Palliative Care

[mullys]

We love our hens, are vegetarians, I am a retired vet tech. We have had a small flock of egg layers for about 10 years. They live in the barn inside an insulated large size , rodent proof coop. We went into keeping hens hearing about chickens that live ten years or more. In the last decade we lost one or two hens a year. Our chickens generally live 6 to 7 years. We never have had injuries of any kind. One hen with impacted crop we treated at University of Guelph for an exorbitant amount. We didnt hesitate or mind. They told us that crops are rarely impacted on their own, usually it is part of a gut slow down due to disease.
This past year 2019, we lost 6 hens. Various diseases as it turned out after necropsies and genetic testing.

THIS IS MY QUESTION. What do you do when you find a hen who is puffed up, not social, not eating? It's very cold outside so we brought Rosemary indoors, into our basement where we have a nice pen setup. We have been giving her scrambled eggs and cereal, her favourite treats etc. She has access to her regular food and water. Yesterday she ate today not so much. We are trying to decide what to do. We have never saved a hen with treatment, apart from regular de-worming and the hen who went to the OVC at Guelph. Rosemary does not nave an impacted crop, or any other noticable problem, her poop is okay She is 7 this year.
Is it okay to just let her die on her own? Of course if it looks like she is suffering there I have a vet who will euthanize her for us. She seems comfortable, just puffed and not eating.
We spent a fortune this year and never saved a single hen. We are both retired and have some money for vet care but find that our hens just end up having fatal diseases, usually genetic, usually the result of bad or careless breeding according to our vets. Or bred to be eaten before they turn one.
Are we being bad owners to do nothing? When do you say when? We love our girls. Thank you so much.

 

[glassdragonfly]

The time is different for everyone and every creature. No,you are not being bad owners! You are concerned and trying to keep her in comfort. Sometimes that's all we can do. Sounds like your girls have had a great and safe life. I have some chickens that are up in years and they seem to have good days and bad days(like me) Sometimes mine just need a few days spoiling to get going again. But you know your girl and you will know when the time is right.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Your girls have lived to a ripe old age, an exceptional age, really. When their quality of life is noticeably too poor to warrant living, they're usually very close to the end (days or weeks, not months). I know that you love your girls, and I hear that it's been an expensive year at the vet without those fees resulting in prolonged and healthier lives for your girls. I also see that you're pretty certain that she may need to be euthanized, and that the expense has you wondering if you should simply let nature take it's course. You could... but you could also direct her to the rainbow bridge at home, with the help of a very sharp knife. It is not unkind to perform this act of mercy when her life is misery. Consider it as an option, please.

 

[Lizzy733]

Longevity heavily depends on breed - those bred for heavy meat and egg production are not likely to make it to the average chicken lifespan as they are bred to last a couple of years tops before they are dispatched - or not even to adulthood for the poor meat babies.
Having these sorts of breeds is inviting these kinds of issues, but I can understand the appeal, especially if you're taking on rescue birds. If you go the other route and decide to raise heritage birds, then there's always the concern of getting them from an irresponsible breeder who isn't bringing in new genetics to keep issues from popping up or are managing their parent birds poorly which is reflected in the offspring.
It seems like owning chickens quickly becomes a juggling match between quality of life and long-term prognosis.
My flock is still young, but I've already had a few reproductive and breeder issues. All we can do is ensure we are providing them the best care we can and not causing them to suffer unnecessarily.

 

[mullys]

Thank you. As a vet tech(ret.) it's hard to do nothing.

 

[bobbi-j]

For me, “when” (for whatever animal, not just chickens) is decided by a couple of things. If the animal is suffering, “when” happens sooner than later. It’s not fair for me to keep an animal alive just so I can make myself feel good by keeping it around. Another thing to consider is quality of life. If an animal is not eating at all, or barely eating, is it right for me to let it starve to death? Where is the kindness in that? You have to decide when the time is right to mercifully let your girl go. Sometimes the kindest thing we can do for our animals is the hardest thing for us.

 

[micstrachan]

You are a caring chicken keeper and she is lucky to have you. It’s a very personal decision when to euthanize. A common guideline I’ve heard is when they isolate themselves and stop eating and drinking. However, any sick hen might do that and recover. I euthanized my first hen at home this year, but she was unresponsive by the time I did it. I waited too long and somewhat regret that. However, she went down fast, just a couple of days. Having been through that experience, I will likely have a vet do it next time if it is needed.

Whatever you decide, we are here to support you. Sorry your hen is not feeling well. If you wanted to try to diagnose and treat at home, we could try to help you with that. However, at her age, it’s possible she’s nearing the end. Totally your call.