Neutering your Cockerals so they can live!

[hispoptart]

Just saw this, so sorry for your loss. Like others have said, try not to be to hard on yourself for making what you felt was the best option.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I was under the impression that this vet did have experience with anesthetizing birds.
Tho still a touchy situation. Hard to know exactly what happened, any surgery has risks.

He did have avian anesthesia experience with the purpose made avian anesthesia machine and two trained anethesthetists. Probably on exotics/parrots for abdominal and pelvic surgery.
But no experience neutering.
I'm curious if they used one of the commercially available caponizing kits or rather equipment from the vet's operating room.

 

[Kusanar]

He did have avian anesthesia experience with the purpose made avian anesthesia machine and two trained anethesthetists. Probably on exotics/parrots for abdominal and pelvic surgery.
But no experience neutering.
I'm curious if they used one of the commercially available caponizing kits or rather equipment from the vet's operating room.

Exactly, that's what I meant, the anesthesia is what killed the bird, not the surgery, but, I was not saying that the vet wasn't experienced with anesthesia, just the surgery in particular.

 

[SueT]

My beloved Checkers did not survive. Respiratory distress turned into cardiac arrest. Surgeon never even got to approach the testes. However he later viewed them saying they were twice the size of incision + he would have had diff. It was an open between ribs incision through air sac, not laparoscopic. This large VCA hospital had 2 certified anesthesia tech's but could not save my boy. I cannot tell you the self loathing and guilt I have. I will never be the same; a piece of my heart is dead. Could I have prepped more for this? In retrospect, more talk re: the anesthesia aspect. There was much prep for replacing blood if needed as that is often the cause of demise. When I wake up every day he is the first thought in my head. My faith in my decision making is all gone + I will never trust myself again. May the good Lord bless and keep you my sweet Checkers boy. I love you.

Thank you for sharing your experience....
The growing popularity of backyard chicken keeping has brought more and more people face to face with this common situation--coping with cockerels. If one does not eat chicken, or cannot face having their chicken(s) killed for food, then the options are very limited.
There is a veritable tsunami of BYC threads on the subject of cockerel/rooster issues and solutions. You chose a difficult solution, but would not the other options possibly been more difficult? There is not a 'good home' for every extra cockerel. Not all chicks can be saved, but you have saved some of them, are giving them a good life, and that is no small thing. And sharing your experience, continuing the cockerel conversation, will help many, this is also no small thing.
I hope your experience won't diminish your enjoyment of chicken keeping, and that you stay around to become part of our community!
Sue T.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thank you for sharing your experience....
The growing popularity of backyard chicken keeping has brought more and more people face to face with this common situation--coping with cockerels. If one does not eat chicken, or cannot face having their chicken(s) killed for food, then the options are very limited.
There is a veritable tsunami of BYC threads on the subject of cockerel/rooster issues and solutions. You chose a difficult solution, but would not the other options possibly been more difficult? There is not a 'good home' for every extra cockerel. Not all chicks can be saved, but you have saved some of them, are giving them a good life, and that is no small thing. And sharing your experience, continuing the cockerel conversation, will help many, this is also no small thing.
I hope your experience won't diminish your enjoyment of chicken keeping, and that you stay around to become part of our community!
Sue T.

 

[Granitestater]

He did have avian anesthesia experience with the purpose made avian anesthesia machine and two trained anethesthetists. Probably on exotics/parrots for abdominal and pelvic surgery.
But no experience neutering.
I'm curious if they used one of the commercially available caponizing kits or rather equipment from the vet's operating room.

 

[Granitestater]

Sorry don't know but he consulted a Angel Memorial Hospital vet as part of his prep.

 

[Granitestater]

Thank you Sue; you've verbalized

Thank you for sharing your experience....
The growing popularity of backyard chicken keeping has brought more and more people face to face with this common situation--coping with cockerels. If one does not eat chicken, or cannot face having their chicken(s) killed for food, then the options are very limited.
There is a veritable tsunami of BYC threads on the subject of cockerel/rooster issues and solutions. You chose a difficult solution, but would not the other options possibly been more difficult? There is not a 'good home' for every extra cockerel. Not all chicks can be saved, but you have saved some of them, are giving them a good life, and that is no small thing. And sharing your experience, continuing the cockerel conversation, will help many, this is also no small thing.
I hope your experience won't diminish your enjoyment of chicken keeping, and that you stay around to become part of our community!
Sue T.

Thank you Sue; I still am enjoying my chickens 'tho yearning for their bro to be with them. Yes the "other options" for my cockerals would have been worse I think for my situation; would always know he was sad + missed us in a new home if indeed be wasn't done away with. I do hope this conversation brings us closer to a solution for the pitiful "disposable" cockerals that deserve a happy life as all life does. I do think it is crucial to get the word out that if anyone chooses neutering to get it done early when the testes are small. Anesthesia is another issue of concern if they go thru the air sacs. The successful vet in the UK did his laparoscopic so perhaps did not enter the chest cavity. Need more info on that. What you said is true re: people unable to kill their birds or use them for meat; I could never do that; I imagine there are many of us in that category. Thanks for your kind support

 

[Granitestater]

I’m so sorry that you lost him!!! My daughter loves our roos also, and it’s so hard to figure out what to do with the excess cockerels. I think that there is often no good answer in a species where 50% of chicks are males, but the ideal ratio of adult males to females is so much lower... You really went above and beyond trying to find a solution that would work for him and for your flock. You made the best decision that you could, with the information that you had available at the time. It’s not your fault that it didn’t work out as hoped for.

Very kind of you; your words help more than you could ever know. I think we've got to tell vet schools to educate their students in his to neuter cockerals. There is a great need out there. How old is your dau?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Very kind of you; your words help more than you could ever know. I think we've got to tell vet schools to educate their students in his to neuter cockerals. There is a great need out there. How old is your dau?

My daughter is 16 years old. We have a bachelor pad that had six roosters and cockerels. Unfortunately, we also have Marek’s disease in our flock, and we just had to euthanize her favorite rooster, am Ameraucana named Vespucci. Marek’s makes the whole cockerel situation worse, as we can’t sell or adopt out any birds. So, when we bred birds last year, she had to pick her favorite cockerels and we did butcher the rest for food. That was a very hard and sad day. Here are a few pics from our bachelor pen.