About Me

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Where do I begin? I guess At the beginning! I live in beautiful Tasmania, Australia with my wonderful hubby, Matthew and our four angels (part time devils) Isaac, Reuben, Isabella, and Charlotte. Currently I'm a stay-at-home mum and I absolutely love that. Nothing else compares. I'm also studying the Master of Teaching part-time and I'm serving as the relief society president of our ward. I love being outside, especially in summer. I love big windows & lots of light. I love swimming, running and mowing the lawn! my favourite vegetable is carrots (or potatoes if mum's baked them) and I love fresh fruit salad. My most favourite thing to do is spend time with my precious family.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

ALRIGHT...

so everybody HAD to know the gory details.

Yes Rory succumbed to the sharp end of a spade ok.

I did some research and consulted some experts on the most humane way to euthanise a chook and this is it...

  • You catch them at night when they are in their coop sleeping , that way there's no stress.
  • You put them into a hessian (or similar) bag.
  • You dig a hole.
  • When the time comes, you quickly and forcefully 'chop'. Because he's already in the bag there's no mess, just a bit of flapping (which is reflex)
  • Then you simply cover in the hole unless you want to 'dress' him - to eat .Don't have those details sorry you'll have to google it:)

There are other suggested methods involving alcohol or ether or carbon monoxide that sound much 'nicer' but they're not guaranteed to work. I didn't want him to suffer at all and I wanted it to be quick and successful.

Just so you know I didn't do it myself, I couldn't. A very experienced and very kind friend offered to 'help me out'. And incase your wondering why my darling hubby didn't do the manly thing and do the deed. He wasn't here.

I love animals and this really was a last resort. I tried to give him way (and Nettie you'll be happy to know that I called the wildlife parks including Zoo Doo) but no one wanted him. It's illegal to keep them where we live (if they are noisy) and the fine is a hefty one. Unfortunately sometimes we have to do stuff we don't really want to do. I've shed a tear or two for poor old Rory (actually he wasn't that old - only a youngen) and now I'm enjoying the quietness that greets us - and our neighbours - every morning.

On a nicer note. Our neighbour over the back fence was chatting with Matt yesterday and noticed that our brown chooks look just like the 'stray' one he has living with them. Some of you might remember my post about our 'missing' chooks last year. Well lo and behold it was her!! I can't believe she was living so close to us all this time. So now we have all of our girls back with us. Once she got over the intial shock of Rosie (our dog) checking her out she was happy as Larry scratching and digging with her sisters.
Funny how things turn out.

5 comments:

Elle said...

That was a nice post Blanche....! Rory's in a better place now anyways, livin' up and not having to worry about getting eaten!!
To bad that no-one wanted though - at least you tried to do the right thing before the 'chop'. I'm sure in the resurrection he'll be happy he can go back to his body - unlike all the other chooks that have been eaten..... actually, thats a good question what WILL happen there?

P.S thats awesome you got your 'missing chook' back!

Nettie's Blog said...

Hey Blanche... I think you are awesome fessing up like that....you have a clear conscience now that we know ALL the details and yes Rory is in a better place...better tell that kind friendly expert just watch out for him come Resurrection Day...ha ha ha
(mmmm perhaps Chels is right ...i do have too much time to activate my brain now that Hattie has gone home)

Nettie's Blog said...

PS maybe all that crowing was him trying to call his girlfriend back home...afterall she was only just over the fence.....

Ange Carmichael said...

Elle took great pleasure in telling us all the gory details Sunday at dinner...luckily it was after we had eaten!
Can we borrow that spade?!

Bron Williams said...

woah gory Rory !!!!
:)
lv ya Bron
ad very cool i think that Matt is the first 40 in the gang...the kinda married /age group /friendship gang :)
anyhew.hes the first
congrats and happy bday
and cool for the extensions
and wheredya go for live music and heaps of yummy food ??
xo