When is killing a healthy hen the right thing to do?

[SkunkWhisperer]

View attachment 1713515 The Sitch: My flock is down to one hen -- healthy, beautiful, lays wonderful eggs -- and she is desperately lonely. Work is making it difficult to find time to take proper care of even her, so raising a new flock (where she'd be the only adult for a while) isn't an option.

These are my/her options:
1) Lock her out of her run/coop and wait for a predator to get her. (I won't do that.)
2) Neighbors' flocks are mistreated by my standards (kept in overpopulated runs where they de-feather one another, etc.), but someone would probably take her. She'd be at the bottom of the pecking order and would probably have a rough time. She'd probably run home if they ever let her out.
3) Craigslist her and hope someone doesn't mistreat/torture/kill/eat her. (Pains me to even think about.)
4) Drive her and her supplies to somewhere in a neighboring state (not less than 200 miles, possibly as far as 700 miles...one way), where another BYC member would almost certainly give her a wonderful life.
5) Dispatch her as quickly/painlessly as I can. It would break my heart, but it's already breaking my heart to see her camp out by the sliding door because she sees her reflection in it when she stands and thinks she has a friend. I'm already not providing her a good life.

If anyone else has been in a similar situation, what did you do?
If not, what do you think I should do?

Thanks to any who share their advice....

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

5 is the best option for the bird and 3 is more economical for you but you leave a lot to chance. I’d never leave one out for a predator to pick off and I’d only slaughter if you are going to consume her.

 

[Cyprus]

5! 5! 5!
That's what I'm doing with my flock. They're going to a new home with a wonderful BYCer in Michigan

 

[The Phantom]

What state are you in?

 

[starri33]

There is a post about what state are you in, I will dig around and see if I can find it, maybe you could find someone closer..

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I would do 3 or 5. Honestly, craigslist has sent many of my birds to new homes and many of those have followed up with a picture or two after. A lot of birds settle into happy homes that way. I get lots of animals off of CL. It's not so bad but there is a risk.

I would not make the drive for the bird but it's clear that this is an important animal to you and if it were important to me a friend and I would drive lots of places. I drove 5 hours one way to get my pet husky from a breeder I liked. I just drove 2.5 hours one way just to get a pair of pedigreed rabbits in a color that isn't common around here. So for the right animal I would go the distance but only you can make that choice.
For a single chicken I would rather have a stew than take the drive but my chickens are livestock. Only you can make the choice of what this chicken means to you.

A third option may be looking into local farmparks or livestock/animal rescues near larger cities that are closer than BYC members and see if they'll take the bird in. It might be worth a shot. We have a few of those near me and almost everyone lives within some sort of driving range of a major city.

I would absolutely put a chicken down before putting them into the first or second situation.

 

[starri33]

here is the link, I hope you can find someone close to you. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/find-your-states-thread.270925/

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

Advertise her on craiglist or youe local farming sites, flyers at the vet, etc
and communicate with the person, offer to give her away for free if you can check out their setup to make sure their birds are cared for the way you want.
I try to always talk with the people im selling hens and chicks to, to make sure they know what they are doing etc. Most people who have chickens are all to happy to describe their flocks when you are friendly.
Have you posted her on this site with your state/location etc? There could be someone closer to you than you realize!

 

[SkunkWhisperer]

What state are you in?

I'm in Colorado...Denver area.

 

[SkunkWhisperer]

Have you posted her on this site with your state/location etc? There could be someone closer to you than you realize!

Thanks for your advice! I have posted on the re-homing section of the forum but only heard back from the woman in neighboring Kansas (who seems like a terrific hen-mom!). I'm happy to give tons of supplies with my hen...pine chips, straw, food, dried worms, oyster shell, etc.