NewAmericauna
Hatching
- May 2, 2016
- 4
- 17
- 9
Hello all - like some others, I wanted to share my experience with euthanizing our sweet girl, Spruce. I found some references to euthanasia by dry ice, but couldn't find anyone who'd had a direct experience with an adult bird so wanted to share mine.
Background: I am a new chicken owner living in a suburban area (six chicken limit), and we just got four birds back in March. We purchased adult birds already of laying age since we really wanted to start out with eggs. We got two birds from one farm and two from another - I wanted diversity in egg color so we got a barred rock, a white Brahma, and two Americaunas, an olive egger and a blue egger. The blue egger was Spruce, and the previous owner told us she had been picked on by the other birds so had stopped laying, but was largely recovered and should start again soon. She looked a little rough and we probably should have passed, but I really wanted those blue eggs <sigh>.
Anyway, she turned out to be a really lovely bird, absolutely top of the pecking order but a good little flock leader. She wasn't loud but very vocal and would walk around and "grumble." She also had one of those perpetually grumpy expressions, so I called her Grumble Fluff.
They all settled in nicely (thanks to SO much great advice I read here!!). Spruce started looking great, and within 3 weeks her comb turned a nice bright red and she started to visit the nesting box. One day, she went it and sounded for all the world like she was finally laying an egg - purred, egg song, the whole works. She finished and proudly strutted out. With great excitement I went to collect our first egg...and nothing. This is when I first started to learn about internal laying.
For the next week or so, she was just fine. She was the friendliest hen, absolutely went NUTS for meal worms, and would happily hop into my lap for treats. One day I noticed just how heavy she'd gotten. Her abdomen was full and spongy. Then she got diarrhea (very liquidy stuff, white and green), and I was pretty sure she had egg yolk peritonitis. Our vet (who does home visits) did take a look at her and agreed. Although we treated her, as many of you know there's no cure and many birds never recover. A few days after the diarrhea Spruce really started to go downhill. I gave her baths and kept her eating, but then she refused even her favorite treat of meal worms. We knew her end was near; she looked miserable. After two days she still hadn't passed away and we knew it was time to help her move on. All the pressure on her internal organs probably meant she was in pain.
Being my first chicken experience, I have found I get much more attached than I thought I would (no surprise to many of you I know). Although I agree cervical dislocation seems to be the fastest way, I'd never seen it done and no way was I ready to face that method (let alone decapitation). Also, because of the internal pressure in her abdomen, putting her on her side or even stretching her neck had the potential for causing a lot of pain. By this time, Spruce was 90% gone already - she was super weak and hadn't moved from her spot in the coop for almost 48 hours. I did my homework and we finally decided to use the dry ice method. DH helped. We placed two tubs into a larger, deep Tupperware bin (about 24" long x 16" wide x 16" deep). On the two inner bins, one was large enough to hold Spruce and the other big enough to hold the dry ice. We put Spruce in, and I got her settled to where she was laying down vs. on her feet. I draped a towel over her wings and head to keep her calmer, and in case she flapped. While I held her in place, DH put the dry ice (just a small block about 10" x 5" x 1") in the other container and poured just a little water over it to release the vapors. Much of the reason I choose this method was because the CO2 gas stays at the bottom (and you can actually see the vapor, thus have some control over the amount). Therefore I could keep hands on Spruce until the very end. DH put the lid of the bin halfway over to keep vapors inside, although I don't even think that was necessary. She didn't struggle, but as the CO2 entered her system she did have about 5 spasms (each weaker than the next), then she was gone. I was really, really glad to be holding on to her: for the comfort to her, because I could feel how quickly it worked, and because it was really important she didn't flail around and burn herself on the dry ice. The whole process took only 5 minutes and I think it was less than 60 seconds from when the gas reached her to when I felt her last spasm. I wouldn't call it "peaceful" but it was quick and nonviolent. Although I knew she was gone, I closed the lid and left her in there for about 15 minutes just to be extra careful (and to give myself a break!) I cried the entire time - really glad I didn't have to use a backup method. One of the toughest things I've ever had to do, but I am at peace with how it went and knowing we ended her suffering.
Of course I am very sad and will remember this always, but it was not traumatic for her of for us.
FYI I would not really advocate this method with a more vibrant adult bird - I think they could start to panic when they couldn't breath. Maybe it would work, but I think other methods would be better. But this worked really well for a very sick bird.
Thanks to BYC (and members) for all of the excellent information you all provide!
I hope this post helps give others an idea of one of the options. Yesterday was a very sad day, but I know she's in a better place.
Background: I am a new chicken owner living in a suburban area (six chicken limit), and we just got four birds back in March. We purchased adult birds already of laying age since we really wanted to start out with eggs. We got two birds from one farm and two from another - I wanted diversity in egg color so we got a barred rock, a white Brahma, and two Americaunas, an olive egger and a blue egger. The blue egger was Spruce, and the previous owner told us she had been picked on by the other birds so had stopped laying, but was largely recovered and should start again soon. She looked a little rough and we probably should have passed, but I really wanted those blue eggs <sigh>.
Anyway, she turned out to be a really lovely bird, absolutely top of the pecking order but a good little flock leader. She wasn't loud but very vocal and would walk around and "grumble." She also had one of those perpetually grumpy expressions, so I called her Grumble Fluff.
They all settled in nicely (thanks to SO much great advice I read here!!). Spruce started looking great, and within 3 weeks her comb turned a nice bright red and she started to visit the nesting box. One day, she went it and sounded for all the world like she was finally laying an egg - purred, egg song, the whole works. She finished and proudly strutted out. With great excitement I went to collect our first egg...and nothing. This is when I first started to learn about internal laying.
For the next week or so, she was just fine. She was the friendliest hen, absolutely went NUTS for meal worms, and would happily hop into my lap for treats. One day I noticed just how heavy she'd gotten. Her abdomen was full and spongy. Then she got diarrhea (very liquidy stuff, white and green), and I was pretty sure she had egg yolk peritonitis. Our vet (who does home visits) did take a look at her and agreed. Although we treated her, as many of you know there's no cure and many birds never recover. A few days after the diarrhea Spruce really started to go downhill. I gave her baths and kept her eating, but then she refused even her favorite treat of meal worms. We knew her end was near; she looked miserable. After two days she still hadn't passed away and we knew it was time to help her move on. All the pressure on her internal organs probably meant she was in pain.
Being my first chicken experience, I have found I get much more attached than I thought I would (no surprise to many of you I know). Although I agree cervical dislocation seems to be the fastest way, I'd never seen it done and no way was I ready to face that method (let alone decapitation). Also, because of the internal pressure in her abdomen, putting her on her side or even stretching her neck had the potential for causing a lot of pain. By this time, Spruce was 90% gone already - she was super weak and hadn't moved from her spot in the coop for almost 48 hours. I did my homework and we finally decided to use the dry ice method. DH helped. We placed two tubs into a larger, deep Tupperware bin (about 24" long x 16" wide x 16" deep). On the two inner bins, one was large enough to hold Spruce and the other big enough to hold the dry ice. We put Spruce in, and I got her settled to where she was laying down vs. on her feet. I draped a towel over her wings and head to keep her calmer, and in case she flapped. While I held her in place, DH put the dry ice (just a small block about 10" x 5" x 1") in the other container and poured just a little water over it to release the vapors. Much of the reason I choose this method was because the CO2 gas stays at the bottom (and you can actually see the vapor, thus have some control over the amount). Therefore I could keep hands on Spruce until the very end. DH put the lid of the bin halfway over to keep vapors inside, although I don't even think that was necessary. She didn't struggle, but as the CO2 entered her system she did have about 5 spasms (each weaker than the next), then she was gone. I was really, really glad to be holding on to her: for the comfort to her, because I could feel how quickly it worked, and because it was really important she didn't flail around and burn herself on the dry ice. The whole process took only 5 minutes and I think it was less than 60 seconds from when the gas reached her to when I felt her last spasm. I wouldn't call it "peaceful" but it was quick and nonviolent. Although I knew she was gone, I closed the lid and left her in there for about 15 minutes just to be extra careful (and to give myself a break!) I cried the entire time - really glad I didn't have to use a backup method. One of the toughest things I've ever had to do, but I am at peace with how it went and knowing we ended her suffering.
Of course I am very sad and will remember this always, but it was not traumatic for her of for us.
FYI I would not really advocate this method with a more vibrant adult bird - I think they could start to panic when they couldn't breath. Maybe it would work, but I think other methods would be better. But this worked really well for a very sick bird.
Thanks to BYC (and members) for all of the excellent information you all provide!
I hope this post helps give others an idea of one of the options. Yesterday was a very sad day, but I know she's in a better place.
Folks here second guessing and saying we should have done it their way can have their opinion, but personally I think they should have done it the way I chose...
