Cats&Chickens Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 A word of warning to those considering hen keeping, as an example of costs! i suppose if you live near a friendly farmer or are willing to dispatch you may avoid this but I ended up taking mine in to the vet today as she had not been well, I suspected vent gleet but he was not so sure and explained how limited options are, as well as reminding me that the use of canesten is illegal…. so, between vet fee, euthanasia and incineration ( no, you are not allowed to take them home) it was £175, and no, I don’t live in London! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 That is a pretty ridiculous price @Cats&Chickens, but I think you made the right decision, just chose the wrong vet. We've only taken one to the vet to be PTS and it cost €28 (if I remember correctly). There were words of caution afterwards; "you can't eat him". He is buried in the garden and there is no problem with that here; everyone is allowed to bury their pets. No Idea what has happened in the UK recently to warrant those prices and not allow home burial. On that basis don't keep chickens, as if AI regulations haven't made it difficult enough anyway? There were 4 lovely little hybrid hens in the gardening shop today. They were all chatting away and sunbathing together. We were very tempted, but we only have room for three and wouldn't want to leave one lonely. And it's a lot of work sorting out the accommodation with everything else that needs doing before Summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted March 18, 2023 Share Posted March 18, 2023 Sorry you lost your girl - good on you for making the hard decision. That's the worst part of animal ownership. But the cost sounds excessive! We only pay between £10 and £20 to have a hamster pts (depends on which of the two local vets we use, generally the one that has the 1st appointment if they are really ill.) Not all vets are chicken savvy as many just deal in small domestic animals. May be worth asking around locally to see if there is a more hen friendly vet near you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nudenex Posted March 18, 2023 Share Posted March 18, 2023 (edited) It's true that owning animals, including chickens, can come with unexpected expenses, such as veterinary bills, medications, and disposal costs. So people who think it's so simple and profitable should think twice) Edited March 18, 2023 by nudenex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cats&Chickens Posted March 19, 2023 Author Share Posted March 19, 2023 @soapdragon a vet appointment in the south east alone is £45…. You can’t just pay for the euthanasia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 19, 2023 Share Posted March 19, 2023 Vets here have rates for “normal” animals like cats and dogs, and “small” animal rate for things like rabbits, bird etc. Do vets in the UK do the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
