euthanasia

[lydiagirl99]

I'm definitely a baby when it comes to my chickens. I do not judge anyone on any method they use, but I can personally only do euthanasia at a vet. It was $25 but worth it for me. I love each of my babies and wouldn't be able to watch the light go out in their eyes at my own hand, or think something could go wrong and cause more pain. My rooster Prince came down with Mareks disease. It was very sad to see a once proud rooster not even be able to walk anymore. After the vet did what needed to be done, she brought him out all wrapped in a towel and in the box I provided and proceeded to give me a clay mold of his foot. Just overall a wonderful experience for a sad day.

Here Is my wonderful Prince and the clay mold they gave me.

 

[ejcrist]

Thanks, ejcrist. Even though we only keep layers, it was bound to happen sooner or later. The cone method does look quicker. I'm a bit apprehensive about all the blood associated with the cone method but it something I need to overcome.

Hi NancyAnn and well done for biting the bullet and dealing with a difficult situation. I know it is not easy. I use the broomstick method to cull my excess cockerels and I find it reasonably fool proof. I have tried cutting the jugular once they have been despatched with the broom, to bleed them out, but it has always taken me several attempts to get through the skin and feathers to the blood vessel and so I am not confident of doing it on a live bird.

I hope you are not wasting him and he is now resting in the fridge for a few days before hitting the crock pot.

Best wishes

Barbara.

Yep, no problem. I'm guessing back in the day people living in the the US and Europe didn't have as much a problem doing it because most kept chickens for food and eggs, so the thought of not butchering one would be sinful since food and money was a lot scarcer than it is today. Also a lot more of the population lived on farms whereas nowadays most live in cities/suburbs and few if any depend on their poultry for food. So I think in general people's attitudes were a lot different than they are today. Their appetites for chicken is the same but most people are very insulated from what goes on to bring that bird to the table.

I agree with Barbara and the people from back in the day that we shouldn't let them go to waste even though we don't necessarily depend on them for food, so it's good to learn the skill of butchering. I always tell people that are getting ready to do it for the first time to remember that they are livestock, and that is why people have domesticated and raised livestock for eons. Also there are a lot of hungry people in the world so it seems a shame not to do it when it's practical. When I keep that in mind it makes it a lot easier. I view my final responsibility as a chicken raiser is to give them as quick and painless a death as possible. These are all just my opinions and I'm sure other people have their own ideas that are just as valid.

I wish I could beam over to your backyard to show you how to do it so you could see how easy it is.Whether you use the broomstick method or the jugular, after they check out they'll flap around a bit but that's just nerves so don't worry about it. If they're in the cone there won't be much if any flapping because they're secured in the cone. If you find you just can't do it, don't sweat it - you're still a responsible chicken owner. You'll just have to find someone to give or sell him to. I've bought roosters in the past and there are people out there that might need him for one thing or another I'm sure. Whatever you end up doing I wish you luck. Feel free to post or PM if you have any questions.

 

[ejcrist]

I'm definitely a baby when it comes to my chickens. I do not judge anyone on any method they use, but I can personally only do euthanasia at a vet. It was $25 but worth it for me. I love each of my babies and wouldn't be able to watch the light go out in their eyes at my own hand, or think something could go wrong and cause more pain. My rooster Prince came down with Mareks disease. It was very sad to see a once proud rooster not even be able to walk anymore. After the vet did what needed to be done, she brought him out all wrapped in a towel and in the box I provided and proceeded to give me a clay mold of his foot. Just overall a wonderful experience for a sad day.

Here Is my wonderful Prince and the clay mold they gave me.

He's a very pretty fellow. Even though I process my own I completely understand how you feel. I'm the exact same way about my dogs. I still have PTSD from the first dog we took to the vet to put down. I'm glad my wife was with me when we had to put down a Springer Spaniel we had a number of years ago when we found out he had stomach cancer - I was a basket case believe me. So yeah, I certainly don't judge anyone's decision when our animals reach the end of the line. It's a very personal thing and I respect everyone's decision on what works best for them and their animal.

 

[NancyAnn]

Beautiful! Sorry for your loss.