LtDanFan
Chirping
I am so sorry to hear about poor Juicy’s troubles and decline in quality of life. The worst thing about caring for animals is having to make decisions for them that we would want to make for ourselves. Its very hard because some people would rather die before suffering and some people would want to live to the bitter end no matter how difficult it is. Its the reason that lawyers invented medical directives and whatnot. Its the reason families fight about when to pull the plug or whether to do CPR on a terminal patient.
That being said, its a very personal choice and if you are concerned her quality of life is not what you want it to be then euthanasia is appropriate. While it is not a perfect measure, one thing you can do is to think of 3-5 things that make Juicy “Juicy”. By that i mean think of things she did or does that set her apart, things that she enjoys or that defined “her”. When she can no longer or does no longer do a majority of those things then its an objective measure of her quality and its ok to let her go. In dogs and cats its things like playing, interacting with family members, sociability, etc. in chickens i would think of things like roosting (if she is used to being at the top and is no longer able to get there i imagine that would cause her a certain amount of stress), excitement over treats or toys if that’s a thing you provide for them, interacting with the flock, etc.
Ultimately, regardless of where she is in her progression of age or illness, if her quality of life is not what you want for her, then euthanasia is appropriate.
And you have to think of your own quality of life too…how is worrying, accommodating and caring for impacting you impacting you and your relationship?
As far as method, if he is attached to her i agree that the method of euthanasia often used for chickens is hard to watch or think about emotionally when you’re attached. Have you reached out to local emergency clinics or specialty hospitals that have an ER? They may not see or treat chickens, but i’d be willing to bet that you will find one that will euthanize in a pinch. I have a policy that i will euthanize anything, and my staff knows it. I wont turn away something that is suffering when i can relieve that suffering. Not because i like to do it, but because i took an oath to relieve suffering any way i could. And an injection into the abdomen will do the trick every time. Takes longer and sometimes requires more drug than the IV route but its still painless and peaceful. Obvi not recommended if you are planning to consume the meat but acceptable for a pet.
Feel free to PM me if you need or want to chat more privately. There may not be anything you can do to convince your BF, some people just can’t. But if he is willing to have an honest and logical conversation, maybe he will feel more comfortable with the reason behind letting her go.
Think of euthanasia as a gift. You are giving her the ultimate gift by putting her comfort and quality of life above your own. Its hard to say goodbye but its kind to relieve the suffering. And with euthanasia, you can be there, she won’t have to die alone in a yard or coop where she may be pecked or stomped by other flock members or in a corner all alone or whatever as long as she’s not freaked out by being handled by humans that is.
I agree with other comments about timing. I do a lot of euthanasia unfortunately, and i’ve never heard someone say “oops, i did it too soon”. More often than not, people come in and say they are here now because they waited too long last time and they felt guilty for denying the inevitable, dragging out the suffering. As hard as it is for us to say goodbye, letting go is sometimes the kindest gift we can give to someone we love.
I hope you are able to come to an agreement about your precious Juicy. She’s a pretty gal but sounds like she is also well loved and that’s the most important thing.
