Our Welsummer, Twiggy who was about 13 months old, went to chicken heaven tonight. She had been suffering from internal laying, and despite the best care we knew how to give, was not rallying this time. I eased her way out of this life tonight, by myself, as my husband has been deeply grieving his father's death, and I did not want to cause him more pain. I've never done this before, but was raised on a small farm, and was around when chickens were culled when I was a young child. I used this site as a reference to know what to do, and I thank all of you for your honesty in describing methods, and the debates over which was more humane. In the end, I chose a method, and though I didn't do it as well as I would have liked, I was successful, and she is no longer in pain. She's now basking in the sun, and comfortable, in a place where they never, ever run out of raisins. Thank-you for being here for Twiggy and I.
