Chicken pecking

[Richard]

I'm going to say up front that if this topic is moderated out as unsuitable I don't mind.

 

It is however a question that I've wanted to ask for some time and have posted it a couple of times, after a glass or two of wine, and then not submitted it because I thought it might be considered in bad taste. It is however a question that will come up, hopefully not very often, for anyone who keeps chickens.

 

Anyway - it seems to me that most of the folk on the forum, if they have a chicken that is very ill, in pain or whatever, would use a vet to put their chicken to sleep. Is there anybody out there who would feel competant to do the job themselves? Would folk feel that this is an acceptable thing to do?

 

More controversially I have read postings, not on this site, that suggested that, having lived with your chickens, eaten their eggs, fed them, bonded with them, seen them through the good times etc. it might be actually something people would expect to do for their hens rather than hand them over to a stranger, with all the stress that it might entail for the birds, if they could euthanase (is that a real word?) their hens themselves.

 

As I said, I'm happy to have this posting removed if people feel it is not a suitable subject for the forum.

[lost-sheep]

i see where your coming from... i might do it if it came to it... just hope my chook gloria perks up soon...(ive posted a topic about it... any advice would make me a little happier...)

[feemcg]

Richard, when I started to hatch I said to myself I would take full responsibility for any poorly ones and dispatch them quickly to reduce any suffering. I was lucky that all but 2 were healthy - one chick had breathing and feeding problems and it was horrible watching it gasping for air. I held it and stroked it and it died after a few hours, but I had not had the courage to do the deed sooner and feel a bit guilty about that.

The other was spraddled and I fixed its legs by strapping them up with plasters. After 4 days it was fine. However at 6 weeks the hips dislocated again and she was shuffling about on her tummy, being trodden on by the others - again I just couldn't bring myself to do it and took her to the vets. It cost 15 pounds. When I told some other 'chicken' folk they laughed and said they'd have done it for me for nothing!

I think in the future I would use the vet - its a small price to pay to know they've drifted off to 'sleep' without too much stress.

[Jools]

I know where you are coming from Richard. If I was on my own then I would have to take my chickens to the vet to as I just couldn't do it myself. I'm a veggie partly because I can't even bear to watch slaughter house scenes on the telly, but that's another story.

 

Fortunately my husband is more pragmatic than me. He's always been a hunting, shooting, fishing kind of bloke, so he is comfortable with what I call "doing the deed". He has done this for four of my bantams over the past few years, and I have another one who I fear isn't going to make it. I pick them up at roosting time, say goodbye and he takes them out of sight for a quick and stress-free end. Then I cry and we bury the poor thing in the garden and plant a shrub on top to remember them by.

[Richard]

thanks for those replies; obviously there was a subtext and I suppose I wanted some reassurance.

 

Both my grandfathers were butchers and I used to work in the little abattoir alongside my Norfolk Grandad's shop as a teenager. When I was in the 5th and 6th form at school, and at University, I worked in a chicken farm during my holidays; on the lines as well as in the packing shed (and have not eated chicken since - but that's a different story).

 

I've been a vegetarian longtime and feel that more people would be the same if they saw the conditions many animals are kept under, and the way they are slaughtered. Having said that, I don't have a problem with meat eaters - so long as they accept the responcibility for the way their meat is obtained.

 

So, back to the chickens. My wife said that I couldn't keep hens unless I dealt with them entirely myself (sounds like a little kid doesn't it - you can't have a hamster unless you clean out the cage yourself). That didn't just mean the cleaning it meant dealing with them when they are ill.

 

I feel that I could dispatch one of my girls with at least as much skill as the vet (albeit not with an injection) and actually quicker in a less stressful environment (for the hen - mega stress for me!). I was, however, having read the postings on the forum about vets, feeling rather guilty!

 

I have only had to deal with one of my own since I started keeping them in 2004 - Doris - and I found it very sad. However at least I was able to see her through her end in a way that I was happy with, and she was with me - not a stranger - in her own garden.

 

So I'm afraid this posting was a bit of a confessional for me - thanks for the replies.

[The Dogmother]

Luckily, my two fatalities have died in their sleep, but I would like to think that I would do 'the deed' if necessary myself. Phil's dad is a retired poultry farmer and has offered to do it for me if it's ever needed, and I know that they would be quickly and humanely dispatched out of sight of the other chooks. I am on good terms with my chook expert vet and he'd be happy to come to the hosue to do it for me too, but that would cost. The only thing that worries me about doing it myself is not doing a clean and quick job.

[The Dogmother]

My Ruby died quietly in her garden, among the flowers and surrounded by her 'chicken family'. I was at the stage, just before she died, of wondering whether she'd be better off out of it, but she didn't seem to be suffering at all, just slowing down.

[Cinnamon]

Thanks for this thread Richard - it is interesting & thought provoking.

 

I certainly could not do the deed myself - I just couldn't do it

 

When one of mine was poorly a while ago a neighbour of mine offered (in the nicest way) to "pull her neck" for me, but again I simply couldn't let him do that.

I would much rather go to the vets & get the job done quickly & properly, with no worry on my part if things may go wrong.

Apparantly its not as simple as one may think to despatch a hen with your bare hands

 

Also,to me they are pets & I could no more do a hands on job of sending them on their way than I could to my cat.

I do admire those who could though - they are made of tougher stuff than I am.

 

[UkButton]

I proberbly shouldn't be asking this as I have only had mine a short while But If you were to do a DIY dispatch what would you do. And secondly (more for Claret I suppose) What vet do you use and are they any good?

[Richard]

I proberbly shouldn't be asking this as I have only had mine a short while But If you were to do a DIY dispatch what would you do. And secondly (more for Claret I suppose) What vet do you use and are they any good?

 

I'll pm you with the details if you really want to know the mechanics; doing it by hand is quick and easy but for bigger birds I'd use an airgun.

 

For both there is a technique which, if you follow, makes it easy. However if you don't follow the right technique and/or don't follow it through firmly (I nearly said 'if you chicken out'), it can be difficult; let me know if you want the details by pm. as it might upset some folk to post them.

[UkButton]

Thaks Richard I would appriciate that. Not that I'm looking to go all Jason Bourne on them any time soon... Just incase they get partially foxed or somthing unfotunate happens and needs to be dealt with quickly.

[The Dogmother]

I proberbly shouldn't be asking this as I have only had mine a short while But If you were to do a DIY dispatch what would you do. And secondly (more for Claret I suppose) What vet do you use and are they any good?

 

I have been taught by Phil's dad to 'neck them' but I am concerned abotu not doing a quick or clean enough job myself (he and I discussed this when the bird flu crisis was bad last year and theer were hints that backyard hens would need to be culled an he offered to do it for me). I understand from various sources that decapitation - i.e. chopping off their head is quicker and 'cleaner' although you then have the blood to contend with

 

UkButton, I use Clive Madeiros at West Bar Vets - he is a poultry expert and is 'official show vet' at most of the county and royal agricultural shows, his second in command, David Shepherd is also very good. They have treated my chooks with care, affection, expertise and respect. Most importantly, this practice has a farm division, so they are used to dealing with farm animals and not just budgies and parrots. Please feel free to PM me if you need any other pointers regarding vets.

[nicki9]

A really thought provoking thread, thank you Richard. I think it is something that anyone who owns any pet considers, but particularly with chickens. I don't think I could do it, but until the time comes, who knows really.

However, it is really interesting hearing everyone's views on the more sombre side of chicken keeping.

[bronze]

I'll pm you with the details if you really want to know the mechanics; doing it by hand is quick and easy but for bigger birds I'd use an airgun.

 

 

This is how my friendly farmer will do mine.

One of my neighbours works at a chicken farm. Not something I like normally but would happily ask him to despatch one of my girls at home if needs be. I honestly don't think getting a vet to do it is any less stress free for the bird as they have to be taken out of their environment to do it. I'm comforatble with the idea and would willingly do it myself if I could practise without having to practise on the real thing if that makes sense. I would never want to do not it properly. Some people use a broom handle but I'm not quite sure how they do it. I'll ask my friend who breeds chickens how he does his as in those quantities theres noway he would be taking them to the vet.

[craftyhunnypie]

Hi Richard - I would have thought that if my sisters chooks were ever near to the ends of their lives, that her hubby would dispatch them. He is a farmer so I'm not sure how he would do it. I know he has a stunner for the turkeys they rear for Xmas.

Not a nice subject I know, but I'd never let a chook suffer. If I could do it, I would - but I'd be squeamish. SO it would be off to the vets for my chooks. But that is the only reason. If I was a bit tougher, then yes I would do it myself.

 

An interesting, but very good thread.

 

Emma.x

[Chickaboo]

Its all a horrible thought. But we wouldn't be talking about this if they were cats or dogs, so why would we 'dispose' of our chickens ourselves? I think you would have to be extremely confident in what your're doing, or it could be horrific. I feel I owe it to mine to have them put to sleep humanely by an expert.

[MisHapp]

if I had some 'training', i.e. seeing someone do it on other chickens, talking me through the process etc, I think I would rather do it myself.

 

However, I don't know any farmers or other experienced poultry keepers who could show me and I don't feel confident enough to follow written instructions. I'd want it to as quick and stress free as possible and I'm pretty certain I wouldn't be able to achieve that at the moment. So, if something happened now, I would take them to a vet. If I had the know how, I'd do it myself.

 

MH x

[foreveryoung]

hi i dont think this is a truely bad topic but one that must come into peeps minds if the problem occured!!!

 

me personally wouldnt be able to kill my hens no matter what the reason but my mother i thought would if the need was there!

 

emma xx

[Richard]

Its all a horrible thought. But we wouldn't be talking about this if they were cats or dogs, so why would we 'dispose' of our chickens ourselves? I think you would have to be extremely confident in what your're doing, or it could be horrific. I feel I owe it to mine to have them put to sleep humanely by an expert.

 

there's a good deal of sence in what you say - however I might argue in return that I actually agree with your last sentance; I also feel that I owe it to mine to have them put to sleep humanely by an expert. The difference is that I feel it is less stressfull for me to do it, in our garden, when the hen is relaxed and unstressed than take them to a strange place for a stranger to do it. Also a stranger who may well not see very many hens, which makes him less of an expert than me.

 

If I had been able to do it for my dog when she was really poorly last year I would have (it would have been kinder, as it was we had to wait through the night and go to the vet next morning for her to be put down)- I didn't feel that I could, so I used the vet to do it for me.

 

Its very much who you are and what you feel confident in doing. whatever each of us thinks, we all want, and hopefully get, the best for our girls - the important thing is that we are all thinking about it and making sure that we have thought any decision and its ramifications well through.

 

Oh dear - that sounds ever so pompous. I'm sorry.

 

Only 140-ish still to go. Woops, wrong thread.

[Cinnamon]

The other pets thing was a point I made a few posts ago too.

 

The thing is, I am sure that a hen would pick up on the stress that a person who was not expert at despatching might feel, especially if it was their first time. I guess that once you have done it a few times, then you would be more confident.....but those first few times ?

 

I am for leaving it to the experts - people who are trained & qualified. My own vets are lovely & have sent a couple of my hens on their way for me.They always do it quickly, calmly,quietly & without fuss, & that is all I could ever ask

[Mrs Frugal]

I couldn't do it myself but I was talking to my farmer friend this afternoon and he said he'd dispatch any of my hens for me, quickly and painlessly if I ever needed him to. I certainly couldn't do it myself because I'd be so worried that I was going to hurt them or botch it and cause distress. I'd either take them to the vets or ask Eggy to do the deed for me if I thought that they were suffering if ill.

[chelsea]

my husband is a fully qualified butcher and did butchering for 18 years before being made almost redundant and then he moved onto chicken catching.

 

He has been shown how to properly and humanely despatch of chickens as he has to do it at work (if any poorly ones)

 

With our own family pets, he would definitely offer to "do the deed" if required,but there is NO WAY i would let him, I would rather the chicken went to the vets and was put to sleep peacefully by an injection and not the other way!

[Ladylucan]

My DH could do it, but i couldnt, it would break my heart to have to end the life of one of my pets, xx

[Hen Watch]

No experience on this myself.

 

However I did read an article on all the different ways of despatching a chicken in Practical Poultry Magazine. A 2-part article covered in both May and June 2007 back issues. It was interesting, informative and very thought provoking.

[Laura & CTB]

it would break my heart to have to end the life of one of my pets, xx

 

Same here Tracey

I bought my hens as pets with the responsibility of caring for them and knowing that there may be expensive vet bills involved.

There's no way I could do it myself, it would haunt me forever.

 

When I had to have my cat put to sleep I was there with him stroking him and kissing his head - my chickens would be no different.