Doing what needed to be done- first euthanasia

[Duckduckgoosie]

Not sure what forum to put this in but I just euthanized my first chicken.

That was hard, but I did it, and when I have to do it again some day again I hope I will be even quicker.

I’d promised myself I wouldn’t get chickens again unless I was willing to do this part too.

Sad. Relieved I could do it, a little.

Thank you for reading.

 

[Mvan42]

Sorry for your loss. This is never an easy thing to have to do but often the best choice for the chicken

 

[SilverBirds]

So sorry you had to put your chicken down. Good job doing what was right.

 

[Duckduckgoosie]

Sorry for your loss. This is never an easy thing to have to do but often the best choice for the chicken

Thank you. Very mixed feelings, it was a young roo with a genetic issue we wouldn’t want to pass on, and we didn’t want another rooster.

I feel terrible and relieved.

Hard stuff.

 

[Duckduckgoosie]

Genetic health issue, to clarify

 

[AGeese]

So was this post more about the relief of the experience or about the method you chose?

 

[Duckduckgoosie]

Relief of the experience. I’ll be better next time.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

"When the need arises - and it does - you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out - that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse." - Robert A. Heinlein

Part of responsible ownership.

You did right. Much respect.

 

[addctd2plnts]

I haven't had to do this yet, so my heart is with you. In medicine, when we we learning, the boss would always try to plan several of the same surgeries in a short time period. It helps to "set the skill" in your brain. I realize you can't plan when a chicken needs to be put down, but maybe in the future if you know you have roosters that might need to be dispatched, you can plan to do them in groups, a week apart?

I won't kill my ducks, but don't need to either, yet. If one was dying, I'd reach deep inside me and find a way to do it. I used to work for vets and help euthanize dying dogs and cats. None were ever euthanized that weren't within hours of dying anyway, but it was something I had to learn to be emotionally mature about, since I started working there at 15.5 years old. It's MUCH MUCH harder to be with your own pet that you deeply love. Have had to do that twice in the last month and thought it would kill me....

 

[Brooks_]

You did what had to be done. Props.