im torn between nature or ending it.

[lounsi]

My chicken has a huge lump on her cheek which is growing inside of her throat part blocking it, visited the vet to lance it just blood no pus not abscess there's no change its getting bigger shes not in pain happy bouncing around with the other girls shes is struggling to eat and but she can still in watching her. IM torn though between ending her life or letting nature take it course which i believe BUT i cant watch her suffer its crippling me and my boys but were going to lose her whichever way i look at it. Id prefer nature but is that being cruel???

 

[speckledhen]

First of all, I completely empathize with your situation. Ive had to make this call many times. If she isn't in pain (that is very hard to determine since chickens are extremely stoic and don't show pain unless it's really terrible, generally), and she is able to get nutrition, you could let it go a bit longer. Your gut will tell you when it's time, if you are sensitive to her needs, as I feel you are since you have already consulted a vet about it.

If she is starving because she cannot eat, that is when the call must be made. It's a slow painful way to go, starvation. I've had to deal with that with serious crop issues. If she can get down soupy food, like oatmeal or scrambled eggs, that may be one way to help her out for the time being, easier than hard food. The call is yours. If you have a vet involved already, maybe he/she can do the deed for you if you can't bring yourself to do it. Best of luck to you.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have a hen with a swollen crop. She roosts and eats and does her thing. I doubt she's laying but doesn't seem to be in any pain. So I let her live.

Now if I see her losing her dignity by not being able to get around and eat and roost then, I'll make the call. There is nothing I can do for her to fix things but she is in no pain.

If this is the case with your girl then I'd let her live.

They don't mention these things in all the books. The pain of having to deal with these types of thing I mean.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: That is so very true.

 

[lounsi]

Well thanks think i will keeping watching her and make the decision when food etc becomes an issue!! Yeah your right no book says how easily attached you get them, how hard decisions become!! Il keep watching over her it pulls on the heart strings going in to sit, hug or give treats

 

[speckledhen]

is all I can say. When my heart is torn out all over again, I just think of what it would be like to never have had the pleasure of their company through the years. I just lost an almost 8 year old hen that was very, very special to me. She, thankfully, just died of old age, not illness, but it still stings.

 

[rancher hicks]

is all I can say. When my heart is torn out all over again, I just think of what it would be like to never have had the pleasure of their company through the years. I just lost an almost 8 year old hen that was very, very special to me. She, thankfully, just died of old age, not illness, but it still stings.

Me? I always think of the poor animals, and yes there are chickens, in the shelters. I'd rather have a life with someone that loved and cared for me, than suffer with someone who didn't or in a shelter waiting for a hug.

 

[barnevelderbean]

I recently had one of my older girls with a huge lump under her beak. it didn't really become apparent until I realised the others were picking on her, the older flock don't like to be picked up etc so admittedly I don't physically check them so often, just observe. anyway, when I picked her up, she was skinny, so hadn't been eating. that's when I found the lump. thought it was a tumor or cyst, but on inspection turned out to be a compacted piece of food under her tongue (just bigger than a marble), it stank. me and my partner spent 3 hours removing it piece by piece, then cleaned it in the hope of stopping infection. she began eating immediately. sadly, by morning we had lost her, I think it was all just too much for her in the end. im now very diligent with my girls, wether they like it or not. I guess the point I was making was that its just possible you bird has something like this. it may be worth a look. it was easy enough to fix despite being time consuming, it was just that my actions were too late. im similar to you in my attitudes to euthanizing, its a last resort after everything else possible has failed x