Injured Hen, Culled (WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS)

[Smuvers Farm]

Oh my god! I am so so very sorry!

Poor PIC!

What type of predator do you think came in the daylight and did this, a hawk? A fox? I see fox here in the daytime often. Just prowling down neighborhood streets like a wayward dog.

No poor PIC.... it his farm, his farmstead, he's gotta learn. He was going to help me during chicken processing once we got meat birds anyway.

 

[TexasSam]

Something got to our Brat Pack. Took off with one, we found one with head and neck and feathers, but interior gone, and one severely injured:

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Basically, her complete back end had been eaten off, and she was limping, almost a hobble. She was making squeaky noises. We fed her and then I performed a cervical dislocation.

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This is my first cull of a full grown chicken (I had to previously euthanize a chick), so I'm a little shaken up... a little teary... but I'm OK.

JSYK... my 8.5 year old PIC was there and witnessed this.

Sounds like a canine

 

[Smuvers Farm]

This was the Brat Pack... the ones we rescued from the mulch place, remember? We thought there were 5, turned out to be 8. And one had it's tail feathers completely pecked out (we briefly named her Assless). We'd had them quarantined off, too close to the neighbors wooded area... but hadn't planned on them being there for much longer.

Assless (now Lucy) had her tail feathers grow back and an reintegrated into the Brat Pack. We had one escapee about 6 weeks ago or so, but chalked it up to her wandering too close to the neighbors property and their dog getting her.

We definitely should have integrated them into the main flock a LONG time ago... but we'd been lazy. We also had seen where their fencing was looking a little *sad* in places, but they always seemed fine, so they became kind of low priority, especially with this tatering weather.

The remaining 4 have now been integrated into the main flock. We have already had a few skirmishes...... but everyone is currently in bed. This weekend, time to make the *main*, prefab coop into a CP coop, since it looks like NOW Xena has piled herself and the nuggets into it. They've currently abandoned their CP coop since the Brat Pack is in it.

 

[PennyM]

I'm so sorry! I don't think I'll be able to cull a chicken

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm so sorry! I don't think I'll be able to cull a chicken

If you have one injured or sick beyond recovery, I hope you will be able to figure it out. I would rather put them down quickly then let them suffer.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

I'm so sorry! I don't think I'll be able to cull a chicken

Good animal husbandry includes culling, euthanizing, etc. There are MANY ways to put down your chicken.... please look them up. Perhaps you couldn't do CD, but you might be able to use another method. Please research so you will be prepared.

 

[LJoWilly]

First, I am sorry for your loss.

I agree with you on being able to put an animal down when it is suffering. As an animal lover and owner myself, this is the hardest part about having animals, no matter how hard it is, ending their suffering is the kindest thing you can do for them..
Again, sorry for your loss.

 

[PennyM]

I'll probably talk my DH into doing it. But if he won't I imagine I can try to.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'll probably talk my DH into doing it. But if he won't I imagine I can try to.

Sometimes you don't have the luxury of waiting for someone else to do it. With my recent incident, my husband wasn't due home for another hour or so. I didn't want to make my dying bird suffer an extra hour.

 

[oregonkat]

Living up in the forest we have to deal with predators trying to get to my chickens all the time. Bear, fox, hawk, raccoons and weasels. The ONLY thing for us that has kept my flock alive for about a year now was reinforcing the inner enclosure and the coops with steel horse fencing panels, and metal roofing panels all the way around the bottom of the enclosure as well as hot wire and an automatic door into the inner enclosure. The bear tried his best to rip the horse panels off the posts the night the hot wire was not turned on but failed and has not been back. I have had to euthanize more than my fair share of damaged, beloved hens in the past and it is awful. I am so sorry you had to go through this. Looking at the photos, I would say raccoon was the culprit