Ridiculous pathetic Q: there's a bird dying outside my house, should I kill it?

[Myrddraal]

I just came home to find a Magpie killing chicks outside of my house. The magpie flew off leaving a very badly hurt chick lying on the floor, panting and calling. It's pretty nasty. I figured I should finish the thing off, put it out of it's misery, so I got a mallet thinking I'd whack it as hard as I could. When I get to it I'm having a hard time, even though it's going to die eventually, this chick isn't behaving like it wants to die now...

Also, I've never intentionally killed anything in cold blood bigger than a fly, and I must admit it's making me uneasy.

Is this the worst form of cowardice on my part, or am I being reasonable in letting this thing live a few more minutes?

EDIT:
Ugh. The thing is still breathing. I never thought I'd be so affected by something so pathetic. I've watched birds of prey hunting and never thought more than "wow!" but this chick is so pathetic and vulnerable, and quite clearly suffering.... gah!

EDIT 2:
The question is, will it suffer more if I leave it to die in pain, but without me looming over it wielding a mallet? Would it really be a mercy to kill it? Am I only asking myself these questions because I don't have the guts to whack it?

EDIT 3:
There's a pigeon unconcernedly picking at the grass next to this poor thing. I mean literally, picking cm away from it, almost standing on top of it. I almost wish I could be as cool as that pigeon.

EDIT 4:
A blackbird (male I think, it's got a tinge of brown but quite dark) has just turned up and is showing more interest in the chick. I think I'll leave them be.

EDIT 5:
The blackbird has gone, but the chick is still alive. It hasn't moved from where it was lying.

[Fragony]

Put the poor thing out of it's mysery already

[Whacker]

You know I've struggled with this too. That's the burden of being human, is we apply our concepts of morality to the rest of the world as we see it. The rub is, this type of activity happens every minute throughout the world in nature and we never see it. We as human beings do not like to see pain or suffering, when it is a natural part of the cycle of living and being.

My $0.02 USD.

It sounds like it's beyond saving.

If it were me, I'd put it on a shovel, carry it out back behind our fence where the neighbors couldn't see (so they wouldn't get alarmed), and shoot it with one of my BB guns to put it out of it's misery.

If you whack it with a mallet, then you're going to have to wash that mallet really good (if it's a kitchen mallet). If it's a tool, then it's going to get messy real quick. Your best bet would be to get some kind of garden implement with a sharp edge and a long handle, like a shovel or something that can cut cleanly with enough force. The goal is to give the poor lil bugger a quick, clean death.

If you can't or won't do any of the above, then I wouldn't worry about it even though you probably will. You need to remember that this is nature at work, and nature does not understand the concepts of cruelty, malice, etc. Nature just is. It's been there before us, and it'll be there long after will kill ourselves off with nuclear weapons.

In short, whatever choice you make will be one that you can and should live it.

[Myrddraal]

Well I did what you said. I got a spade and slammed it down as hard as I could, edge down. It didn't see me coming, but the bird still didn't die with the first blow, so I just hit it again and again until there was no way it could be alive. The problem isn't over though. This chick wasn't alone. There's another chick on the floor out there. This one is sitting up, and moving its head. It still doesn't stand a chance in the long run, but I honestly think the best thing to do is to let it live. Nature will take its course eventually, but for now it's still alive.

[Myrddraal]

The rub is, this type of activity happens every minute throughout the world in nature and we never see it. We as human beings do not like to see pain or suffering, when it is a natural part of the cycle of living and being.

I remember a program about feral children I watched. There was some doctor in the 19 c. (I think) who was trying to distinguish what set humans apart from animals. I can't remember what all of his criteria were, but two of them were language and empathy. He was studying feral children because he was convinced that they could be taught to speak. They never did, but they did show empathy.

The pigeon clearly wasn't bothered in the slightest.

[Fragony]

If the the other one is healthy isn't there some bird shelter? If I find abandoned chicks I take them there.

[Myrddraal]

I must admit that didn't even occur to me. Where the :daisy: do you find such a place? I've been trawling the net, google maps hasn't helped, even the RSPCB website hasn't helped... I found a website for a place, but it's over an hour's drive away. I tried ringing them and all you get is a recorded message.

The bird is still there. It hasn't moved from the spot where it was sat earlier. It's not really moving, only occasionally.

[Myrddraal]

I found this website:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/inyourarea?p_p_id=findAServicePortlet_WAR_ptlFindAServicePortlet&p_p_lifecycle=1&p_p_url_type=1&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-1&p_p_col_pos=1&p_p_col_count=2

But even if I put "up to 50 miles" nothing comes up in my area for emergency wildlife care :sad:

[Whacker]

As was said, you need to decide what you are comfortable with. My personal opinion is I would have done the same you did in the first instance, and put a suffering animal out of it's misery. If the other animal isn't wounded, then it's arguably not suffering. However, the odds of it surviving are essentially zero. Some predator like a cat will most likely get it. If that happens, then again my opinion is... so be it. Cats need food, and the chick wasn't going to survive outside of the next as less than a fledgling anyway. The bird that you euthanized will become food for other creatures, such as ants and other "recyclers". And with that the circle starts all over again.

[Myrddraal]

Well I can't say the moment I realised the bird wasn't dead after the first blow was the nicest feeling ever, but I think that ultimately it was a mercy. With this second bird I don't think so. I'm inclined to agree with you though, nature will take its course and a cat probably will get the chick, but for now I think the best I can do is leave it be.

[Fragony]

Hmmm my last post didn't make it. If its on the ground it was ready to fly off but was too weak. Put it in a box with some straw, and put a lamp on it to keep it warm. Dig up some worms, if it eats it's 50/50.

[rajpoot]

^^^
What he said.
If the second chick isn't wounded, and you're ready to make an effort, might as well make it a small nest in a box insted of killing it.

[caravel]

Hand rearing of wild birds is next to impossible - avoid it at all costs.

It depends on the maturity of the chick, but if it's reasonably matured (i.e. eyes eyes open and downed or feathered) then it's parents may come down to feed it so long as you leave it be. If you touch it, they will definitely abandon it for good. If it's a newborn chick, then it will probably die on the ground.

[Fragony]

Nah done it lotsa times, there are always one or two who are underfed because they are less agressive. Birds that young was a few months ago, this one should be pretty much adult but just too weak. Feed it for two days and it should be fine, once it starts getting more lively gently throw them up and instinct takes over.

[Myrddraal]

Well it's gone. I don't know if it gathered the energy to hop into the hedge, or perhaps it was eaten, or perhaps it was a fledgling, I'm not sure. It looked pretty mature (not new born at all) and had feathers on its wing and everything.