[Julia and the girls]

Hello everyone.  We are facing a horrid moral dilemma with 1 of our 5 chickens.  She's an old girl, 5 years if not older, and hasn't laid for more than 6 months.  She's called Darth Vadar (kids' choice) and was the sole survivor of a fox attack a year ago (she used the force we say  ).

She has lost her eye sight and can't see her food.  As a consequence, she is getting lighter and lighter.  She is hardly mobile and I have to lift her in and out of the coop. I guess because she can't see, she just stands around all day, not eating.  She is also very unsteady and I have seen her stumble/fall off her perch.  She now has 4 other young and boisterous things surrounding her and one of them has starting picking on her quite viciously.

Of course the question is: should we let nature take its course, or she we intervene to .... well you know ....end it.  I would have to take her to a vet, because I cannot do the deed myself.

What would you do for your family pet?

[mumofstig]

vet's visit called for IMO

[snowdrops]

I would put her out of her misery, the other hens will kill her if left to it to protect themselves. A tough decision to make but it sounds like she may be starving to death which is not a nice way to go.

[grinling]

vet.. I had a hen who went blind and had never needed to cull one...BIL did it for me. Very upsetting, but have gone on to do it myself now.

[Beetroot Queen]

Chickens are not always the nicest to each other so I would say vet too. Once they sense weak they just go for it.  Thats the one thing i didnt like about keeping chickens 

[finleyfreyaseth]

most definitely PTS as soon as u get up this morning ,im sure there'll be someone close to you who will show you how to cull ,so youll be able to do it yourself next time.

[splash101]

Never an easy decision but if she is suffering then you should intervene.

If you put your location on your profile, there maybe someone local that could offer assistance.

[joyfull]

first of all I would see if there if there was anything wrong with her by a trip to the vets. Then if nothing is wrong and you have the room why not let her have a coop and run to herself - in full view of the others but safe from any bullying (something all on one level so she doesn't have to go up and down a ram).

[loretta cluck]

Think I paid around £23.00 for one of mine to be PTS.  Would certainly keep her away and safe from the other chickens.

[nerdle]

I coudn't let a hen suffer for one moment. The vet charged me £10 and it was over painlessly and quickly.

[barley]

call it a day would be the kindest thing for her - not easy or nice to make that decision  but don't let her suffer

my vet charges about £8 so it's not very exspesive

[Prod]

It's a tough call when you have an animal that long and personalise it by giving them names. As some of you know I have had a dreadful year and I have had to cull a number of my chickens. For me it's almost a 30 mile round  trip to the Vet and, as good as they (one of them is Rosie and she keeps chickens so we have found remedies over the phone & then I call in for it & they don't charge a fortune) they still have to earn a living and I have to weigh up the cost of travel & the vet's fee.  Rosie demonstrated how to do it  and so I gritted my teeth and killed the first one, I apologised before and gave each one a cuddle trying to tell myself they are just chickens but when you have raised something from 2 days old, and named them, it is very difficult, only someone who has kept chickens would know. I mean you wouldn't  kill your dog or cat yourself if you felt it's time was up. Having said all that if the chicken, or any animal really, is suffering or it's quality of life is poor then I think you have to step in before mother nature does.  Hard choice, I don't envy you.