Sleeping pills

[chickenbaguette]

Do sleeping pills work for chickens? If not, what else will put a chicken to sleep?

 

[flowergirl60]

Why would you want to give your chickens sleeping pills?

 

[nuts4hotwheels]

???

Mine usually just go to sleep after it gets dark. Are you trying to put it to sleep (kill it), trying to sedate it for a procedure or what?

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

What??

darkness.

 

[chickenbaguette]

Okay, I didn't explain that very well.
I need to kill a chicken. A very ill chicken. It's not tame. I want to touch/hold it as little as possible. None of this being held upside down to hypnotise it stuff works on her, doesn't seem to work on bantams. Therefore if I tried slit her throat or shoved a knife into her brain I'd probably get it wrong because she'd be flapping about. Also, no one in my family has ever killed a chicken before and doesn't know anything about it.

I can't get an injection either. Therefore, I need to feed her something, because that's the only certain way. What can I feed her that will kill her peacefully and relatively quickly without making her sick first?

Thank you.

 

[flowergirl60]

I am so sorry you have this situation. I would think they would work to put her to sleep but I'm no expert. Good luck.

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

I dont think you should give the sleeping pills. You dont know if they will work or what effects, if any, it will take on her. It could be a toxin to chickens, it could be a long slow death. If I were in your position I would use ether (starting fluid) on a rag and put her and the soaked rag in an air tight area(like a bucket with a lid.). When she's asleep I would take her out and cut her throat. Sorry you are in this situation.

 

[chickenbaguette]

Thank you, CrazyCatNChickenLady. I might do the ether thing.

 

[ChickenKnight1966]

For others looking through this post, I stumbled across this after giving my chicken diphenhydramine to try and put my sick/injured chicken down. I gave her a human sized dose. It had the opposite effect on her, it actually seemed to make her feel better, for awhile anyway. She’s still sick and injured so I still have to put her down, I will try the ether idea so I at least don’t feel like I’m hurting her. I really hate this part of having chickens!

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I know this post is very old but seeing as it's been brought up again:

Please never attempt to overdose an animal to euthanize it. Overdosing is an extremely awful way to die. It can be very slow and often very painful. It is inhumane.

Overdosing can cause organ failure, seizures, vomiting, etc. It is not pretty or painless.

In the event you have an animal that needs to be euthanized please see a proper veterinarian.