Most of us spend a great deal of time preparing for the arrival of our first chickens, but few of us give much thought to how we would handle serious injuries, illnesses and end-of-life decisions until they are upon us. My recent experience with a dying chicken made me realize that I could have been better prepared to handle certain aspects of her fatal illness, which make an already difficult time, more stressful. My hope is that by sharing my experience that you will be prepared to face the toughest part of chicken-keeping when the time comes.