What to do with chickens after they pass

[lissalischicks]

I cremate. 1. Don't know the cause of death sometimes. Don't want to potentially harm any of the local animals, or my dog.
2. Its the "cleanest" and technically "safest" IMHO. And if I want to be burned when I die, I tend to not think its disrespectful. If they are your pets, you could have a little ceremony or celebration of life. I thank mine for their contribution to me while living, and bless them in the chicken afterlife
Hope that helps. You can always create a little chicken/livestock cremation area or do it in the fire pit. Your choice, depending on how ceremonial you want to get.

~cheers

How do you cremate your chickens?

 

[Mrs. K]

Do not eat anything that has died due to illness, good grief.

 

[aart]

Euthanized or dead birds are tossed into the woods after walking along roadway a couple hundred feet so as to 'not leave a trail'...that was futile, only coyote attempt I had was the day after doing that. Also toss slaughter waste out there.
In winter, when woods are inaccessible due to my mobility issues,
paper or feed bag and into the dumpster,
same goes for euthanized or dead chicks.

 

[m1chelle1]

How do you cremate your chickens?

I have a large fireplace and it get it nice and hot, and tend to do Viking style with a bed of sticks. think someone else said they have a makeshift cinder block area they use. that might get hotter than mine. pretty much there is nothing left if the fire gets hot enough. maybe some bone remnants. but kills all the potential diseases, for sure. so that's a score there. Hope that helps, Good Luck!!

 

[red horse ranch]

So far this winter I have lost 10 of my (mostly old) chickens. Before the ground froze I buried them in the garden. When I wasn't able to dig holes because of frozen ground I put them in my burn barrel and made a big fire with scrap wood. In January our mule also died and he was placed in a hole and covered with compost. The compost hasn't frozen so now there are 3 chickens buried with him to keep him company.

 

[lazy gardener]

My soil is super bony. So a decent burial hole is an aerobic work out with pick axe and shovel. If I have an ailing bird (not a frequent occurrence) I will cull her rather than watching her stand around in misery. B/c they are flock animals, they hide their illness well. By the time a chicken is showing signs of illness, she is really suffering. 3 or 4 days of "acting ill" tells me it's time to cull that bird. I use broomstick. I have been known to dig holes in my lower lawn, in my orchard, in a sheet compost area, and in a section where I'm building a HK mound. I also bury the refuse from processing birds for the freezer. The hole is covered well with soil, then a piece of wire fencing, followed by some rocks, and maybe a bag of leaves. These extra coverings ensure that no critters will dig up a fresh site. After the microbes have had time to work on the site, I can then remove the extra coverings and be assured that the spot will not be dug back up.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have a large fireplace and it get it nice and hot, and tend to do Viking style with a bed of sticks. think someone else said they have a makeshift cinder block area they use. that might get hotter than mine. pretty much there is nothing left if the fire gets hot enough. maybe some bone remnants. but kills all the potential diseases, for sure. so that's a score there. Hope that helps, Good Luck!!

I can imagine that stinks a bit with burning feathers and offal. How bad is it???

 

[chickendreams24]

Okay I think I've remembered what DH2B called the incinerator he built.

It's basically a modified rocket stove aka a larger version of a rocket stove.

It is out in our barn lot(there are no animals out there)on concrete. It's been a huge blessing. The only time we've ever had trouble was when it was very wet and we had to wait a couple days for things to dry out. We have not had to use it this winter thankfully. I believe throwing a tarp or a piece of tin etc over it would have allowed us to uncover and use it if needed(my Grandpa passed the Sunday before Thanksgiving and most of our fall and winter projects and winterizing were put on hold, added to that DH2B was in the field until about the first of December.)

I was worried about how it would be as far as smell and everything as well. It really hasn't been bad.

Our first couple years with birds we buried every bird we lost even culled chicks and unhatched eggs. We have a compost pile but like many people here my fear was digging up the decomposing body of a bird. Growing up we buried all of our animals around our grape arbor and had every spot memorized. DH2B has not been that organized in where he digs the holes so I now worry about it any time we stick a shovel in the ground.

He claims he remembers them all but I know he doesn't. LoL which is fine many of them were buried in the dark after they passed or were killed by a predator.

We have had a few times using the rocket incinerator that worked completely perfectly and there was nothing left. We have also had a few bones left on occasion so we are still learning and perfecting it.

We use scrap wood and usually a little gasoline to start the fire very hot. I usually go inside or go work elsewhere in the yard not because of any smell but because it is hard for me burning our birds. Necessary but hard.

Some wood in the bottom like a viking pyre work great and then wood on top as well. We also have been using some cedar shingles off a building we are tearing down and cedar burns really well.

We do have two dogs and originally I was very worried about our great Dane as she was a digger before DH2B and I got together. Thankfully she has never dug up anything as I might never recover.

We have also used the rocket incinerator to burn some possums, as well as some rats, that were attacking our flock and eating eggs. They burned completely and there was nothing left.

Hope this helps.

 

[m1chelle1]

I can imagine that stinks a bit with burning feathers and offal. How bad is it???

It can stink, but smells like burning chicken.......I mean. idk, doesn't bother me too much. I usually don't wait right next to the fire. ^this guy has a good point, using some sort of accelerant such as gasoline can help. And I love that Rocket incinerator idea, I need me one of those!! Wonder it its expensive...hmmmm

 

[m1chelle1]

Okay I think I've remembered what DH2B called the incinerator he built.

It's basically a modified rocket stove aka a larger version of a rocket stove.

It is out in our barn lot(there are no animals out there)on concrete. It's been a huge blessing. The only time we've ever had trouble was when it was very wet and we had to wait a couple days for things to dry out. We have not had to use it this winter thankfully. I believe throwing a tarp or a piece of tin etc over it would have allowed us to uncover and use it if needed(my Grandpa passed the Sunday before Thanksgiving and most of our fall and winter projects and winterizing were put on hold, added to that DH2B was in the field until about the first of December.)

I was worried about how it would be as far as smell and everything as well. It really hasn't been bad.

Our first couple years with birds we buried every bird we lost even culled chicks and unhatched eggs. We have a compost pile but like many people here my fear was digging up the decomposing body of a bird. Growing up we buried all of our animals around our grape arbor and had every spot memorized. DH2B has not been that organized in where he digs the holes so I now worry about it any time we stick a shovel in the ground.

He claims he remembers them all but I know he doesn't. LoL which is fine many of them were buried in the dark after they passed or were killed by a predator.

We have had a few times using the rocket incinerator that worked completely perfectly and there was nothing left. We have also had a few bones left on occasion so we are still learning and perfecting it.

We use scrap wood and usually a little gasoline to start the fire very hot. I usually go inside or go work elsewhere in the yard not because of any smell but because it is hard for me burning our birds. Necessary but hard.

Some wood in the bottom like a viking pyre work great and then wood on top as well. We also have been using some cedar shingles off a building we are tearing down and cedar burns really well.

We do have two dogs and originally I was very worried about our great Dane as she was a digger before DH2B and I got together. Thankfully she has never dug up anything as I might never recover.

We have also used the rocket incinerator to burn some possums, as well as some rats, that were attacking our flock and eating eggs. They burned completely and there was nothing left.

Hope this helps.

I Like your idea better than what I do. good post!