A Squeemish Subject: Euthanasia

[Arret]

I am a newbie to chickens, who's first three buff orpington "pullets" turned out to be cockerels. Sigh. They are four months old now, and family pets, darn it. We live on a tiny urban lot, and roosters aren't allowed. Plus, I have two bantom hens that are a third the size of my buff cockerels. So I am interested in preparing for the day they may need to be humanely put down. I couldn't axe them myself. I chop wood and my aim is awful!

So I am reading this thread with interest....

 

[ekemily]

I am just returning from taking my dog to the vet. I asked him about the dry ice method. He said that this method is considered to be cruel and inhumane. He says that chopping off the head or the broomstick method is preferrable, if the vet is not used. He said that for humans, the bad part about having their head chopped off is the anticipation/stress leading up to it. For chickens, it is less likely. They don't know it's coming. He said that most individuals without a background and proper training in the creation of gas chambers would more than likely torture the bird that would either die a slow death or have to be removed from the chamber and dispatched in other ways. In a chamber, the bird jumps and flails around trying to find a space that has enough oxygen to breathe. They don't know why they can't breathe and become very stressed. They eventually suffocate if your carbon dioxide levels are high enough.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree with that vet.

 

[Feral tabby]

Quote:
Thank you so much for posting this. Dry ice kills by releasing CO2, which causes suffocation. If not done quickly using high levels (usually only possible on very small animals) it can result in a lot of panic and pain. It's a horrible way to go and has been made illegal to use on animals in many states (although, unfortunately, there are still some that use barbaric gas chambers).

I haven't yet had to face this issue. I'm a city dweller so could use a vet if necessary, although my husband believes he would be comfortable using cervical dislocation. Cervical dislocation is used commonly by wildlife experts. I once brought an injured barn owl to a Fish and Wildlife field station that was nearby, and their techs dispatched the owl using this method. I was glad he didn't have to suffer a slow death lying in the hot field I found him in

 

[kari_dawn]

fair enough, I can concede to being wrong, but I still believe the importance of discussions of different methods without ridiculing those that can't handle decapitation.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Quote:
I think people can handle a lot more than they think they can.

 

[Beekissed]

I believe this is so also. It's really a matter of choice. You either choose to do something or not to do it and how you "handle" it is subjective....but you can still choose to DO it. Coping mechanisms are meant to be developed to enrich one's life and provide for survival, either physically or emotionally.

I'm not stating that cutting a chicken's throat is meant to enrich you, merely pointing out that defeating the fear or squeamishness of doing so can only make you stronger and more resilient, so that you can face doing undesirable tasks a little better than previously.

Down the road you may face something even grittier and just maybe you'll "handle" it with more resolve if you have already conquered things of a similar nature.

 

[ekemily]

I am glad that you are getting all of this information ahead of time, before you are "mentally stuck'' like many people when they have a dying pet. My frustration is directed at people that actively have a dying animal while they are trying to figure out a way to kill it. Also, being wrong is a great thing, as long as you discover the truth, which is the entire point of your post. I have been wrong too many times to count!!
I can fully understand not wanting to kill an animal without a decent reason. It's not like I walk around the chicken yard killing at random for the sheer pleasure of it.
But when it's time to eat, or I have a sick/injured animal beyond repair, I do what is necessary right then and there. I don't then say... ''hmmmmm.... I bet I can go build some sort of contraption to make your death that much more agonizing." Then, I spend hours researching, pondering and building while the animal is still dying a slow death that could have been done and over by now. Then, I put the animal in my contraption and hear it gasping and flapping around to the point where I take it out and then find someone to do what should have been done in the first place. My vet also said yesterday that if you're not willing to take what comes with raising animals, then you should not have them unless you are going to visit the vet every time. Most chicken owners are not going to go to the vet to euthanize. If you have problems killing a grown chicken, then I implore you not to hatch any of your own babies. Having to cull baby chicks because of some sort of malfunction is hard for me to do, but I buck up and do it. The sooner the better. You're also going to get roosters, so plan ahead. We eat our roosters after they have a nice life of free ranging, treats from the kitchen and chases around the yard.

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
Very good post....

There are many unpleasant responsibilities that come with managing "farm animals" and farming that one should fully understand before keeping chickens or....

Even if kept as pets....

 

[Avalon1984]

Quote:
X2. I am glad the people on this forum helped me through this process of euthansia and it was a worthwhile experience in that it made me feel like I was able to do the deed quickly and end the animals suffering. When you live on the farm you don't always have immediate access to a vet or there simply is no vet for your kind of animal. It helps to know how to do the last and final act of human compassion and end the suffering of a sick animal.