxide in euthanasia chamber.
You may try some antibiotics first though. Sometimes it is an ear infection possibly a ruptured ear drum??
I have one that was with his mate and incubating eggs. Picture of health one day singing, mating and then actively incubating eggs. Then all of a sudden the classic head tilt with circular motion. He can keep his balance on the floor of the cage but does not try to perch. When he tries to fly he flips onto his back. He can make it to the water tube to drink (I placed 2 on the bottom of the cage and food and millet spray on the bottom also0. I started him on Trimethoprim Sulfa. He is on his 4th day and I am beginning to see improvement in his head circles. He now only has the tilt and when he sleeps he can tuck it and hold it still. He is still on the cage bottom. I will continue to medicate and have also added some probiotics to his foods.
This male is one I recently purchased with a group and is a silver. The female that he had eggs with is one I bred and she is fine. I placed thier eggs under another gouldian that was sitting on clear eggs. Though it only looked like 1 was fertile. If it does turn out to be twiling as opposed to an ear infection/problem then I wouldn't want to breed him anyway as it has a tendancy to be past on.
Best whishes for your fellow.

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 5:20 am

You might want to check out this link very sorry for your gouldian
http://www.finchniche.com/a-culling.php

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:25 am

Very soory to hear of this happening to your Gouldian. You have the best advice above - again I'm sorry.

lovemyfinch · Post by **lovemyfinch** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 10:45 am

So sorry you have to go through this, prayers for you and the gouldian

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:27 am

Drowning, Freezing, Suffocation, are the three I can think of that I would consider the most "humane."

:\

Sorry for your gouldian

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:31 am

nixity wrote:Drowning, Freezing, Suffocation, are the three I can think of that I would consider the most "humane."

:\

Sorry for your gouldian

ouch... that doesn't sound very humane to me.

But that is just me.....
We have put our's down before using helium. There is a post somewhere that shows you how. I will have to look at it, but I think if you have alot of birds it is a good idea to always be prepared for this. I wasn't the first time and I have a difficult time watching them suffer. So sorry for your problems.

cindy · Post by **cindy** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:41 am

Sometimes you can call your vet, mine did this no charge and very humanely with a little medication on a cotton ball held to the nose. It is very quick and very painless. I believe she used ether (sp?) on our little hamster.

HoangQuan · Post by **HoangQuan** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:56 am

nixity wrote:Drowning, Freezing, Suffocation, are the three I can think of that I would consider the most "humane."

:\

Sorry for your gouldian

oops, sounds like what i always do with the rats(!)
I think Cindy's idea is good enough, bring him to a vet and using medical to do it quick and painless.
Im so sorry you have to consider this.

nixity · Post by **nixity** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 12:33 pm

The vets in NJ charged anywhere between $30-$50 to euthanize animals regardless of the size (I checked).
I'm sorry.. but for a finch, I don't know that it's worth it to pay $30 when they would be using so little of the juice.

Not for nothing - but suffocating in helium is no different than suffocating by drowning or any other method (when I have a very sick bird on it's way out, I will suffocate them by pressing a soft tissue over their nostrils and keeping their beak shut).
I wouldn't consider a gas chamber any more humane than drowning :\

I don't really think any of the home-grown alternatives are as humane as medical euthanasia.
But I think those are the best options for do-it-yourself euthanasia.

I've had others give me options such as:
Snapping the neck
Slamming the bird onto the pavement in a sock really hard
Severing the head (chopping the head off)
etc..

I think of these options I'd rather suffocate in some way

The first baby I drowned was a hand fed that was violently seizing and regurgitating and was hanging on by a thread and I couldn't bear to watch it. It fought in my hand more than I expected, and it was extremely disturbing to me and I reacted really emotionally/negatively to it. I've not been able to do it since.

With the closing off their airways, they do not struggle nearly as much (I'm going to limit this to extremely sick birds, because if the bird is simply being culled from the breeding program it will obviously struggle), because they pass out relatively quickly and then by keeping the airways blocked for a couple minutes, they just pass away.
Myra of FinchNiche has said in the helium chamber the birds will flap and flail as they suffocate which would really bother me.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:31 pm

nixity wrote: Myra of FinchNiche has said in the helium chamber the birds will flap and flail as they suffocate which would really bother me.

We have put several down and I have NEVER seen this happen. Mine have just gone to sleep. I guess it is whatever works best for the person having to do this terrible deed.

CandoAviary · Post by **CandoAviary** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:47 pm

CO2 euthanization chambers are used in research labs on the mice and rats. The oxigen is replaced with CO2 and at a low dose it is an analgesic (pain reliever), med dose an anesthetic ( bringing about unconciousness without struggling, distress or excitation. High dose brings on quick death. At the high dose the gas can cause eye, lung burning so it is important to put the aniaml to sleep before administering the high dose. Helium works pretty much the same way but it will make the animal dizzy first.
If the CO2 gas is administered properly the animal simply becomes pain free and falls into a deep uncious sleep then death. It is also best to pipe the gas into the chamber as the sound of the gas can be very frightening to the animal.
Any and all culling is difficult, especially when it comes to our pets. I tend to exhaust all efforts in saving the bird and therefore usually find them dead on thier own accord.....but sometimes I find that they instead make a full recovery

MLaRue · Post by **MLaRue** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:49 pm

dfcauley wrote:
nixity wrote: Myra of FinchNiche has said in the helium chamber the birds will flap and flail as they suffocate which would really bother me.

We have put several down and I have NEVER seen this happen. Mine have just gone to sleep. I guess it is whatever works best for the person having to do this terrible deed.

This is how I put them down and yes it does happen

I changed the tub or container to a plastic baggie (smaller space) and keep pushing the helium in - it happens much faster than the plastic container. When they are hanging on by a thread they don't flap and flail. Either way none of it is pleasant.

poohbear · Post by **poohbear** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:19 pm

For Gods sake...most of that sounds slow and not very humane...drowning

suffocating

Hold the bird firmly and give a sharp rap on the back of the neck with a metal rod...instant and simple.Not pleasant for those not wishing to be hands on...but better than drowning etc.

A vet visit for those not able to do the above.

A horrible job but sometimes necessary.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:22 pm

poohbear wrote:For Gods sake...most of that sounds slow and not very humane...drowning suffocating

Hold the bird firmly and give a sharp rap on the back of the neck with a metal rod...instant and simple.Not pleasant for those not wishing to be hands on...but better than drowning etc.

A vet visit for those not able to do the above.

A horrible job but sometimes necessary.

This is why I use helium. I did ALOT of reading and studying on this before I choose this method. I really do feel that it is the quickest and easiest way for the bird and for me. No way is pleasant......
but I couldn't do it your way either poohbear.

Again... I think it is whatever you are able to do, just do it quick.

Maybe Sally will share with everyone about the time she put one in the freezer.......

That sure wasn't quick.

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