Sometimes Hard Decisions are Just That...Hard

[Schwartzfarmnc]

For those like myself who pride themselves in chicken rearing and taking the best care of your flock when it comes down to making the tough decision to put down one of your birds it becomes somewhat unnerving to finally break down and do the deed. You want to make sure your flock is at peak performance and health and no we cannot solve every issue that arises within the scope of their community but this week was all I could handle.

We had a Delaware pullet that would terrorize the other girls while laying their eggs, she would constantly jump up and down and move into each and every box removing the other girls by pecking them or whatever she wanted to do to get them to move out and then jump back down from the nesting boxes and back up and do it again over and over all the while screaming. I have for weeks now tried to break her from the necessity of bullying the other girls, I've separated her and put her into another pen inside the coop but to no avail. So against all my efforts to talk myself out from removing her from the flock I had to do this for the health of the other girls who did not deserve such treatment and culled her. This is not anything I'd ever thought I could or would need to but I finally could not take the thought of what the others had to deal with while trying to lay their eggs and the stress they were under. I make these comments for the ones who have had to make these decisions before and for those who may in the future, it was emotionally tough to do and I feel sympathy for those who have dealt with before and for those who will in the future.

 

[Hiram]

I've "culled" or as I prefer killed 3. It was hard but I reminded myself that they were my chickens not my dog. I could ate them if need be. In fact, the deed was harder than the decision. I made my mind up pretty quick as they were roos who made lots of noise. However I can relate.

 

[dawg53]

You did what you had to do. Making the tough decision for the betterment of your flock proves you are a top notch chickenkeeper.

 

[EweSheep]

Your girls peace was at stake here and yours! Time for dinner!

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Thank you to all with the comforting comments.

If it were not one of my daughters birds we would have had a nice dinner so in turn we had a funeral.
The betterment of the flock was the main reason, so you have to act when it comes down to it, just don't want to do it again.

 

[EweSheep]

Well hate to say but it MIGHT happen again but at least you will be prepared to do the deed again if it comes down to it. Some breeds are notorious for it and others very rarely have that kind of aggressiveness issues. Most common are the hatchery type birds.

 

[speckledhen]

Yup, a very tough call for you. I'm at the point of trying to break one of my young layers from ripping feathers out of my poor BRs her age. She is in isolation in a dog kennel, hoping that a week alone will be enough to break her habit. If not, may have to try to sell her to see if a new environment will do the trick. It's not easy to cull a perfectly healthy laying hen for a bad habit so you have my sympathy.

 

[Clay Mudd]

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+1.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

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I understand your frustrations too, I tried everything to get her to change but nothing seemed to work long term, so I agree with you 100% she was a good layer but the missing of 1 egg is worth the cost of a healthier and happier flock.

 

[ThePigeonKid]

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