How do i put down a hen, humanely

[Mt Top Chick]

I have a sick hen, how do i put her down. HUMANELY
Thanks
Gina

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

The fastest and most humane way for her (probably least pleasant for you though) is a sharp hatchet. Sorry you have to do this!!

 

[A1 Steak Sauce]

Either the axe method, or my prefered method, although it has to be done very quick to get it right... Step on the neck with the side of your foot and pull up on her legs HARD at the same time, it'll snap her neck lightning quick. Course like I said, that one takes a little more practice to do it as fast and painlessly as possible, but it's the quickest in my opinion (esp. if you don't have an axe on you at the moment, I'm always forgetting something here and there lol.) Hope that helps.

 

[Mt Top Chick]

Seriously, is there another way. i have never killed anything in my life. i wouldnt even know how to do that.
Gina
I dont mean to sound like a baby

 

[suburbanminifarm]

Do you have a man around who knows how to snap a neck? This is the most humane and bloodless I can think of. It's instant and any movements afterwards are unconscious. Sorry you have to got through this. My first time, I had my husband use a golf club (god I hate to admit this) but he has an accurate swing and the bird was lying in the grass.......it was instant too believe me....

 

[OutInTheStiks]

I use the broomstick method when I have to put one of ours down.

Lay the hen on the ground. Place a broomstick across her neck near the base of her skull. Pull firmly on her legs until you feel her neck break. There will likely be some flopping around after her neck is broken, but it is purely reflex. I usually have a bag at the ready and place her directly in the bag, then walk away until I am sure the flopping has subsided.

Not pleasant, but it is quick and bloodless.

 

[cjeanean]

The quickest method IMO is to remove the head. It might freak you out a little since the bodies keep moving due to nerves even after the head is gone, but I think it's the most instantaneous way of doing it. Here's a link to how we did our meat chickens:

Some people use a traffic cone and put the chicken in head first with the head coming out the pointed end so that the body doesn't flap around too bad. Good luck, and sorry you have to put one of your birds down!

BTW

 

[ADozenGirlz]

In my experience, the fastest, least gruesome and most humane way to cull a chicken is to "break" it's neck, which is really more of a very hard pulling the head, straight out, in the direction away from the body so that the spinal cord breaks (the body is held under one arm very snugly while the pulling occurs). It's very low drama, very little after-shock type movements and quick for all involved. We are new to chicken-keeping this year and my brother showed my husband how to do it once and my husband has now had to do it several times. It's straightforward and the least gory method we can think of when it becomes necessary to perform it.
Sorry you had to ask, but I guess we all have to know these things at some point in the keeping of chickens.

 

[Cornychick]

I am facing this decision as well, so I am glad you posted this question today. Those of you that are recommending snapping the neck, exactally how hard are we talking to pull the neck out of place?

 

[Mt Top Chick]

yeah, how hard do we pull