Am I an horrible person to consider euthanizing?

[MetroMutt]

True, but it is natural to want fellow human companionship.

Yes but it just because people want it doesnt mean its better necessarily.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I am sorry you are having troubles. I have some chickens that have challenges, but I am not culling, but they can self care so that is good. I have 2 hens that have eye issues. One was hatched with one eye, and one got a tumor causing one eye to go cloudy. They still get to hang out. I have a rooster who was star gazzy as a shipped chick, now is just a goofy rooster. He is too sweet to cull, but he will never breed (can't focus) and i don't think he will crow. But he is cuddle-y and sweet, and doesn't need help to thrive.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

No, you are not a horrible person. Culling this rooster sounds like the most sensible and humane option, given his condition and your situation. You have too much on your plate to care for this chicken, which will probably not end well for him anyway. Set your priorities. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anybody else. So you have to be number one. Then, if you don't take care of your relationship, your marriage, everything else goes down the tubes. Divorce is a loss for everybody. So respecting your husband's needs is second. You probably have enough energy to meet the needs of your job, which is #3, and you can't afford to sacrifice that. You are committed to your dogs. They are long time members of the family, but now you're juggling an awful lot and spreading yourself pretty thin. You can't do everything. Unfortunately a high-needs chicken is going to upset the entire applecart and may cost you more than you can afford. Is he worth it? Is he worth risking husband, home, job, dogs, relations with neighbors, mental and physical exhaustion, when there is a good chance he will die anyway? That is the question only you can answer. Good luck.

 

[FlockOFun]

I am struggling with my rooster's wry neck. We have been treating him for about two weeks but he is not getting better. People keep telling me that it can take months to heal. Am I a horrible person for not wanting to treat this for months? For considering euthanasia?


1. I work in a very stressful field. I am a Special Education Teacher's Assistant at a residential treatment facility for children who are a danger to themselves or others. I also function as a mental health technician and also help out in the kitchen. By the time I get home I am emotionally and physically drained.

2. My husband has OCD and feces is one of his big issues. This means I have to wear gloves every time I touch the chicken or anything the chicken touches. He tries to help but his issues limit how much he can help. Having a poop machine in the house is freaking him out.

The chickens are my pets, he had no interest in chickens.

We are also struggling as a couple and talking about divorce. This added stress is not helping.

3. My dogs have medical issues. My 14yr old dog has dementia and cancer. My 8 yr old dog has epilepsy. This is eating up most of our available money.

4. Im not actually allowed to have roosters and I rent a home with close neighbors even thoughI live in the boonies. I rehomed all of the other roosters. Harley has always been my favorite and we decided we would keep him if he remained quiet. He has started crowing.

5. I want to hatch chicks eventually. Several breeders suggested that I not use him as a breeder because we can't be sure what is triggering his wry neck.

6. I know chickens are flock animals and separating him seems to add more stress. My two older (9mo) layers peck him. His only friend is Dorcus, whom we got from the same breeder at the same time as Harley. The other three roosters were rehomed a couple of days before the wry neck symptoms started.

I've never had to make this decision before... Help! Advice please!

So sorry you are having to deal with so much at once. You are not a horrible person for considering this option. If he is suffering, that seems a humane thing to do. I agree with those who say not to breed him and I think that hatching and caring for chicks sounds like fun, but may add more weight to an already full plate!

 

[alpinewelsummer]

Might be unpopular, but I don't believe in draining every penny, drop of energy, and ounce of happiness for even the most beloved animal. It's not cruelty, it's loving yourself enough to not tear your life to shreds. I've rehomed/euth'd when a battle ahead just didn't seem like something I could handle. Would you want your family to drain everything and suffer if you were ill? Of course not. At some point you'd want to let go for their sake.

I'd like to think, if your little roo had our intelligence, that he'd feel the same. He'd be grateful for all you gave him and he'd want you to be happy, too. Don't beat yourself up over the situation, and I'm so sorry you're going through it.