I hope we did the right thing.

[Mygirls615]

I have just cleaned out my coop and buried my "Momma" and can't stop crying. I was coming here for help but my husband and I decided we couldn't let her suffer. We are fairly new to hens and had 8 of them. Momma was never right from day one , she laid rubber eggs, thin shelled ones lumpy bumpy ones and HUGE double yolkers you never knew what you were gonna get but knew which ones were hers.
2 days ago she was bleeding from her vent and it was all puffed out, I removed a thin shell but saw no signs of anything else. Over night everything went back to looking normal, she stopped bleeding and I saw normal poop in the area I had her isolated. She has seemed fine for last day. Tonight i went in to check on her and I couldn't find her, she was up top hunkered down under hanging waterer. She had white pastey discharge, little blood if she moved, and very labored breathing. Her comb also was falling over and a lil purple in color and her eyes were not shining like this morning. I couldn't stand to see her suffer I came in the house to write you all here and my husband came in a few minutes later and said " I am sorry" I looked at him and knew what he had done. I know it was the right thing, I was happy to have her for a year.

Does anyone have any ideas what might of been wrong? I feel bad for culling her but again she never laid a normal egg and was VERY overweight she is technicallly a meat bird but we didn't keep her for that. She was a Red Ranger.....and I loved her.
Thank you all for letting me vent.....April

 

[sourland]

You did the right thing. As a meat bird, she outlived what would have been her normal lifespan. It sounds as if she had reproductive tract problems from the beginning, and her period of suffering was minimal. I applaud you and your husband for not prolonging her suffering.

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Oh, I'm so sorry!

But it does sound like you made the right decision. I'm not sure, but it may have had something to do with her breed. Lots of times broilers just aren't meant for laying or longevity, for that matter, so it really wasn't your fault. Once again, sorry for your loss!

 

[Mygirls615]

Thank you SO much for saying that, I can't believe I am crying so much and hard over her. I know in my heart it was right but appreciated confirmation if that makes sense.