What do you do with your chickens when they die?

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

Mine are pets, so I bury them.

Mine are too. I ugly cry every time one dies. I hope I don't have to ugly cry again for a long time.

 

[cherrynberry]

Mine are too. I ugly cry every time one dies. I hope I don't have to ugly cry again for a long time.

Hoping so for me too.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Mine go to the dump. I don't have enough property to bury them where my dogs, the other chickens, a roaming cat or a gang of raccoons wouldn't find them. We have such a bad raccoon problem in our neighborhood that I am wary of making it worse. I've only had two chicken deaths in five years so its not terrible but since one of them was from some kind of predator attack and subsequent infection I don't want to risk attracting anything else.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I have an area in the woods where I bury mine. ❤

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

My backyard chickens are not pets. If one got injured and died, I might butcher it for food. If a chicken dies from an unknown disease, then it gets buried into a compost pile.

IIRC, I saw a YouTube where Joel Salatin feeds his old chickens that he culls to his hogs. He does not take the time, or effort, to process old laying hens. Makes more sense on his commercial farm to feed the hogs all those old, culled chickens.

If your chickens are pets, then I suppose a proper burial would not be out of the question. I like the idea of burying it in the garden where it's body can bring new life to plants and food in the future. But whatever brings you comfort at the passing of a pet is OK with me. Sorry for your loss.

Thank you. I like the garden idea too and that will probably be what we will do going forward. My first flock was 4 chickens. My 2 favorite with the most personality where the ones that died. I have a habit of getting attached to all my animals. But I don't want to start a cemetery either lol. I got mine for eggs and I don't think I could butcher mine but that makes a lot of sense..they serve a good purpose. I have a brood of 10 warming up! Hopefully I will have better luck with the next round. My other 2 are Eater Eggers and they are doing great, thank goodness.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I have no issues with the coyotes.

Only predators I've dealt with was weasel, skunk, & an unknown raptor.

Once a stranger who wrung the neck of a favorite cockerel of mine.

4 birds I had to put down: #1. Severe Brooder Aspergillosis, #2. Severe Sour Crop(Didn't know how long the bird was suffering with the condition was to late to treat)#3. Prolapsed constipated hen, that ended up getting fly strike, #4. Reoccurring Bumblefoot on a crippled hen. She had slipped tendon when she was a chick.

Deaths by another rooster: 1. Black Sumatra, & 1, Welsummer

Natural Deaths: 1 heart attack, 1 heat stroke.

I forgot I lost 2 one year due to Mycotoxicosis, from eating moldy feed. The first one died, & second I put down to end the suffering.

A stranger? How did they get a hold of your cockerel?

 

[MysteryChicken]

A stranger? How did they get a hold of your cockerel?

The coop has a simple latch, instead of a combo lock, so it's easy access. Planning on changing the lock.

Plus, we weren't there when it happened, thinking it was sometime early in the morning when it was dark. It was also snowing really hard, so any tracks would have been covered up.


Found my Big Boy laying in the middle of the coop, neck feathers ruffled up forward towards his face, & legs stretched out.
I recognized that from the times I had to put birds down, using the cervical dislocation method.

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

The coop has a simple latch, instead of a combo lock, so it's easy access. Planning on changing the lock.

Plus, we weren't there when it happened, thinking it was sometime early in the morning when it was dark. It was also snowing really hard, so any tracks would have been covered up.


Found my Big Boy laying in the middle of the coop, neck feathers ruffled up forward towards his face, & legs stretched out.
I recognized that from the times I had to put birds down, using the cervical dislocation method.

Geez, I am so sorry. That is awful.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

The coop has a simple latch, instead of a combo lock, so it's easy access. Planning on changing the lock.

Plus, we weren't there when it happened, thinking it was sometime early in the morning when it was dark. It was also snowing really hard, so any tracks would have been covered up.


Found my Big Boy laying in the middle of the coop, neck feathers ruffled up forward towards his face, & legs stretched out.
I recognized that from the times I had to put birds down, using the cervical dislocation method.

So sad.

 

[nchls school]

Since most are deaths of unknown reasons, I burn them.