First Cull, Didn't go so well

[Dinoroar]

So sorry it happened that way. Try and take care of yourself. You can know that your not alone, all of us who care for animals will pass through times we cause suffering and it’s always a heavy thing to carry. But it’s a cost of being close to life cycles. Try to be kind to yourself and remember that you gave her the best life you could.

 

[BantyChooks]

So sorry. I've found that such difficulties with manual CD often occur when the head isn't tilted back enough to allow the joints to align for easy dislocation.

 

[NightingaleJen]

I am so sorry.

 

[hysop]

We had a mean rooster once, he was my first ever rooster, that we put down. Well my husband cut the air pipe or artery or whatever but I stood by and watched and it looked painful, it didn’t look quick. I cried and cried and even had multiple dreams of that rooster for weeks after. And this wasn’t a bird I loved, he was mean.

So I can’t imagine how you feel with a bird you dearly loved.

On a side note, we no longer use that method of culling. We do the quick and painless, relax them then chop their head off on a tree stump with an ax. (well my husband does, I don’t think I can bring myself to do it, at least not while there’s someone willing to do it for me).

 

[Flockincrazy]

So sorry

 

[linsybird]

I’m so sorry you had that happen. I had to cull my first hen couple moths ago, and it was really hard. I used the broomstick method, but I didn’t step on the broom hard enough at first (because I didn’t want it to hurt her) and that was a mistake. Her head pulled through it and I had to chase her around the yard to catch her to try again.

I’m dreading the day I have to do it again. I had another hen who was sick and near the end. Instead of culling her, I ended up advertising her on the a local chicken group and found someone who wanted to try and heal her. It worked out well for both of us. She got a free hen, I didn’t have to cull a chicken.

 

[Neggative]

Culling is by far the worst part of owning chickens,or any animal... what I think is the best way is to shoot them with a .22 8n the head... they literally never now a thing... not even a moment of pain.... but if you live in the city and cant shoot or dont have any guns I dunno....

 

[Neggative]

Sorry about your chickenwhy is it that the ones you love most get sick and need to be culled or get killed...

 

[rosemarythyme]

So sorry to hear about that. My first cull, I also tried doing a cervical dislocation on a hen that had been attacked by a hawk, but I just couldn't get the angle right, or pull correctly, because I couldn't get it to "pop." As hubby wasn't home from work to help, and because I didn't want her to keep suffering, I instead got a branch cutter and snapped her neck that way.

Absolutely not how I wanted things to go but I try to remind myself that I did the right thing by ending it as quick as I possibly could for her.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I don't know what I will do now if another emergency arises. I can't figure out what we did so wrong.

So sorry for your loss and even more your awful experience.

What you did wrong was absolutely nothing! You did your very best. Unfortunately these things do often take practice to get confidently correct.. and EVEN then that doesn't make it easy. My first broomstick attempt went almost exactly as you describe it and it was horrifying. My first cone attempt did NOT got perfect either. Fortunately neither were treasured pets, which would surely have been even worse.

For future incidents.. maybe having a vet euthanize would be less traumatic for you. Or try to find a chicken friend that might be able to help out, even if that means you might help their bird out when the time comes. Blah blah blah all the suggestions I can come up with won't change how you are feeling right now.

We are here for you and many of us have experienced this horror first hand and truly understand. Hang in there chicken friend and thank you for sharing her lovely photo! Hope you don;t mind I copy and pasted so we could see her again! Rest in peace, sweet and lovely Opal.