When your chickens get old and die...

[lazy gardener]

Man I wouldn't be able to do the cone method.... I don't know why but it just seems like it takes too long.... I would feel terrible.

Anyone ever use a gouillotine and just hug them through the nerve-stuff so they don't go running around?

I don't have the strength/dexterity to manage a hatchet/axe. I've found that the broomstick works well for me. It is easy to manage, it is instantaneous. Any movement after the fact with any of these methods is electrical in nature.

 

[Coyox]

Do these still exist?

Leaving a link just in case people aren't interested in seeing what I mean by "guillotine" https://permies.com/t/8690/a/2194/chicken guillotine.jpg

 

[yasmin817]

Thank you for posting this thread. This is a tough but necessary topic to consider when owning chickens and one I've been struggling with lately as I have a hen that's been ill and it's time to consider the options. I had to euthanize one at the vet last year with the same issues (ascites and lethargy). Unfortunately, they don't live a long life, but it's our job to make sure they live a happy and healthy one. You are very lucky to have a neighbor willing to do the deed. Many of us are not so fortunate. I agree that going to the vet will get costly and I'm very interested in learning more about methods to do it at home. Not sure I have the guts to use anything sharp. The broomstick method seems like something I could stomach, but what if I do it wrong? eek!

 

[MissSister]

I just want to say that you do not have to kill them. Just because they are going to die one day does not mean you have to kill them all as a "precaution". I am not going to try to convince anyone that killing chickens is wrong because I cannot convince with my words, that is something that has to be realized yourself if you are going to, but I want you to realize that the chickens are not going to pick death over living out their natural lives if someone asks them. I have seen chickens on here live to be in their twenties with the right care, nine is not very old at all. They have just hit henopause. It would be different if they were all sitting around, staring at the wall with no desire to live at all, but it does not sound even close to that point yet. I just want to throw another perspective out there because it sounded to me like you noticed, cared they have their own personalities and desires.


Edited by Staff

 

[conada]

Oh wow!! Im a little tree hugger haha! I dont think i could do any of that. I realistic enough to know that happens but i could never do that...Thank you for the information. Of course a vet is out, not cost effective plus i called one once when my horse stepped on my pet chicken and broke her leg and they told me to just eat her

 

[Merrymouse]

Although this is something pet owners do not want to think about it is reality. I don't even have my chicks yet. Im building my coop now and getting my first chicks in the spring. I was discussing this exact thing with my DH the other day. He was laughing at me saying "you don't even have the chicks yet and you're worried about what to do if they are old or sick" and of course I am. Im a planner, can't help it. I really appreciate this post, very informative and I dont want to highjack but a couple questions? How long does the average chicken live? Also someone mentioned carbon monoxide, how exactly is this done? I think I would handle seeing my old, sick chickens go to sleep but not sure I could slit their necks. I had a parrot that died recently. My dog alerted me that something was wrong in the middle of the night and sure enough my African Grey was on the floor of her cage with difficulty breathing. I scooped her up and wrapped her in a towel and was tempted to just cut off her air supply to kill her quickly but I couldn't do it because I thought what if she was better by morning, well, in the end I should have been brave and done it because she didn't make it. Its true what they say about birds masking their sickness. Usually by the time they show that they are sick there isn't much anyone can do. Sorry you are dealing with these tough decisions.

 

[Carolines coop]

I have lost some to old age. They usually start to look puny or weaker and then one day you look in the house and she's gone. Yes, it's upseting.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Something occurs to me..... We all do care about our chickens and we all, at some point will deal with their passing.

For me the decision had to be made before the chicks came home. I am a planner too.
I am actually ok with processing them for food. We eat chicken... eating the ones I raised means not supporting commercial housing and the meat bird industry.
This does not mean I care less for the chickens just because they end up dinner. In fact it is a motivator to make certain mine always have clean water, good food, proper shelter, treats and the best life I can give them.

I have lost a few unexpectedly with no warning signs. I have had ones get sick and show symptoms. The ill girls go to the vet for a humane end and exam. The vet charges me only 25 to put one down and do a very brief exam.

The ones that dropped over were very young, under a year. Two were from egg binding, another from a weak heart were the root causes. The ill ones were between 4 and 6 years old.

It is a very personal decision for each of us. Why??? Because they are in our care and death is not an easy decision. If it were easy for us we may want to do some self assessment.

There are birds in my flock that don't lay well or at all but are adored for their other qualities. I keep mine as long as I can logically believe them to be having a happy life. That means my hens bred for laying are here for about 6 years. Can they live longer?? Probably, but I choose not to wait for them to get sick. Personal choice.

 

[Mrs. K]

it is hard to say.. but the "merciful death" by culling is useful like one said for good meat and to avoid carrying disease.

But be assured when a pet begins to slow down eating or not walk so much at the end of their life it is not painful other than for the person watching them go.

I

I humbly disagree. I have had old birds that were stiff and sore, I am pretty sure it was painful for them. Also, sometimes this will change the flock dynamics, and they can be very mean to an old bird.

Pets other than chickens are not real good indicators how chickens will act. I have had chickens for years, I enjoy them immensely and mine are somewhere between pets and livestock. They are just not like other pets. In my opinion, it is the coop de grace, for a girl that has done her job well. But it is a decision we all need to make for our flocks, and our life styles. I do not judge anyone, what works for one, may not for the next person, or even the next chicken.

Mrs K

 

[MiddleWoods]

8-9 years, I'm impressed!!

I let our first flock pass away naturally and having watched them go through it, I won't do it again. Once I know they aren't going to make it, I will put them down rather than making them linger and suffer for days. Haven't figured out how I will do it yet. I think axe or broomstick has the best chance of the quickest death with me doing it.