Sorry for your situation Ann. No easy answer. If I were trying to humanely kill a hen I didn't plan to eat I would use a shotgun with a head shot at close range. Hard to miss , quick and effective. I've killed roosters using various methods and all were disturbing and unpleasant.
I'm not sure what kind of birds are in those pictures. We got these from a friend who got them from some lady, so they're a mystery to us. We've had eggs from that black one for a couple years now, but they've never been that big before.
I'd love to know what types they are so the wife and I...
My guess is the red was laying the smaller ones seen on the left in the carton and the bossy hen is laying the mid sized ones. Do hens normal lay small pullets and then start laying giant eggs like that without laying any size in between?
We aren't sure which hen is laying which eggs. The answer to the mystery is to watch them lay, but that's not an easy thing for two people with busy schedules.
Up until recently we thought we only had two laying. We have two older hens, age unknown and one young Rhode Island Red.
Here is the...
My first time "retiring" some roosters was just last year, but I doubt I'll ever forget it. Even with a sharp knife it seemed like they suffered too long. Helps me to think about how well they were taken care of; sheltered, fed, free roaming, yada yada.
Next time I'll try an axe. I've heard...
Bummed to hear about that. Coyotes have killed some of ours before. We did have one that went missing for a week until we found her under an old freezer with a pile of eggs. I hope yours turns up also.