Last weekend, we had to put our new chicken, Becky, down. It was a really really hard decision, but I think it was the right one. Becky had been showing some clear signs of respiratory disease: a smelly crust in her nostrils, sneezing and a rattle in her chest when she breathed. I did a lot of research in my chicken books and online, and, unfortunately, I realized that she seemed to have infectious coryza. This is a very serious and contaigous disease found in poultry. She likely caught it at the feed store, since she was in quarantine the whole time we had her at our house. I looked into treatment, but the overwhelming consensus seemed to be that we should cull her. Even if she had got over her symptoms, Becky would have always been a carrier of coryza and would have spread it to Lisa and Jackie. So, it was the right thing to do both for Becky and for our other chickens.
Of course, killing Becky was the last thing we wanted to do. Many tears were shed. I wanted to do it humanely, but was pretty certain that neither Dakota nor I would be able to cut off her head, which is the generally agreed upon quickest and least cruel way to kill a chicken. It turned out, I was able to find a way to kill her gently. We used automobile starter fluid, which contains ether. We sprayed the fluid on some paper towels and then put a Becky in a bucket with the towels. The ether puts the chicken to sleep, and then she suffocates in her sleep. It was very sad, but I think Becky went peacefully. After she died, we had to burn Becky's body. We also either burned or washed with bleach everything else she'd ever touched. That's how serious infectious coryza is. Scary stuff.
We said goodbye to Becky on July 5. We only had her a week, but she was a very sweet and pretty little chicken. I'm sad we never got to know her.
Today, we had another tough loss. As you know, Jackie has been sick for several months now. Tonight, when I got home from work, she was lying very still on the side of the run with her legs stretched out and her eyes closed. She's certainly been weak lately, but I didn't expect to lose her this soon. I thought she was already dead, but she was still moving a bit. I tried to move her towards water in case she was dehydrated and went to call Dakota. By the time I got back to the run, Jackie had died. I was very sad to lose such a sweet chicken, and I imagine Lisa is pretty upset, too. We'll miss Jackie. I hope she's in a better chicken place now.
So, as you can imagine, things are kind of melancholy in our coop at the moment. Life must go on, though, and I plan to get some baby chicks very soon. Lisa needs some companions, as chickens are social animals and don't like to live alone.
Here's Jackie, basking in the sun, in happier times.
Oh, I am so sorry for all your bad news! I know how it must hurt! I was in a panic the other day because when I was locking up my chickens for the evening, one was missing! It turned out she was standing still behind a tree and she was fine, but my pulse rate didn't know that. We do get attached to these little creatures.
Surely you have used up your bad chicken luck now, so that your new babies when they come should be trouble-free. And as sad as it is to lose Jackie, at least you aren't stressing and worrying about her all the time now. Poor little thing, who knows what affected her--she might have had it since day one.
Here's to the health of your new babies!
I am so sorry to hear your news! You inspired us to study hard and finally purchase some chicks last week. I know there may be hard times ahead, and your post is a vivid reminder. I wish you all the best with your new chicks!
Thanks so much for your kind comments Kathi & Tracy.
Tracy, congrats on your new chicks. I think you'll love having them. I honestly don't regret this whole chicken experiment, despite recent hard times. I believe a combination of bad luck and naive behavior have brought on these chicken deaths, and I hope to learn from it and have healthy chickens in the future. Our one healthy girl, Lisa, is a lot of fun and laying eggs daily.
I'm so sorry. I know what you are going through. When I was young we had a chicken that became a member of the family. Losing her was very hard.
Sorry to read about your two chickens. I am sure your hen will have beatiful and healthy new coop-mates soon!
So sorry to read the news. Thanks for sharing the experience with us so we know what to watch for and how to deal with it. Here's hoping your new chicks keep Jackie and Becky's spirits alive.