Had to put down my Hen - So so bad....

[CZJon]

Boy this is just as about as bad as it gets. We have a chicken coop, but our Turkey Hen has always lived in the Garden. It is surrounded by a 3 foot fence and we kept her in there to keep her safe. I was on a trip and my wife let me know that something tore up the turkey pretty bad and she put her in a cage to protect her and let her heal. When I got back, It was unreal. It was like she was skinned alive. Her back end on the top was all tore open, and when I inspected more today, I noticed her Leg on the left was all skinned with skin hanging down, small bite puncture wounds on the top and more open wounds about 3-4 inches on her left. I poured some hydrogen peroxide on her when she was in the cage to try and help with any infection. After that all nasty stuff was dripping off, and so I hosed her down, and she seems better, but then I got a better look. I had kept a fan on her in the cage, but when we took her out and saw the other wounds under her wings, she had maggots living in the wound. You couldn't see it from just her walking around. At this point I didn't think it was humane to keep her around. I called the lady we bought her from as I wanted to do this as humanely and non-messy as possible. She said it sounded like a fox as a racoon the hen could fend off? She suggested shooting her in the head with a .22. I thought that was better than an axe. I did have an ax sharpend and a stump ready near her before I called the Turkey lady and she suggested the gun. I had some sub-sonic 700fps rounds and at point blank range, did nothing! I had to shoot her three times, and it really did nothing!!! I then ran in the house and got the other rifle that could shoot long rifle 22 and hit her with two other long rifle loads and it was hard - she flopped around and when I thought she was dead, she then started flapping upside! OMG!! I called my wife to grab the axe and I quickly got the hen out of the cage and proceeded to decaptiate her, but it didn't cut it all the way, way the second hit did.

I feel like a complete barbaric turd!

I don't ever want to eat turkey or chicken again!

Sob..... :-(

Jon

 

[CYGChickies]

I'm very sorry to hear about your hen. Raccoons are evil here where I am. Chickens have a lot of nervous reactions after death for quite a while so maybe she was dead before she suffered too much and the last was just her nerves giving out. It's a small consolation at best I know. I just got my first turkeys and I already love them, not looking forward to the more unpleasant parts of raising poultry. Once again I'm so sorry you had such a terrible experience.

CYG

 

[Tala]

I also had a bad time when I tried butchering my first rooster (knife wasn't sharp enough man their skin can be tough!!!) so yeah I know how you feel.

It sucks, but you learn to do better.

What I learned on here was to hold them upside down till they are pretty still, then quickly lay them on the ground, put a broomstick under their chin, stand on the broomstick one foot either side of the chicken's head and yank their feet up fast and hard to break their neck. They will be still for less than a second and then start flapping. I just hold them by their feet at arm's length until they are still.
Once the flapping starts you know they are dead so probably your girl was already dead when you freaked and went for the axe.

When I kill raccoons I give them a quick .22 to the head and it kills instantly. Same deal, they are dead still for about half a second and then they flop around for a few seconds. At least you know they are dead when that happens. It's my understanding that when the brain stops sending/receiving the signals, the body kinda goes haywire until the energy that was already "in the loop" is used up.

 

[Smittenroade]

I just pop their heads off with a masterful wringing, alot cleaner and faster than a knife/gun.

Sorry for your loss tho bro.
Make sure to pay that bugger back! It'll make you feel better, promise!

 

[kuntrygirl]

I am so sorry to hear about your hen.

I hate predators. I hope the predator does not come back.

 

[Stacykins]

I am so sorry

Definitely don't use .22 subsonic rounds for killing anything bigger than a chipmunk or squirrel. My former housemate tried once with a trapped possum that had been causing problems. Point blank right to the skull where the brain was, but it didn't penetrate. I ran to get him some more powerful rounds, but the poor thing was thrashing, squealing in pain until dispatched by a larger round.

 

[jasonm11]

a turkey slayer you are not! Only kidding, it is hard to put one down the first time. It probably was dead with the first round but like everyone says the body lives on flapping and such. Sorry to hear about the hen, now put her carcass out in the garden and shoot that darn predator.

 

[karimw]

Sorry you had to go through that. The first time my DH tried to butcher a young roo got out of the cone with his throat cut and we had a devil of a time catching him. They can get a long way pretty fast even without blood in their body. Such a horrible scene! Not the way you want things to go. I bet it was a racoon that got your bird. We had a turkey hen on a nest torn apart by raccoons. Pulled aside the wire on a weak corner and got in at night. I did manage to save and hatch a few of her eggs though! And shot the coons that did it

 

[Gen9]

 

[Stingrayg4]

Quote:
I agree with this. When I kill a bird, I hang it upside down by it's feet and give it a .22 to the head. Then I just leave it hanging until it has stopped moving and bled out. Seems a little less horrific that way.

-S