Culling is part of keeping birds, and the way it is planned decides how much suffering it causes. Here is how to decide, prepare and dispose of it with care.
Halaal Farms Ghana team27 May 2026 · 10 min read
Every keeper has to do it at some point. The question is whether it is done quickly, calmly and properly, or left to drag on until it is worse for the bird, for the people and for the rest of the flock. Most bad culls were not bad because the farmer was cruel. They were bad because nobody decided in advance what would happen, and then it had to happen in a hurry.
This guide is about planning that decision. It is not a manual for the act itself. For that, the one thing we will say clearly is that the method must be learned in person from a vet or an experienced stockperson who watches you do it.
A bird should be culled when it is suffering and there is no realistic prospect of recovery. That is the test, and it is more important than how much the bird cost or how much it is worth at the market. A hen with a broken leg that cannot reach feed or water is not a bargaining chip. Neither is a bird that is wasting away after weeks of treatment that has not worked.
Watch for the quieter signs as well. A bird that stops coming to the feeder, sits hunched for most of the day and does not move away when you approach is often much further along than it looked a week ago. Waiting until a bird is down in the litter is usually waiting too long. It is kinder to decide while the bird can still walk to the water, and to make the call calmly rather than in a crisis at dusk.
Culling is also the right call when a vet tells you that a bird must be removed to protect the flock, or when an authority gives instructions after a notifiable disease is suspected. In those cases the decision is not yours alone, and you should follow what you are told.
It is not the right call because a bird is slow, small, a bit off its laying or inconvenient to keep. Those are management questions, and they have management answers.
When you are not sure what a bird has, do not decide alone. A cull that happens before the vet has seen the bird can destroy the evidence that would have told you what the flock is facing. It can also expose you to risk, because some diseases spread through handling, blood and body fluids.
If the vet wants to see the bird, keep it alive in a quiet place, out of the flock, until they arrive. If they need a fresh sample, ask them how to take it, and do not improvise with a sharp tool or a bird that is already dead for hours.
If a number of birds are dying without a clear cause, call the vet before you cull any of them. The pattern across several birds is what tells the vet where to look, and a single bird rarely tells the whole story.
Whatever method you use, it has to do three things. It has to end the bird's consciousness quickly. It has to work every time, not just on the lucky attempt. And it has to be done by someone who is calm, competent and not rushed. Anything less turns a necessary act into a prolonged one, and the bird pays for that.
The bird should be handled gently and quietly up to the moment of the cull. Catch it in dim light, carry it close to your body, and avoid chasing it through the house. A frightened bird that has been chased for ten minutes suffers before the cull even begins.
Do not do it where the rest of the flock can see or hear, and never near the chicks or the brooder. Birds notice fear and blood, and the stress spreads through the house.
The person doing the cull should be the one who knows the method, not the one who is most upset, least experienced or happening to be nearest. On a small farm that is often the owner, sometimes a trusted worker, and sometimes a vet who has come out for a few birds. Whoever it is, they should have practised the method under supervision before they are ever on their own.
If you have never done it, ask for help the first time. Plan for the day. Make sure someone is with you, that you have the right tools ready and that you know where the body will go before you begin. A cull that is planned and calm is far kinder than one that starts at dusk with no plan at all.
| Situation | Cull, treat or call | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Severe injury, cannot reach feed or water, no realistic recovery | Cull humanely now | Ongoing pain is the deciding factor |
| Lame bird that is still eating and drinking and improving | Separate, treat as the vet advises | It may well recover |
| Several birds dying with no known cause | Call the vet before any cull | The cause decides the next step for the whole flock |
| Bird the vet or authority says must be removed | Follow the instructions exactly | Protects your flock, your neighbours and you |
| Weak for several days, not eating, not responding to advice | Discuss with the vet: treat or cull | Prolonged suffering is not a kindness |
| Older hen that has stopped laying but is otherwise healthy | Management decision: keep, sell or cull | Base it on welfare and costs, not panic |
The table is a starting point. Each farm has its own birds, its own vet and its own rules, and those should decide the final call.
Before the cull, keep the bird still and warm. Wrap it lightly in a cloth if that helps it settle, and keep your voice low. Hold it firmly but without squeezing, so the bird does not fight you and hurt itself on the way.
After the cull, do not assume the job is done just because the bird is still. Check it properly before you leave it, and deal with it at once rather than letting it lie in the yard while you do other chores. Wash your hands, change your top and clean the tools before you go back to the house.
Keep the place of the cull tidy and out of sight. A bird that is quietly removed and quickly dealt with is much easier for the rest of the flock to settle back from than one left in the open.
Plan where the body will go before you begin. Do not leave it lying in the yard, on the road, or in an open bin that dogs, cats or neighbours' animals can get into. Do not feed it to other birds or to dogs, and do not sell it.
For most small farms, deep burial is the usual choice. Dig the pit well away from wells, boreholes, streams and drainage paths, and far enough from the house that rain does not wash it out. Put in enough soil to cover the body fully, and add lime if your vet advises it. If local rules allow burning, that is another route, but check first.
If the bird may have carried a notifiable disease, the authority may give instructions that go beyond what you would do alone. Follow them, even when they are more than you expected. Confirm the current contact details with the Veterinary Services Directorate before you need them, because they change.
Culling takes a toll on the person doing it, and on anyone who watches. Some people go numb and some are upset for days. Neither reaction is weakness. It helps to talk about it afterwards with someone you trust, and to agree before the day who will do what.
Wash your hands with soap and water after every cull, and keep gloves and tools for that job only. Keep children away from the area, and make sure anyone who helps understands the plan and the safety steps before they start.
A bird that has been culled is a source of information. Before you bury it, note the age, the sex, the pen, the signs you saw in the days before, and any findings the vet makes. If the vet has done a post-mortem, keep the report with your records.
Over time these notes show you patterns. You may find that the same pen keeps producing lame birds, or that a certain feed batch precedes a run of weak chicks. Those patterns are how a small farm gets better at preventing the next cull, and that is where the real welfare gain lies.
Usually not. A bird that is dying slowly is often in pain, weak and unable to eat or drink, and that suffering can last for hours or days. If a vet confirms there is no realistic recovery, a prompt and reliable cull is the kinder option. Waiting is only the right choice when there is a real chance the bird will recover.
Sometimes, yes, but that decision belongs with the vet. A bird that is treatable should be treated under advice, with the withdrawal period respected. A bird that is not improving after a fair trial should be reviewed again, not kept going on hope.
Not if it died of an unknown cause, was sick, or was given any treatment that still has a withdrawal period running. If the vet has examined the bird and says it is safe, the decision is yours. When in doubt, do not eat it, and bury it.
That is a management decision, not an emergency. A healthy older hen can be kept as a layer on a smaller scale, sold to someone who will keep her well, or culled humanely if she has become unfit. Make the choice on her welfare and your costs, and write it down.
If a cull has left you short of birds, the next step is to restock with care. Read when to call a vet and sudden death in healthy broilers so you know which signs should trigger a call. Then look at how to order day-old chicks and broiler day-old chicks for what we supply. Send the order form on this page, or call 024 915 1503, and we will confirm the price, hatch date and delivery cost before you pay anything.
Written by the Halaal Farms Ghana team. We hatch and import day-old chicks at Opeikuma, Kasoa, and deliver to all 16 regions. This article is general guidance for farmers. For diagnosis and treatment of sick birds, speak to a vet or your district veterinary office.
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