My apologies, Lissa. Everyone I know, should they have a livestock animal humanely killed, would simply shoot them. I’m sure the area vets would euthanize if asked, it’s just that it was easier (not to mention cheaper) to haul out the hunting rifle and then have the dead truck come.
Putting down your pets with a gun is illegal, at least in some places. (Remember the story about the guy whose puppy shot him?) I’m not sure if the same is true for cattle, though I can’t see why it wouldn’t be. In that case, people are likely to use barbituates just to avoid fines.
I was raised on a farm, we killed and butchered our own cattle and hogs for meat. We killed them with a 22 cal rifle shot placed one inch above and between the eyes. It is instant… shoot a hog or cow and all four legs collapse and they drop dead. It couldn’t be any quicker or humane.