ColoradoGirl321
Hatching
- Aug 7, 2023
- 2
- 9
- 4
Hello, everyone. I'm not sure if this is the proper place to post this, but I couldn't find a better category. This is graphic, so please, if you are already having a difficult week, don't continue reading. This experience has traumatized me to the point of being able to think of little else for days now.
After a gaze of raccoons attacked my hens one night, I ended up having to euthanize a hen who was left suffering. Unfortunately, I think I made her suffer worse than what she already had been. I am feeling very traumatized by this, so I may not be remembering everything accurately. I used the broomstick method, and after I pulled up on her legs, I swear I felt several pops, instead of just one. I don't remember if she flapped or not; as I said, it was a very traumatizing experience for me. Anyway, I gathered her up, because I thought she was was dead, but after what felt like a couple of minutes, I could feel her breathing. Imagine my horror?!?! So, obviously, I took her back in the shed and did it again. This time, I remember for sure that she started flapping (although I don't remember if I felt a pop) and died. I did notice afterward that her beak was shattered.
So, not only did she have to go through that twice, but for her beak to be shattered, I can only assume that at some point the broom slipped and was on top of her head or her face was tucked under. If I am remembering correctly, why several pops with the tug, instead of just one? The only thing I could think of was that maybe several vertebra dislocated? And if I pulled hard enough to dislocate several vertebra, wouldn't it have dislocated the head, too? I'm wondering why she didn't die with the first try? For this reason, I don't think I will ever have chickens again. I'm not willing to practice, until I get good at euthanizing. Has anyone had something similar happen? Any ideas what I may have done wrong?
After a gaze of raccoons attacked my hens one night, I ended up having to euthanize a hen who was left suffering. Unfortunately, I think I made her suffer worse than what she already had been. I am feeling very traumatized by this, so I may not be remembering everything accurately. I used the broomstick method, and after I pulled up on her legs, I swear I felt several pops, instead of just one. I don't remember if she flapped or not; as I said, it was a very traumatizing experience for me. Anyway, I gathered her up, because I thought she was was dead, but after what felt like a couple of minutes, I could feel her breathing. Imagine my horror?!?! So, obviously, I took her back in the shed and did it again. This time, I remember for sure that she started flapping (although I don't remember if I felt a pop) and died. I did notice afterward that her beak was shattered.
So, not only did she have to go through that twice, but for her beak to be shattered, I can only assume that at some point the broom slipped and was on top of her head or her face was tucked under. If I am remembering correctly, why several pops with the tug, instead of just one? The only thing I could think of was that maybe several vertebra dislocated? And if I pulled hard enough to dislocate several vertebra, wouldn't it have dislocated the head, too? I'm wondering why she didn't die with the first try? For this reason, I don't think I will ever have chickens again. I'm not willing to practice, until I get good at euthanizing. Has anyone had something similar happen? Any ideas what I may have done wrong?
Yeah, I've had a couple of epic euthanasia fails similar to yours, so we decided to invest in a euthanasia chamber and that works very well.
