Euthanasia

[MotherOfChickens]

I have a hen with a blocked, sour, pendulous crop. I've been massaging it. Giving her monistat and stool softener. It hasn't fixed the issue and now she has stopped eating.

I am looking to humanly euthanize her by internal decapitation but I'm so scared I will botch it. How hard is it to do?

 

[DobieLover]

I have a hen with a blocked, sour, pendulous crop. I've been massaging it. Giving her monistat and stool softener. It hasn't fixed the issue and now she has stopped eating.

I am looking to humanly euthanize her by internal decapitation but I'm so scared I will botch it. How hard is it to do?

I've never done it. This describes how to do it and seems straight forward. But it is very hands on.
I've read of the "broomstick" method going "wrong" in that the head got pulled off.
Others have also made a gas chamber and used ether to euthanize.
No matter how you go about doing it, my condolences to you. But it sounds like you are doing the right thing as most crop issues are the result of serious reproductive issues.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I've never done it. This describes how to do it and seems straight forward. But it is very hands on.
I've read of the "broomstick" method going "wrong" in that the head got pulled off.
Others have also made a gas chamber and used ether to euthanize.
No matter how you go about doing it, my condolences to you. But it sounds like you are doing the right thing as most crop issues are the result of serious reproductive issues.

Thank you! Maybe I will try the ether route!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I've never done it. This describes how to do it and seems straight forward. But it is very hands on.
I've read of the "broomstick" method going "wrong" in that the head got pulled off.
Others have also made a gas chamber and used ether to euthanize.
No matter how you go about doing it, my condolences to you. But it sounds like you are doing the right thing as most crop issues are the result of serious reproductive issues.

Ok, maybe not ether. I read on full grown hens it is slower and causes convulsions.

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

Ok, maybe not ether. I read on full grown hens it is slower and causes convulsions.

We used the gas chamber method on a adult rooster once, it worked well for us.

 

[BantyChooks]

I prefer manual cervical dislocation. In my opinion, it is easier to get an actual dislocation between the skull and c1 instead of c1 and c2 (slower death for the bird) this way. If you don't know if you've pulled hard enough, pull harder. You will absolutely feel it give when you've done it right. And if you misjudge and pull too hard, the worst that happens is the outer skin layer tears. The bird's still dead. When properly performed, the neck will appear slightly elongated afterwards and you'll feel only the outer layers of skin when you touch the break site. Corneal reflexes show that death occurs almost instantly due to the back portion of the brain being destroyed.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/how-to-humanely-euthanize-chicken-by-dr/

 

[DobieLover]

Ok, maybe not ether. I read on full grown hens it is slower and causes convulsions.

Please read the entire article. There are people who use ether to euthanize a full grown chicken. I believe I read where someone also used it on a turkey and intentionally used a clear plastic container so they could watch. There were no convulsions or gasping.

 

[jolenesdad]

I just had to do this for my first time. Let me find the link to a video @aart posted for broomstick method.

 

[jolenesdad]

Broomstick Method Video Shared by Aart

I’m so sorry you are having to go through this. I was personally taken aback by the amount of flapping from my hen that was unbelievably weak to begin with. I put her in a towel to hold close while she flapped fairly intensely after death.

cervical dislocation is the only approved humane method of euthanasia by vets. Gassing may feel better for us, but apparently it’s not easy for them.

 

[aart]

Broomstick Method Video Shared by Aart

You will have to click "watch this video on youtube" ...
....it won't play on the forum anymore.