Whats the best way to put down your hen?

[Sunny Potato]

Hello, I come back for a simple question, we have a hen who's not doing well and we are now thinking about trying to put her down just so she stops suffering. We have never really put down our birds except for once and that was our first year of getting chickens so we don't know how to put them down we want it to be humane. If anything it would probably be by overdosing the bird I'm just not entirely sure how much we would give her and what kind of medicine.
If anyone has any knowledge about this please tell me, we just don't want to see our birds suffering anymore.

Case this help helps the bird is an Americana and she is 1 years old.

This would also help us in the future!

 

[BlueO]

Well I’ve heard that a hatchet works the best but if you want to try medicine I’d ask a vet. Sorry all I’ve done is quail.

 

[Evadig]

I'm sorry you and your chicken are going through this!
This article might be helpful:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...re-culling-the-injured-and-sick-babies.72140/

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The method described in the link above might be a bit tricky on an adult bird unless you can find a large enough container. Please put "broomstick mrthod" in your search bar. It's what we've found to be the quickest, easiest, surest and most humane way to dispatch a sick adult bird. Please bear in mind that there WILL be flapping even after the bird is dead, even if you do it correctly, but the bird will not be feeling anything. Wishing you all the best in this difficult time.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I’m sorry you’re going through this. It is the toughest part of chicken ownership. It’s also one of the most important and selfless things you can do for your bird to show it love.

I agree with the above post. I use the broomstick method. I suggest watching YouTube videos. It seems morbid but can help prepare you for the flapping. I still hate the flapping. But I once read a post where the person said they liked the flapping because they knew everything had gone exactly as intended. I try to look at it that way.

You may also want to search around on here. There’s plenty of first-timers posting about methods and emotions and thoughts and feelings. (Including mine- it’s out there somewhere).

As much as it sucks, there is a feeling of relief and calm afterward. You’ll still be sad, but you’ll be lighter knowing you did the right thing by your hen.

Best wishes!