Despatching chickens ...

[beulah59]

I don't yet have my hens - we're waiting for a BHWT rescue later in the summer. I've read round loads of poultry forums so I think I have a reasonable idea of what life will be like AC (after chickens). I like to be prepared!

One thing I'm not looking forward to, and hope I don't have to do for a while, is having to 'put a chicken out of it's misery'. I'm quite prepared to do what's necessary, when necessary ... I've seen some of you talk about using a broomstick - please explain? Any other suggestions? I'm a not very tall, rather overweight, middle aged woman, so strength isn't my thing!

Thanks.

[MaureenHall]

Welcome Beulah Here at Chookaholics anonymous we try really hard to answer questions - quite often with stupid answers (as you'll find out, if you haven't already!)

So far, I've been really lucky in not having to despatch any of my flock, but I'm sure the time will come!! This will be one of the times I play my "girly card", and I'll ask someone else to do it for me.

As far as I can understand, the broomstick method - put the chicken on the ground breast-side down. put a broomstick over the neck of the bird and stand on each end of it. Hold the birds legs and a quick pull upwards and the job's done. I think it's possible to pull too hard and decapitate the bird, but at least that way, it's very quick and you know you've done the job properly. Someone, please correct me if I'm wrong!!!

[beulah59]

Thanks - that describes it clearly (I just couldn't picture it but breastside down is the key)

I hope I don't have to use it, but if it's necessary it will almost certainly be me and not OH!

[Suechooks]

Because of the strength required I don't feel I could break/dislocate the neck instantaneously so I opt for taking my ex-batts to the vet who gives them a small injection and they just literally slip away/drift off to sleep. I have a good neighbour who could do the job for me in a real emergency.
If you read Snadgers recent thread you'll realise a good deal of strength is needed.
Practical Poultry magazine did an article on humane dispatching. It showed the broomstick method and described it and "normal" neck dislocation too. I think it was August 2008 or thereabouts.
Oh and welcome Chookaholics!

[frias]

I couldn't do it but I think mt OH could in an emergency. So far mine have been dispached at the vets. I have one who is not too good at the moment and I'm thinking I might need a visit to the vet today. I prefer to be guided by the vet as would hate to dispach without at least trying to save a life.

[Hilary B]

Remember that the stress of being taken to the vet may well be as bad (for the chook) as the slightly more 'physical' approach to despatching at home with broomstick.

[bluemoon]

This is one of the things never covered in books. They tell you about ideal housing, run sizes, feed, litter, breeds, but when it comes to this they always gloss over it with 'you may have to humanely dispatch the bird'. No instructions, no suggestions even, and definitely no photos. I think if you are keeping chickens you at least should know how to do it, it's certainly just as important to their welfare as getting fluffy chicks to hatch, which usually takes at least a chapter with lots of pretty pictures. Lots of people on our lotties keep chickens so I'm hoping that if it ever becomes necessary one of them will show me how it's done the first time, and possibly be there to supervise while I do it myself the second time. I'm actually more concerned about attempting it and 'doing it wrong', causing the chicken pain and distress, than I am about actually doing the deed itself. I admit when I first got the hens I couldn't imagine ever doing it, but I've become more practical over the past weeks. Having said all that, there are a couple - Coco and Elvis, for a start, - who I can't see me ever bringing myself to dispatch, I'm just too fond of them and they're more like pets.

[Suechooks]

Remember that the stress of being taken to the vet may well be as bad (for the chook) as the slightly more 'physical' approach to despatching at home with broomstick.

So far the birds i have taken to the vet for whatever reason have been quite happy in the carrying box and have sat quietly on the vet's arm while he examined them. I think this is one of the main benefits of having few enough chooks that they can be handled regularly and thus it causes them minimal stress. I feel that this is the difference between having hens as livestock and having them as pets. Those who have a lot of birds will be able to dispatch them efficiently with no fuss but those like me who have a few and treat them as pets would make a hash of it by not being calm and quick enough.
if I was to have any which were destined for the table (and I have done in the past and may well do in future) I would simply not get so involved and DEFINITELY NOT give them names! I'd still have to get someone else to dispatch them though! Have already arranged this just in case!

[frias]

Remember that the stress of being taken to the vet may well be as bad (for the chook) as the slightly more 'physical' approach to despatching at home with broomstick.

I have found the girls settle down quite well in the pet carrier and are very calm at the vets. I leave them in the car with OH until we are called and that saves them the stress of sitting in a vets surgery with other animals.

Apologies Beulah59. Welcome to the vine.

[Hilary B]

This is one of the things never covered in books. They tell you about ideal housing, run sizes, feed, litter, breeds, but when it comes to this they always gloss over it with 'you may have to humanely dispatch the bird'. No instructions, no suggestions even, and definitely no photos. I think if you are keeping chickens you at least should know how to do it, it's certainly just as important to their welfare as getting fluffy chicks to hatch, which usually takes at least a chapter with lots of pretty pictures. Lots of people on our lotties keep chickens so I'm hoping that if it ever becomes necessary one of them will show me how it's done the first time, and possibly be there to supervise while I do it myself the second time. I'm actually more concerned about attempting it and 'doing it wrong', causing the chicken pain and distress, than I am about actually doing the deed itself. I admit when I first got the hens I couldn't imagine ever doing it, but I've become more practical over the past weeks. Having said all that, there are a couple - Coco and Elvis, for a start, - who I can't see me ever bringing myself to dispatch, I'm just too fond of them and they're more like pets.

One book with an illustrated guide (unless my memory is badly astray, not impossible) was the original edition of John Seymour's "Complete guide to Self Sufficiency".

Important point with the broomstick. People describing the method always tell you to 'stand on both ends'. In fact you should have your weight on your heels and the ball of each foot on the bar just lightly holding it down, until you actually pull upwards, at which moment you shift your weight forwards.

[Bramble-Poultry]

Never had a bird stress out taking it to the vets, just like taking any other animal to the vets and you would take your cat/dog/rabbit etc to the vets instead of it suffering and you certainly wouldn't just break its neck because it was poorly without first getting a vet to check it over and see if a course of antibiotics or another treatment would sort it out so why is a chicken any different? A life is a life and we take these animals on to look after them, they are pets we love them so we should treat them as such.

As for dispatching, if you are not happy and confident to do it yourself get the vet to PTS, you need to be confident because "faffing" is when thigs go wrong! If you are going to get into the realms of growing chickens to eat then buy a dispatcher - but its not worth it for just the occasional bird.

[Hilary B]

Never had a bird stress out taking it to the vets, just like taking any other animal to the vets and you would take your cat/dog/rabbit etc to the vets instead of it suffering and you certainly wouldn't just break its neck because it was poorly without first getting a vet to check it over and see if a course of antibiotics or another treatment would sort it out so why is a chicken any different? A life is a life and we take these animals on to look after them, they are pets we love them so we should treat them as such.

As for dispatching, if you are not happy and confident to do it yourself get the vet to PTS, you need to be confident because "faffing" is when thigs go wrong! If you are going to get into the realms of growing chickens to eat then buy a dispatcher - but its not worth it for just the occasional bird.

If either of the one dog and one cat I have had to get PTS could have been put down at home as quickly and efficiently as despatching a chicken, that is how I would have done it. It is the delay and the journey that worry me.
Not to say we should all take the same route, just to point out the 'other side' of taking to a vet. It depends on how far you need to go, among other factors. With a 2 hour journey (as it was then), I really couldn't have justified the trip for something I could put down at home.
I totally agree about making sure the job is done cleanly and efficiently. I wouldn't use any 'device' more sophisitcated than the broomstick, even for regular 'home eating' birds.

[Suechooks]

Never had a bird stress out taking it to the vets, just like taking any other animal to the vets and you would take your cat/dog/rabbit etc to the vets instead of it suffering and you certainly wouldn't just break its neck because it was poorly without first getting a vet to check it over and see if a course of antibiotics or another treatment would sort it out so why is a chicken any different? A life is a life and we take these animals on to look after them, they are pets we love them so we should treat them as such.

As for dispatching, if you are not happy and confident to do it yourself get the vet to PTS, you need to be confident because "faffing" is when thigs go wrong! If you are going to get into the realms of growing chickens to eat then buy a dispatcher - but its not worth it for just the occasional bird.

Hear hear!