should i let my chickens die naturally?

[Poultlove]

In my opinion if they are healthy and of old age, is it fine. If they are in pain you should get them put down by a vet.

 

[Jerhanner]

I defend life because I have taken more life than you can count in a two an one half hours.. unless you have been there.. You would think differently..

Again, this is all about YOU. The suffering animal doesn't give two clucks about that.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If you let your chickens live out their natural life spans, you will eventually be over populated with a flock of non-laying or minimally laying hens. Which is fine if you don't want or need eggs and can afford to keep them indefinitely. Some say they have 8 or 9 year old hens. For myself, I do want eggs, and I'd like to replenish my flock every two or three years or so, so that means I have to retire my older birds, when they become unproductive, to the freezer. I only have room for 20 to 25 hens. Last time I replenished my flock I got 10 pullets and 10 cockerels (we were down to 12 birds at the time, I believe). The cockerels were delicious.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

In my opinion if they are healthy and of old age, is it fine. If they are in pain you should get them put down by a vet.

X2
If they are injured, I'd try to help them (vet help depending on injury)- if it doesn't work, then I'd find somewhere to end the misery.
If the hen is perfectly fine, just old and not laying, then I'd leave her.
I'm not really chicken keeping for the eggs

 

[writerskramp]

Again, this is all about YOU. The suffering animal doesn't give two clucks about that.

Me is all I got.. One died naturally the night before.. Made an offer to the forest spirits, it was gone the next morning. Sasquatch

 

[Byrd gal]

I will keep my girls eggs or not until the end. I will help them pass this world if they are suffering but only at the vets. They are my feathered friends and I love them for the wonderful birds they are.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I will keep my girls eggs or not until the end. I will help them pass this world if they are suffering but only at the vets. They are my feathered friends and I love them for the wonderful birds they are.

Totally agree! My birds are pets not egg-machines

 

[Angelique123456]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens

it’s a huge moral dilemma but they are here. Chickens hatch everyday for super layers that will lay 300 eggs a year. People in countries worldwide demand eggs. They are a great source of protein.

is it morally right? I don’t think “natural” animals should be bred to be super producers. No. I don’t believe we should be creating monkey- human hybrids for organ transplants or goats with epilepsy so people can have a laugh and get a tender cut of flesh.

It’s a huge tragedy few people think about. It’s also a huge movement that is probably impossible to stop. diminished land, resources and increasing population will increase the likelihood of more “unnatural” breedings of animals to create more moral fissures in our fabric of compassion and kindness. What I do is that I remove myself from that equation. I’m vegetarian and don’t breed for any of the popular ethically ruinous trends like dwarfism and epilepsy. You can protect your heart by not participating in these trends, opening your quarantined spaces to take in suffering animals when they present themselves and spreading kindness wherever you go.

It’s all up to you. I am the type of person to let them die naturally, but if they are suffering in any way, I would put them out. Their are human ways to put them down. For example where I take in my meat birds to get culled they use a shock electrical to put them out and I have seen they don’t suffer. As well I have one hen that got attached by one of my dogs where she was missing a large part of her skin on her back. Their was an mennonite passing by and I asked him if he could put her out. He did and not screaming or anything. And their was another time where the same dog attacked another hen. She was bleeding from her neck every time she was breathing. So I had to put her out. I used a small ax, but one I almost got my thumb and second after I ax her she was running around which made me feel sick to my stomach. Never again. So if you know someone who can do it for you do it. It’s only a few bucks and much more human. Now about the dog that did this was on a killing spree. I scolded her many time until she got it. Her name is Bonnie and an ex racing dog she is good now but relies a lot on her instincts. Now the only thing I have to worry about is Bonnie stealing eggs from the hencoop. Just need to understand the psychology of animals instinct versus habit.

 

[catballou]

As an owner of plants and animals, I usually do anything I can to help them live... But I don't really understand your problem, is your chicken sick? Is it just old?

I always take them in if they're sick and to a vet if they don't get better in a day or so. If it's a Sunday, and it almost always is when it happens, I call a vet on Monday morning. Not many will have anything to do with chickens, but I have had three euthanized in the last 14 years. Several were taken by predators, two died before I could get to the vet. I would drive the 80 mile round trip to have one put to sleep. After all, they are my responsibility.

 

[catballou]

I so agree with you! I bought these chickens as pets that lay eggs. I have had quite a few that live 7-9 years old and I treat them the same as any egg layer. I feed a flock raiser with calcium on the side. I usually have them euthanized if I get an appointment in time.