6 months with severe egg yolk perionitis, Bonnie RIP

[AbbyDog]

Our Bonnie, a RIR, was an outstanding layer for about a year and a half. Then she stopped laying...but seemed normal otherwise. That was a year and a half ago. About 6 months ago, we noticed her starting to swell with ascites. However, for several months, she still seemed to feel OK otherwise- good appetite and normal behavior other than being a bit swollen. I was optimistic that she might recover.Then one day, she went to standing like a penguin with her abdomen touching the ground, and the rest of the flock turned on her. I had to separate her as they would have killed her and I could not bear to watch. After being sad and lonely in her own coop for nearly a month, I finally realized that I was prolonging her agony- and my own. Tonight, an old friend was in town and he wrung her neck. However, we did it in the dark, and were worried that perhaps she wasn't dead as she was still moving some, and we were scared to turn on a light, so then we used the broomstick over her neck method- well, that did it as her head came off. I figure that she was probably dead from the start but we made sure. Was not pleasant but i sure feel relieved now. Will bury her in the morning.
It is so hard to take a life, especially with a chicken as personable as Bonnie was! I say this with 10 young CornishX chicks in the brooder.

 

[CMV]

I am sorry. You did the right thing. She is no longer suffering.