Having had about a dozen or so ladies for maybe two years, losing and gaining a few along the way, I went out and bought an airgun a few years ago. It was for shooting something else (cardboard boxes with drawings of Jeremy Clarkson, etc. on them) but when an elderly hen suddenly got very ill my partner shot her rather than do what we had always done in the past - vet or neighbour who gently dispatched them in their hen house. Since then we've dispatched our own hens before they get chance to suffer any more once ill. Obviously treatment is always the first option, but sometimes death is inevitable and I'm all for it being fast rather than slow, painful and frankly brutal when other hens involve themselves.
My partner said he could never shoot a healthy hen, even if we were breeding to eat, yet he can now make a decision about ending a life on humane grounds very easily. I haven't got the bottle to shoot them myself, though I can also now easily ask him to dispatch someone who's not responding to treatment or who is nearing her natural end anyway.
With 29 hens currently (was 30 until a very old Marans collapsed yesterday and just gave up) and a keen liking for taking on old, tired hens we see deaths often here. I realise it's not such a problem for those who buy young Point-of-Lay birds with longer life-expectancy, but of course we all face it at some point.
We, or rather I, use a humane despatcher when the need arises. It's the sort you bolt to a gatepost, wall etc. easy to use one handed and quick. It mechanically does what a correctly administered neck wring does with no fear of not getting it right first time which can be part of the learning curve when doing it by hand. Dom
Totally Scrambled wrote:.... which can be part of the learning curve when doing it by hand. Dom
Oh, don't remind me - my poor partner Mick blubbed like a child when a hen was injured badly in our early days and he made the snap decision to neck her pronto. Her head came right off. The vet was at our place later that day and he found it funny then offered to show Mick how to do it right. I think he said something like "Just fetch me a hen and we can practice 'til you run out"
We had four black rock hens about two years ago and one by one they started to fail, they were only 18months old, unlucky I guess. My poor hubby had to dispatch the first one when she succumbed to peritonitits. His face when he came in said it all
When the another one died and one other was obvioulsly on her way out, he did the deed again. It's a horrible thing to have to do, but better that than let them suffer.
Our one remaining black rock, Edna, is thriving! doesn't lay, but enjoys bossing our new 6 gingernut rangers around. they are fantastic, and we get on average 5 - 6 eggs a day!
Mother of two, stepmum to two, all grown up and flown the nest. Grandma to Lucy, who's 12 and is my best friend. Two dogs, 6 Gingernut Rangers, and one lovely hubby!
If the deed needs doing, then I do it myself, I was shown by the poultry supplier I go to, not a pleasant thing to do, but when needs must!, just be quick and don't faff around. As for an airgun, that's ok so long as your aim is good!, depending on how close you are to the target, and that the target stays reasonably still!..
I am old and wise, because I was young and stupid!.
I haven't had to dispatch an adult hen, but had to cull four male chicks at day old (autosexing breed, clearly).
In the interests of giving them a pain free and stress free death (and because I'm a total wimp when it comes to dispatching) I opted for the carbon monoxide option, so they just drifted off to sleep and never work up.
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