[kate7590]

Hubby let our birds out this morning as usual but noticed one of our warren hens had what he thought was a wet/ sore throat.
I went up to see her and found her mooching around their house (the other 4 ran up to me at the gate as usual). On closer inspection I found her gullet was ripped open, there was no blood but it was wet because the water she had drank had come out and there was corn falling out of her throat that she had just had for breakfast!!! 
When I realised what I was seeing I felt very cold and had to put her back until I went to tell hubby.
I couldn't understand how she was still alive and walking around and pecking at things in the grass…she just seemed a bit dazed!

Hubby and I went back up to her where hubby put her out of her misery, but very upsettingly her head came off in his hand!!! He was quite distraught as we've never had to kill one of our 'pets' before. But he said there was hardly anything holding her head on!!! 

How the heck has something like this happened?! And how was she still walking around so easily?!

Anyway…um…not sure how to ask this but…she is outside hanging where hubby usually hangs his pheasants, and we were wondering if it would be too awful/ insensitive to eat her???
I know a lot of you raise hens for meat, so surely theres not much difference? She has always been a healthy bird until this.

Any opinions welcomed.

[bloomer]

personally if you are happy she was healthy other than her injury (which is weird i'll admit) i'd eat her, if she's more than 6 months old casserole her, anything else would be a waste of her life. I hate to cull stock but when i do unless its for illness they go in the freezer.


sorry for your loss


 

[Rosemary]

I don't think eating her is gruesome. Sorry to hear about her demise though.

[chrismahon]

Not a nice thing to experience at all Kate. Question I'm asking is how was her gullet ripped open? I'm guessing nail or sharp metal, stoat or weasel. Worth establishing exactly what happen in case there is another I think?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

she could have fought with another chicken. Waste not want not is a good motto and seeing as you rear her you might as well eat her.

[[email protected]]

God how awful for you! Xx. One of mine had an accident a while back when the feeder lid suddenly dropped and broke her neck ( needless to say we took steps to ensure this would never happen again!) but I was distraught, so I feel for you 

[kate7590]

It was ripped quite messily, bits were hanging off..but as I said there was no blood and no sign of any struggle so I wonder wether it was an animal or not. I asked a friend, who raises poultry, and he mentioned the possibility of her ripping her neck on a tree when she jumped back into their enclosure, as they often jump in and out throughout the day. I went up to see if this could be a possibility and whereas iv not seen any blood or feathers there are a couple of very pointy, sharp trees against the fence, so its possible I suppose?!

Just a quick side note- Linda Ball, I not suppose you used to teach a tuition centre in Ludlow, Shropshire, did you??

[[email protected]]

No, not me I'm afraid! I was born in Cardiff but been in Norfolk past 30 years or so!! Hope you are ok after your nightmare this morning. It's awful when these things happen, especially when we love our furred and feathered friends so much x

[Stereo]

Fine to eat her. If she's very old you might want to casserole her or just skin and take the best of the meat for a cat or dog if you have one. We often roast up old birds legs and wings for cat food. Makes it easy to peel of the meat once it's cool and the cats love it, plus very good for them.

[Fleecewife]

For your husband with her head coming off.  Horrible but it does happen, and it's so much better than pulling but not killing her.

Before you eat her, check carefully there are no other wounds, just in case she has infected wounds, which you wouldn't want to eat.

It does sound though as if your idea of the spikey trees may be the answer.  I can't think of another mechanism which would do so much damage without her being able to stop.

As for carrying on with her life, there was once a famous cockerel which had its head chopped off, and it carried on for quite some time, although heaven knows how it got sustenance.

[Stereo]

Yeah, better to pull too hard than not hard enough. Grim but for the bird, far preferable.

[Bex]

As for carrying on with her life, there was once a famous cockerel which had its head chopped off, and it carried on for quite some time, although heaven knows how it got sustenance.

That was Mike - http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/

I believe he was fed with an eye dropper.