Topic of the Week - Let's talk about euthanasia

[MissSister]

The word euthanasia is severely misused in this thread.
Only time is when they absolutely have lost their will to live, and they physically cannot even if they wanted to.
Even then, you have to wonder "Who am I to judge?"...

 

[lazy gardener]

When you take on the responsibility of animal ownership, you take on the responsibility of "judging". That is the essense of good husbandry or stewardship.

 

[slordaz]

The word euthanasia is severely misused in this thread.
Only time is when they absolutely have lost their will to live, and they physically cannot even if they wanted to.
Even then, you have to wonder "Who am I to judge?"...

To each their own opinion as it's your flock, but in my opinion if the bird is in sever pain, so badly damaged it won't be able to handle the rigors of free ranging or a danger to the rest of the flock because it's got something contagious will euthanize. None of us like to have to euthanize but sometimes we have to. everone has their own set up and to talk down to people because they don't subscribe to your philosophy for your flock is rediculous, we all do what works best for our flocks and us.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Really MissSister? So if your flock lived near a major chicken facility (say, within a mile), you would refuse to euthanize your birds that have a contageous, lethal disease until the birds have given up all will to live, even if it threatens the food supply of the whole nation? Because that's what happened in Cali in 2010 when a small back yard producer (less than 50 birds) had sick birds and refused to cull them. The disease was Newcastle and it spread rapidly across many states, cost billions of dollars, disrupted food supplies and caused thousands of chickens to have to be forceably culled and their carcasses incinerated. Some of those birds were individual's back yard pets.

Your philosophy works great if you have, say, a goldfish. Or an indoor cat. Or something else that never spreads outside your home. Maybe even if you have a house chicken that's never permitted outdoors. But when you purchase even a few hens, you have to understand that you are now responsible for an animal that, if not monitored closely, could disrupt the entire nation's food supply, shut down businesses and cause so much damage to your neighbors that they can no longer provide an income for themselves. Which includes the responsibility of culling sick birds. That occasional sneeze could be a case of Influenza that shuts down the nations food supply. That bird that stumbles a lot could be a case of a resistant strain of Marek's that infects and kill's your neighbors entire stock of rare, endangered, specialty birds. And I would not want someone with sick birds who refused to euthanize them living next door to my flock that I use to feed my family and provide others with a clean, humane food source. Would you want someone who refused to remove their sick birds from their flock living next to your pet chickens?

You also take the responsibility of owning a bird that is prone to reproductive failures (egg binding, prolapse, etc), has very few "perfect" vaccines (as in sterile and non spreading, since many birds still carry and spread what they're vaccinated against), and is on the bottom of the food chain. (Almost all of us loose a bird to one predator or another at some point... And sometimes the predators don't finish the job which means we have to do it for them.) And the best part? Often times there's not even a vet near by who will see them to put them down, let alone a 24/7 emergency vet for those 3-am "oh my god a mink broke into the chicken coop, I didn't even know those lived in my suburb" moments. There's many times that euthanizing is the only humane option.

Incidentally, if your flock gets too out of hand with an infectious disease, the government will come in and deal with it for you. Your flock will be, at a minimum, quarantined under threat of fines and possible jail time. If they deem it to be a real threat to the food supply (say, if your birds have Avian Influenza, pullorum, typhoid, newcastle, etc.) they will come in and seize your birds, even the ones who appear healthy, euthanize them and incinerate them. THAT'S how serious your pet chickens are, and why it's important to recognize that even if they are pets to you they are livestock to the nation. And most chicken diseases spread from local wildlife... The small birds and mice that get into your pen to nibble out of our feeders. And those animals can spread it miles away. Some of the diseases, like AI, even threaten the wildlife itself, killing wild birds enmasse and destroying ecosystems. So even if you have great biosecurity and change clothes every time you go into the chicken pen, your sick pet chickens are still a threat to the nation's food supply and your neighbor's birds and even wild birds. That's the reality of owning an animal that is primarially livestock, even if it's a pet to you.

 

[MissSister]

I do not want to even read the barrage that has just rained down on me. I skimmed and saw the tone and loaded words, and that was enough. This thread is to give your opinion. I am not talking down to anyone, I did not even mention any one person. I just said the word is being misused. Euthanasia is supposed to be a mercy for that one individual. That is not even my opinion, that is just what the word means. Then I gave my opinion, in a far less harsh way than it was giving to me. I hope you do not talk to people that way face to face.

 

[MissSister]

Really MissSister? So if your flock lived near a major chicken facility (say, within a mile), you would refuse to euthanize your birds that have a contageous, lethal disease until the birds have given up all will to live, even if it threatens the food supply of the whole nation? Because that's what happened in Cali in 2010 when a small back yard producer (less than 50 birds) had sick birds and refused to cull them. The disease was Newcastle and it spread rapidly across many states, cost billions of dollars, disrupted food supplies and caused thousands of chickens to have to be forceably culled and their carcasses incinerated. Some of those birds were individual's back yard pets.

Your philosophy works great if you have, say, a goldfish. Or an indoor cat. Or something else that never spreads outside your home. Maybe even if you have a house chicken that's never permitted outdoors. But when you purchase even a few hens, you have to understand that you are now responsible for an animal that, if not monitored closely, could disrupt the entire nation's food supply, shut down businesses and cause so much damage to your neighbors that they can no longer provide an income for themselves. Which includes the responsibility of culling sick birds. That occasional sneeze could be a case of Influenza that shuts down the nations food supply. That bird that stumbles a lot could be a case of a resistant strain of Marek's that infects and kill's your neighbors entire stock of rare, endangered, specialty birds. And I would not want someone with sick birds who refused to euthanize them living next door to my flock that I use to feed my family and provide others with a clean, humane food source. Would you want someone who refused to remove their sick birds from their flock living next to your pet chickens?

You also take the responsibility of owning a bird that is prone to reproductive failures (egg binding, prolapse, etc), has very few "perfect" vaccines (as in sterile and non spreading, since many birds still carry and spread what they're vaccinated against), and is on the bottom of the food chain. (Almost all of us loose a bird to one predator or another at some point... And sometimes the predators don't finish the job which means we have to do it for them.) And the best part? Often times there's not even a vet near by who will see them to put them down, let alone a 24/7 emergency vet for those 3-am "oh my god a mink broke into the chicken coop, I didn't even know those lived in my suburb" moments. There's many times that euthanizing is the only humane option.

Incidentally, if your flock gets too out of hand with an infectious disease, the government will come in and deal with it for you. Your flock will be, at a minimum, quarantined under threat of fines and possible jail time. If they deem it to be a real threat to the food supply (say, if your birds have Avian Influenza, pullorum, typhoid, newcastle, etc.) they will come in and seize your birds, even the ones who appear healthy, euthanize them and incinerate them. THAT'S how serious your pet chickens are, and why it's important to recognize that even if they are pets to you they are livestock to the nation. And most chicken diseases spread from local wildlife... The small birds and mice that get into your pen to nibble out of our feeders. And those animals can spread it miles away. Some of the diseases, like AI, even threaten the wildlife itself, killing wild birds enmasse and destroying ecosystems. So even if you have great biosecurity and change clothes every time you go into the chicken pen, your sick pet chickens are still a threat to the nation's food supply and your neighbor's birds and even wild birds. That's the reality of owning an animal that is primarially livestock, even if it's a pet to you.

I seriously disagree with you, but I am sure typing up several long paragraphs for you is not going to convince you no matter what kind of tone or information I use.
But I will point out that the diseases you mentioned have been bred in a domestic setting, largely by commercial operations, and killing infected birds is not going to make it go away. Even if it was eradicated, we would likely just recreate it because if anything the places that are causing these diseases are only getting worse.
I did not mean to offend anyone.

 

[Teila]

I have to agree with other posts that we appear to have gone down two paths here; 1. Euthanasia and 2. Slaughter for butchering.

Having said that, I do not believe that the people posting their method of slaughter have at any time given the impression that they consider it to be euthanasia.

I posted that I take my pet chickens to the Vet if that tough decision has to be made. However, if I could bring myself to euthanize one of my girls; the posts here of the varying methods available have been very helpful.

 

[CertifiedChaser]

I do not want to even read the barrage that has just rained down on me. I skimmed and saw the tone and loaded words, and that was enough. This thread is to give your opinion. I am not talking down to anyone, I did not even mention any one person. I just said the word is being misused. Euthanasia is supposed to be a mercy for that one individual. That is not even my opinion, that is just what the word means. Then I gave my opinion, in a far less harsh way than it was giving to me. I hope you do not talk to people that way face to face.

I almost chimed in earlier when I read your statement. Sorry I didn't. I feel like you are right. Euthanasia is a type of mercy killing and some of us typed in we use it to butcher our chickens for food (which in a way could still be a mercy killing). While I feel the way people interpreted your statement was wrong it is also kind of unmerciful to let your poultry (I assume chickens) suffer until their last breath. Up until recent years we haven't allowed people this choice and I feel animals would agree as well that if you suffer and will continue to suffer without getting better than I would rather just be put down then continue being a burden or living in constant pain.

 

[CertifiedChaser]

I have to agree with other posts that we appear to have gone down two paths here; 1. Euthanasia and 2. Slaughter for butchering.

Having said that, I do not believe that the people posting their method of slaughter have at any time given the impression that they consider it to be euthanasia.

I posted that I take my pet chickens to the Vet if that tough decision has to be made.  However, if I could bring myself to euthanize one of my girls; the posts here of the varying methods available have been very helpful.

Beat me to it!

 

[MissSister]

I almost chimed in earlier when I read your statement. Sorry I didn't. I feel like you are right. Euthanasia is a type of mercy killing and some of us typed in we use it to butcher our chickens for food (which in a way could still be a mercy killing). While I feel the way people interpreted your statement was wrong it is also kind of unmerciful to let your poultry (I assume chickens) suffer until their last breath. Up until recent years we haven't allowed people this choice and I feel animals would agree as well that if you suffer and will continue to suffer without getting better than I would rather just be put down then continue being a burden or living in constant pain.

If you know they are not going to get better, and they have a chronic fatal painful illness I would not let them just waste away and die slowly. I hope I did not give that impression.
I have a reputation far and wide for being the hippy chicken lady, so I have been given and have had many chickens that are unable to walk or are largely paralyzed, have or had cancer or a bad illness, are blind, deaf, a meat hybrid, elderly, or were otherwise disabled or required special care. Right now I have two Cornish x and a blind hen that survived Avian Lymphoid Leukosis. They have had rough patches, and they do not get along as easily as a regular chicken, but they have a will to live and seem happy to be living.