Lighter Fluid as humane euthanasia?

[Sportsterjeep]

Goat, you're not the first person I've heard say they couldn't swing a hatchet at one of their birds. If that's the case how about a friend or neihbor who may be willing? You could always pay them back with eggs or a little meat. Personally, I'd stay away from the chemical method. I don't do killing cones or cutting, that's just me. I like a nice SHARP,aka fiskers or gerber, hatchet. If I have one that doesn't want to play nice and come to me, they get a well placed .22 hollow point to the head. Either of those methods is so quick they don't know what hit them.

 

[GallopingGoat]

Well, contrary to public opinion probably, I have not yet killed her. She is unable to stand on her leg, so I am sure it is broken, but she is eating and drinking and, more importantly, getting to the food and water. I have her in the coop with a friend, while the rest of the flock is free-ranging... The coop is small and deeply bedded, so I think she is as comfortable as she can be. She is alert and as mobile as she can be.

After reading the posts here I have realized that chemical euth is not the way to go, so if the time comes I will cut off her head - as hard as that may be. Yes, my first flock and I never wanted these birds for meat, only eggs (infertile at that, as I have no rooster). I don't know if a broken leg will pose other problems if she survives, but will wait to see.

 

[tnchickenut]

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It depends on where it is broke and how it heals. They can survive a broke leg but if it heals incorrectly, it could be devistating.

Let me share my personal experience with this (in a bantam at that):
I had a bantam that had it's leg broke on day one in the incubator. I cam back in to look in the incubator and saw this tiny bird stuck in the wire mesh. I opened the lid and gently picked up the weight of the bird (not getting it out yet... but looking to see why it was stuck) I saw it's toe stuck but it's "knee cap" was swollen and red. I immediately reconized that as broken and tried to get the wet chick out. I splinted the tiny leg... it would fall off. Splint it again, it would fall off again. The chick got around fairly decently, so I kept trying to splint it for the first two weeks (after that, it would already be healed and a splint is useless). It never did work right, but the chick still got around decently. I thought since it was a bantam, maybe it would just be a "special needs" chicken.
As time went, its size grew. That leg became even more a issue. One day it got it stuck inbetween the waterer and wall. It was there for at least 2 hours while I was out of the house. Eventually, I knew this was not going to work. (now here is the part in the story that I went from a hippy-type animal lover to a realist who cares and respects animals)
It's leg was starting to look more and more like it was turned almost backwards. The bird was (at a bantam) too heavy and it would hop, and sit... then hop, and sit. It's feathers stayed matted with poo because of it.
Finally, I took it outside, laid it in the grass. I let it eat and chip like it was happy to get out in the sun and get grass and (try) to get bugs. After a few minutes of this "free range" time... I had to shoot it.

That was BY FAR the hardest thing I ever had to do. Shooting a helpless chick out of it's misery is much easier. For one, it is easier to kill the bird at chick size, you aren't as attached to it either. This was a fully feathered bird who I was caring for and who I knew was suffering for this whole time. The guilt was far more.

Now, if your little pullet has a break in a place you can get a splint and keep it on... try. If it keeps failing... just save yourself and the bird from the future of suffering and hop and sit, and that inevitable day when you have to put down a fully feathered bird.

Good luck.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

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I'm speechless.

 

[tnchickenut]

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I'm speechless.

OMG. I missed that one earlier... yeah. speechless isn't the word for it. What the .... is more like it.

 

[tracyrene]

I can't say much as I am new to chickens. I can however say this post is sad! It has opened my eyes to something I never gave any thought to.
As far as a broken leg.....isn't there anything that can help it heal correctly? I am picturing popsicle sticks or some sort of splint type thing. I am a complete softy.....so maybe I'm dreaming! Best of luck to you with your chicken.

 

[speckledhen]

Starter fluid (NOT lighter fluid--be sure it's not lighter fluid!) is really only okay for just hatched chicks or for birds who are so far gone they are almost dead anyway. I wouldn't use that under normal circumstances like to cull a rooster.

 

[mkearsley]

I don't even own a sharp hatchet, so I'm hoping that if I ever come to this situation, I can find a local butcher who will do the job for me. They should know how to quickly & efficiently dispatch an animal. I hope it'll be a few years until I have to deal with this. My heart goes out to you.

 

[jessaw1981]

well first off I am really sorry for you and your chick. I had 2 frown hens ( my ladies ) and I had a flock of chicks with 8 chicks and 1 turkey when the chicks and the turkey got big enough I put them with the hens in the roomy coup. my turkey got into it because he was dom and the biggest hen the dom out of the pair he pecked her in the foot I was sure it was broke she could not walk on it at all hobbled around but git to food and water and free ranged fine I took her and her buddy out to another coop and after about 4 or 5 days she was fine. good luck.

 

[GallopingGoat]

I'm happy to say the hen is doing well. She is gimpy, make no mistake, but she is free-ranging again and seems happy. I am worried that her back might also have been nicked, as her tail is cocked to one side, but that could also be from using one leg more than the other.

Thanks to everyone for your input!