Tomorrow is supposed to be his last day.....

[Jamie Molihan]

@Jamie Molihan

Last week I had to put down a much loved hen. She was suffering from Ocular Marek's, had gone blind completely and had stopped eating..I promised her I would not let her starve to death and had hand fed her for weeks until I couldn't get her to eat from my hand any longer. I knew it was time.

No, it wasn't easy at all. Not the first I've had to put down so they don't suffer and she won't be the last. You would think that as a retired nurse who has dealt with death her whole career, it wouldn't be so upsetting but I bawled like a baby.

For the majority of us, it never gets easy. That's okay. It shouldn't. But rest assured, you are giving Enchilada the last gift of love you can so that he doesn't suffer and that you have let his little soul fly free in the end.

God bless.

 

[Jamie Molihan]

You too, but that want makes me kinda tearful, Good by Enchilada

You are such a sweetheart, I will tell him that you said that.

 

[microchick]

Try being a retired US Marshal, we cry too! Just don't tell anyone! God Bless as well!

Yes, I can only imagine the things you have had to deal with and have seen. Thank you so much for the yes, thankless job you did to protect us all. I imagine you have shed many tears.

 

[Jamie Molihan]

Try being a retired US Marshal, we cry too! Just don't tell anyone! God Bless as well!

That is probably an insanely hard job. Thankyou for doing it.

 

[featherhead007]

I'm very glad you have no idea what I have seen and done!

 

[featherhead007]

RETIREMENT

 

[microchick]

Yes, it's a beautiful word!

 

[chickendreams24]

Hi guys. Wow this thread has become something hasn't it. Everyone has such strong opinions and I understand that. I also very very much understand what you said Jamie about your Dad. Just before last Thanksgiving I spent the last days he had in this world by my Grandpa's bedside. He had a 15 year struggle with Alzheimer's and his body just couldn't fight anymore. We were able to keep him home until the last 2.5 years. I spent over 4 years after high school living with and helping my mother care for my Grandma and Grandpa full time. Grandpa with his Alzheimer's, Grandma with dementia. Feeding my Grandpa the last thing he ever ate in this world and giving him his last drink. Using a small sponge to wet his lips and mouth. Rolling him, helping change him. It's given me a new perspective on life and on death. We had some amazing years with Grandpa. He was my Dad a million times more than my real Dad he would never let me down on purpose. I had wanted him to walk me down the aisle and that will never happen.

I learned so much from him even up to his last breath I was learning.

I have also worked in a no kill private animal shelter and I have held dieing cats in my arms and told them through my tears that it's okay to go.

In the end we all had to take turns saying our goodbyes to Grandpa and telling him that it was okay to go home.

I've said it to pets that we've had to euthanize because of cancer.

Death can be a horror there's no doubt about that but more often I think it can be a release, a kindness.

If you find you want to try again I would recommend doing more than one at time and explore your options Cornish cross, rangers, heritage meat breeds.

I also want to point out that I disagree with those who said don't let your meat animals trust you. I care about all of our birds. Yes even those headed to freezer camp. If one gets injured or picked on they receive the best care we can give while they're not pets(some of our chickens are) we want to be able to handle them without too much stress. Again stress makes the process harder on the bird. Not just that but if treating an injury in an animal you don't want it thinking you're a danger. Yes I try to distance myself emotionally from them but it's not always easy.

To defend myself, I had no intention of making anyone feel guilty about their conduct regarding their animals! Moreover I didn't even know the condition of that poor bird.
As for me, I won't cull, kill, euthanize, or how ever you want to put it, any beloved pets.
And I don't eat chicken.

Well I owe you an apology. I assumed you had read the thread and knew what was going on. I also respect your desire to not eat chicken or any of the other above stated. I do think that there is a time for euthanasia and mercy though. Both in my job at the animal shelter and in my own personal life I have found that sometimes the kindest thing we can do is end the suffering. There were sick and even dieing animals there in some cases but the policy was no kill. I didn't agree with some of how it was run but I loved the animals. For instance a cat broke it's back but was never taken to a vet. Treated in house by the director but died 3-4 days later still paralyzed. My childhood cat developed cancer very suddenly at 15 years old and went into full organ failure by the weekend's end. We took her that Monday and ended her suffering. While it was one of the hardest things I've done idont regret it. She knew she was loved.

While we do raise cockerals for meat, we do have pet chickens that will only ever be killed or euthanized as mercy should something happen.

Yes thank you for your years as a Marshal.

I do have one hypothetical question for you though. Something for you to consider and decide in your mind what you would do. Last year at this time our coop came under the attack of rats. Huge rats! The rats became predatory and unbeknownst to us tunnelled into our smaller coop where we had 8-16 week juveniles(the attacks continued for weeks) and began killing and maiming birds. This next statement is graphic but the truth can't be hidden...

The rats were eating into the vents of the chicks and eating out their intestines and other internal organs. Leaving about half of the attacked chicks alive but shocky. Walking shells with no chance of life. Is not euthanasia the better end in your mind for the poor juveniles? We also lost a hen to the rats.

@Jamie Molihan

Last week I had to put down a much loved hen. She was suffering from Ocular Marek's, had gone blind completely and had stopped eating..I promised her I would not let her starve to death and had hand fed her for weeks until I couldn't get her to eat from my hand any longer. I knew it was time.

No, it wasn't easy at all. Not the first I've had to put down so they don't suffer and she won't be the last. You would think that as a retired nurse who has dealt with death her whole career, it wouldn't be so upsetting but I bawled like a baby.

For the majority of us, it never gets easy. That's okay. It shouldn't. But rest assured, you are giving Enchilada the last gift of love you can so that he doesn't suffer and that you have let his little soul fly free in the end.

God bless.

I'm do sorry for your loss. We had a Marek's diagnosis a year ago and it has been so very hard. Thankfully our losses haven't been large but every bird that has come down with dympyosy hasn't survived.

It really has. I did not expect that. I am so sorry about your grandpa, it was very brave and loving to do that kind of work and stay close to him through all of that. I think the hard truth is that most people can’t do what you did. I don’t know if I am the kind of person that can compartmentalize. I care very much for my chickens, I am proud of them, I even talk to them, so I am going to either be able to do it anyway...or not and I have to figure that out before I have a bunch of birds that are neglected and left to die of illness and injury. I think that you are right about the breed, if this goes ok then once I move to my land I will look at heritage birds or the Rangers.

Well thank you. Really and truly thank you. I don't know if I can say I was brave at all. I think I was anything but in fact I was just trying to not wet myself the whole time.

It was horrible, not the end. Grandpa's end was peaceful, back at the farm that was his dream surrounded by family. The helpless feeling of knowing and waiting was the worst. Discussing funeral plans in the next room from his bed before he had even passed. Grandpa was not there in the end but for a flicker of a grin here, a hand squeezing back there. Part of him was there but mostly he just slept.

It wasn't my strength that got me through it was Grandpa's but mostly it was given by God when I needed it.

I also am not good at compartmentalizing I don't think so anyway but I can usually keep my feelings in until later.

Being an incredibly proud chicken Momma myself I understand how hard it can be. I talk to, soothe and sing to my chickens as well. I've taught special ones a few simple tricks and my large flock of shadows follows me everywhere. Some even try to enter the house. Some gently groom me and Clea off any dirt etc. DH2B always sighs in resignation if anyone gets me on the topic of chickens he claims if not forced to stop I wouldn't ever. Lol he might be right. I'm not obsessed, I'm passionate. LOL

When you do this you will feel mixed emotions if you're anything like me. I felt proud, a little sad, pleased, and relieved. Relieved because it was over and I had done it and because the two roosters I learned on attacked my fog and left a puncture wound in her back. Totally unprovoked attack.

Good luck! Hugs!

Goodbye Enchilada see you at the rainbow bridge sometime.

 

[Jamie Molihan]

Well, it only 7:30 in the morning an we are already off to a wild ride. I went out to say good morning the the chickens and make everyone was happy and healthy, and I found my Isa Brown on her side not moving. I was immediately terrified because I just lost her sister Hildegard to a deformed crop (I had originally thought is was sour or impacted) and I thought the same thing was happening. I pick her up and I see a tail hanging out of her mouth. Oh my gods....I probably did the worst thing possible and pulled on the string/ tail. Well, out came a baby animal...mouse...squirrel..I don’t know, maybe a mole of some kind.... Henrietta was still alive but not opening her eyes, not standing up, and doing jerky movements with her head. I now have her in my bed wrapped up and resting, but she is still not moving. Enchilada got out of his holding pen sometime through the night and ate all the things...that fat asshole. Do I wait to see how Henrietta fairs and for Enchilada to go back on his water diet or do I go ahead with the processing today?

 

[SueT]

Oh gosh, she was probably choking, and you probably had to pull it out to save her, if it's not too late. I've watched one of mine swallow a mouse. It was a smallish one and was still hard to get down.
I don't have answer to Enchilada question...