[RubyR3d]

I've kept hens for only 6 years but love every element about it until they become poorly then I feel useless. Everything I do for my hens and dogs is beyond the norm. I cook both my dogs food and get a pat on the back from my vet for giving them cooked chicken breast, mixed veg and brown rice or pasta. My oldest jack russell is 16 and still goes for long walks with the other and apart from being deaf is still very lively. My hens are wormed regularly, cleaned out every day and have fresh sweetcorn and spring cabbage every day. Today I treated a poorly hen who has been hunched for a couple of days with antibiotic and within an hour she was dead. But it was so traumatic in the hour preceding that, that I've come to the conclusion I'm a failure because I cannot bring myself to dispatch them when I need to. It was absolutely awful and don't want to go into detail here for fear that everyone will tut tut about letting her go through it. My husband says I shouldn't have any more when my other 3 have gone and I fear he's right. I'm in tears writing this and I'm still in shock. Sorry but does can anyone else admit to being useless when it matters regarding this.

[joyfull]

sadly when a hen shows symptoms of being unwell then it is often too late and they will die shortly, they have to hide their illnesses otherwise they will get picked on, it's the way of wild animals and the survival of the fittest. Being hunched up can be a sign of several things so next time you ought to possibly call the vets. Would you be ok despatching a hen if shown how to do it properly? If not a vet will probably charge around £10.
Hens especially hybrids have such short lives so when mine reach 3 I tend to think of them as OAP's so any that die after that I know have lived a full life. Pure breeds can live many years longer.
You are lucky to be able to feed your dog chicken, pasta and rice, my two newfies are intolerant to all grains including rice, chicken and eggs.

[LotuSeed]

Oh Ruby I am so sorry for you! Please don't be too hard on yourself!  You reached out for help ( read your post earlier) and that itself speaks volumes. You did TRY to save her and that shows a lot about what kind of person you are (as does being broken up about her loss). Give yourself some time to grieve. We are not perfect. When you have had time to process the whole situation, then you can decide how to move forward and figure out how to handle things like this in the future. But seriously, please be kind to yourself. I am so sorry for your loss. <<hugs>>

[Prod]

No one should 'tut' or judge you. It is because you care for your animals that you feel like you do. I have only kept chickens for about 3 yrs and have had some real bad luck. Mine were infected with histomonas, a condition found in turkeys but not normally in chickens. I was losing chickens every day and only because my vet  had a client whose whole turkey flock was wiped out in hours had a hunch and did a pm done one of mine. At that time I had about 25 chickens from a couple of weeks old to 3yrs. I am 60 and I stood in my shed talking to and crying as I explained why I had to dispatch each chicken. I had 3  cream legbars from 2 days old, they were the tamest chickens and would sit on my hands and shoulders for ages in the evening sun. I literally sobbed as I had to do the deed, but my vet had shown me how to do it properly and as there was no cure it had to be done.

One of my Buff Orpington cockerels got in a fight and injured his eye, by the time the vet had done what she could the only options were to cull him or remove the eye. I had already spent £50 so it was in for a penny in for a pound and another £50 later 'one eyed' Billie is still alive and well and fathering new chicks.

I have a miniature Schnuazer who is only fed on home cooked food mixed with a little kibble. Last year she tore a cruciate ligament in her leg and needed a replacement knee joint. It cost me over £2000, a lot of money as I am retired and on a small pension. Fortunately I had some savings but I would go into debt if it happened again.

The point of all the above is to say that we, in the majority, keep animals because we get such pleasure from them and they are usually totally dependent upon us. The bond is strong no matter what age or animal it is and no one likes to think that they would be responsible for ending their life but unfortunately, as I have found out keeping chickens, it has become part of the husbandry. Personally, although I live in a farming community, I couldn't ask anyone to cull for me. As my partner said, I keep the chickens so I should be 100% responsible for them. Perhaps, however, you could find a kind soul nearby who could help you. Whatever happens don't let it put you off keeping chickens as you obviously get so much enjoyment from them.

18 months on from my problem I now have 3 of my original girls, still laying well, and 2 groups of Buff Orpingtons each of which have bred naturally so I have 2 little flocks. I still give them treats, name them (worse thing to do  sit and talk to them, thank them for the eggs and get great pleasure from them . They all have their own little characters and ways, Ronnie always lays her eggs in the bedding store, Margo always picks the pips from apple slices I hold in my hand (not too many I know as they are not good). One eyed Billie is a pussy cat and loves to be picked up and talked to, well I think so.

So soldier on, it is worth it.

[joyfull]

As you can see by the responses nobody will judge you, we have all been there and none of us take culling lightly - it is always a last resort. I have my dispatcher screwed to my gate post so it is well away from where the hens are so none of them witness me doing the deed and even the bird being dispatched is cuddled and loved right upto the very end.
Dont give up - being upset shows you are a caring person.

[RubyR3d]

   Thank you all for finding the time to reply. The old chap who used to live near me used to keep any poorly hen I had for a couple of days to see if he could help her, but then he used to do the deed. Others I would just find had died after a couple of days. It was the horrid nature of the one this morning that shocked me. She died horribly while I watched. Thanks again everyone, much appreciated. X

[joyfull]

where abouts are you - perhaps one of us could teach you how to do the deed or even do it for you, should the need arise in the future.
As I have said often with hens when they show signs of being ill it is too late and all we can do is either the deed or make them as comfortable as possible for their last day or so.

[Mrs Bee]

Don't be down hearted.

I felt like you the first time I had a poorly hen. And you do feel really awful and helpless.

But then with that experience you think and plan how to make sure it doesn't happen again.

I got the lady that I buy our chickens from to show me how to do the deed and it is having that knowledge that gives you the peace of mind that you can make sure that any other sick hens will not suffer.  We have had chickens for about 5 years now and they are well looked after, pampered chickens but I also know how to give a fast death when needed. I have had to dispatch 3 to date.

I am afraid that you do have to steel yourself to the fact that if you have live stock you will have dead stock at some point. But if you care for them as well as you do and learn how to dispatch them very quickly you can feel confident that you have done your best for your chooks.

[Kevin67]

Hi RubyRed

I'm sorry I came in to this late on; I didn't see it as I've not been on the forum due to being ridiculously busy.

I can only echo what others have said: you are an amazing person who keeps their animals well. Illness and death is part of the package.

I believe in Karma and reincarnation: if I came back, I'd be happy to be an animal in your care.

You're amazing - and we all think that. 

[Beekissed]

Failing is part of a learning process.  Think about other new things you've tried and how many times you failed at it before you got it right.  That's just part of being human and it happens to us all, every day and in many ways.  This world tends to frown upon failure or those who fail like it's a bad thing or that they are bad people, but I tend to see things from the other end...courage is trying it in the first place.  Intelligence is knowing you had a problem and couldn't handle it in the way you had wanted.  Compassion, courage and intelligence combined is what makes you want to do it better next time and are not afraid to talk about your feelings on it all. 

I approach my flock tending from the other end of the perspective as well and I'll tell you about it, as it may help you avoid dealing with seeing a hen go through a bad death and feeling helpless about it. 

I cull on a yearly basis and use the criteria of good laying(must lay every day or every other day in peak laying seasons), healthy appearance and vigor, feed thriftiness(doesn't overeat...a fat hen is not necessarily a healthy hen and it can lead to problems with laying and overall health, just like in us humans), and temperament(is she a continual bully?  Usually these are not your best layers because they have a little too much testosterone.  Is she picked on by all the flock?  They usually know before we do if there is a hen that carries heavy parasite loads or hidden illness/deformity).   

This yearly culling is done on hens that are not sick yet but have the potential of becoming ill later due to old age, hidden problems or genetic issues, and/or parasite loads(those that carry heavy parasite loads are usually lacking in good health in the first place, making them more vulnerable to infestation).  This way the hen being dispatched is still feeling well, can be safely consumed and the death is controlled and managed well so as to provide the least amount of suffering. 

This leaves one with a flock that holds very little surprises or drama concerning health and death, so no drain on emotions and stress.  It also makes for a better flock life, with less infighting, pecking order issues and a better social structure. 

I don't feed special treats or amped up foods for their consumption, as they fair better on a more natural diet and existence, much like the wild birds.  The most healthy flocks I've ever seen were those that lived rough on the land without one ounce of pampering, so I try to restrain my own propensities to mother everything within a 10 mile radius.     I do try to get freshly milled feed, then I ferment it, but it's only a supplement to their natural diet they find on the land, so it is not offered free choice.  Fresh soils, a natural bird diet, exercise, fresh air and good social lives can help keep a flock healthy when all else fails.  I've never had sickness in my flocks and I've been raising chickens for almost 40 yrs now. 

All of these things I've told here is another way of approaching your flock's needs and I tend to refer to it as preventative vs. curative.  Even vets have a hard time curing problems in poultry, so always leaning on curative measures sets one up for failure more often than not.  Failure in one's efforts can be a positive thing when it makes them take stock of the situation and eager to make changes to prevent further problems.

Just things to think about and ponder for the future.  It could be that you've never heard of other methods of raising chickens, so I offer this to you as a possible alternative to the current trend of waiting until birds get sick before trying to help them.