Dying pullet :-(

[technodoll]

My poor Julia is on her last legs, and I cannot bring myself to cull her to ease her suffering.

DH can't do it either.

I feel like such a failure.

If she's still alive tomorrow afternoon, my friend will take her back to his place and do the kind thing for me, with an axe. I can't even be near, I can't watch, it will kill me with grief.

This black sexlink is about 9 months old and has never laid, she's been ill since december and i can't do anything for her anymore. she is skin and bones, she is terribly weak and can hardly stand without stumbling. Her legs shake, she uses her wings for balance. She spends her days puffed into a ball, her eyes old and pleading. She's not eating or drinking anymore. She didn't come to get treats today, staying instead alone in a corner of the dirt-bath coop.

I held her and kissed her head and cried, told her I'm so very sorry that I can't fix her.

I think it's cancer or some sort of organ failure, I've tried everything to no avail.

I don't want her to suffer anymore, yet I don't want her last moments to be in fear and stress...

Please, please send prayers for this girl, that god will be so kind as to let her die in her sleep tonight, in the home she's always known, where she is loved.

My heart is broken

 

[jerseygirl1]

Oh, I am so sorry!!!!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I'm so sorry!!!

 

[KKatknap]

I know how you feel.

I'm so sorry.

 

[patandchickens]

I'm sorry you're going through this.

But without wanting to sound judgemental or mean, I just have to say that maybe this is the time for you to LEARN to put an animal out of its misery. It is part of the responsibility of animal ownership, IMHO, especially when you buy chickens that you know have problems and keep them in conditions that you know are not perfect (it is fine to DO those things of course, but you have to be prepared to carry through with your end of the deal with the chicken if things end badly, you know?).

The chicken's suffering is more important than a person's delicate feelings or heebie-jeebies, IMO.

Best of luck,

Pat

 

[technodoll]

Thanks everyone...

I've reached middle ground and will ask my friend to do the deed here, tomorrow afternoon.

I can then bury her, at least...

My heart's waaaay to sensitive to deal with death, any kind of death. I hate squashing a spider

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I know how you feel. I can't do it either! That is why before I got chickens I made hubby promise me that he would be able to do that part (knowing the time would come) and he did agree since he wanted the fresh eggs as well. He has been able to and has had to do it three times now

He doesn't like to that's for sure but he will for the chickens sake. He hates to see things suffer. Your doing the right thing by having him come there and doing that for you.

 

[technodoll]

I asked hubby to do it and he won't, but he wants to learn...

Dark times.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I agree with Pat that this is the time for you to step up and take care of your chicken yourself. That is a part of animal ownership whether it's a cat, a chicken, or cattle. If you can't bring yourself to do this when it needs to be done you really ought to re-home your birds now, because this may be the first time it's become neccesary, but I can promise it won't be the last. None of us enjoy having to put an animal down but it comes with having them.

 

[technodoll]

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

I want no part of killing any animal, no matter what. I'm truly missing the kill gene, it makes me throw up and very, very ill.

If a forced death is what's needed, others can take care of that for me behind closed doors.

That's what vets and friends are for, they understand.

From the lady who cried for two days when her minuscule fish died