Capon roos for pets

[leighks]

Is it true that they can't use anesthesia? Do they at least use a local?

Chickens can safely go under anesthesia. And for surgery they should!!! I wouldn’t want surgery without anesthesia. Chickens feel pain too, they are just masters at hiding it.

 

[cassie]

Is it true that they can't use anesthesia? Do they at least use a local?

Just a comment on anesthesia. Sometimes it causes a lot more trouble than it solves. As in the operation was a success but the patient died. Anesthesia probably isn't necessary anyway. Birds do not seem to feel pain the way mammals do. My big pet turkey came in one morning with a big gaping gash on his side. I stitched him up with needle and thread and he just stood there. He didn't even flinch. No, he wasn't in shock. I had put a bucket of feed in front of him and he was so occupied with eating it he paid no attention whatever to what I was doing to him.

 

[leighks]

Just a comment on anesthesia. Sometimes it causes a lot more trouble than it solves. As in the operation was a success but the patient died. Anesthesia probably isn't necessary anyway. Birds do not seem to feel pain the way mammals do. My big pet turkey came in one morning with a big gaping gash on his side. I stitched him up with needle and thread and he just stood there. He didn't even flinch. No, he wasn't in shock. I had put a bucket of feed in front of him and he was so occupied with eating it he paid no attention whatever to what I was doing to him.

I have worked as a veterinary technician for 18 years, and I respectfully disagree. Chickens are prey animals and as a result they hide obvious outward appearance of being in pain. Physiological parameters such as changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation are a more accurate way to determine pain, especially in birds and other prey animals, and are what veterinarians use to assess pain levels.

 

[leighks]

Just a comment on anesthesia. Sometimes it causes a lot more trouble than it solves. As in the operation was a success but the patient died. Anesthesia probably isn't necessary anyway. Birds do not seem to feel pain the way mammals do. My big pet turkey came in one morning with a big gaping gash on his side. I stitched him up with needle and thread and he just stood there. He didn't even flinch. No, he wasn't in shock. I had put a bucket of feed in front of him and he was so occupied with eating it he paid no attention whatever to what I was doing to him.

I do agree with you though that they don’t show pain in the same way that mammals do.

 

[cassie]

I have worked as a veterinary technician for 18 years, and I respectfully disagree. Chickens are prey animals and as a result they hide obvious outward appearance of being in pain. Physiological parameters such as changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation are a more accurate way to determine pain, especially in birds and other prey animals, and are what veterinarians use to assess pain levels.

I didn't say that birds do not feel pain. I just said that I do not think they feel pain in the same way that mammals do. Hiding pain or not, if my stitching up his side hurt or annoyed the turkey in any way he would have flinched or attempted to move away. He did neither. He just stood there eating. On the other hand, if I had tried to pluck some of his tail feathers he would have done both. I know that because an artist friend of mine needed some tail feathers for some project she was doing. My turkey was the contributor because he was easy to catch and he had an abundance of nice big strong tail feathers. He objected strenuously to the removal of a few of his tail feathers but he did not mind me stitching up his side at all. Go figure.

 

[aart]

@TMG thanks for documenting this, hope you keep it updated as to their progress.