Urban Backyard Chickens end of life solutions??

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Kuntry Klucker

Kuntry Klucker

Crowing
12 Years
Jun 9, 2010
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Tennesee Smoky Mts.
Hi All,

I have have a flock of 14 BO that are about 4 years old. I live in a rather urban setting.
I have neighbors that are fairly close to me, I don't live in a subdivision per say but I am in a rather rural area with a rather large plot of land about an acre or so.

I was wondering what other Urban chicken owners do when their flock is expiring but don't have the means to butcher or have other solutions that more rural folks would have.

I do not have the set up nor the space to butcher my hens. If I tried my neighbors
would probably call animal control on my anyway. I also don't have the space to
dispatch then bury them all either. If I did then I would have chicken holes all over small property.

I am not there yet, but what are some reasonable solutions for an urban chicken owner to do with an aging flock.
Any advice from other Urban backyard chicken owners.

Thanks
 
Last edited:
Sell them, preferably in the late summer or fall while they're still producing some. That way you're not feeding mature non-producing birds over the winter. You can start with new chicks when the old girls leave and they'll start laying in the spring.
 
donrae said:
Sell them, preferably in the late summer or fall while they're still producing some. That way you're not feeding mature non-producing birds over the winter. You can start with new chicks when the old girls leave and they'll start laying in the spring.
Click to expand...

Ok, what is the best way to sale them? Never sold a chicken before. Who would I sale them to? Would anyone want a chicken that is expired?

Sorry for al the questions, thanks in advance.
 
Another option would be to find a poultry processer in your area. You can do a search on craigslist. You just take the birds to them and they will process them for you for a fee. You could either use the meat for soup/stew or give the meat away.
 
I sell older hens on CL all the time. Your hens shouldn't be "expired", they're only 4. I state the age of the bird and how much they're currently laying. I wouldn't ask much for them due to their age, usually around $5 each. My prices are $20-25 for point of lay to year old hens, $10 for 2 year old birds, and down from there. If you get no takers, you can offer them for free. I once gave away a large group of 5+ year old hens to someone who just wanted some yard ornaments.
 
Oh Roy Rooster,
I could be wrong but you seem to have a strong connection with you flock it is more pet than producer with you I could be wrong. However,

The one thing you are going to want to know is that it was humane and that they were treated with respect.

IMO

If you are looking to eat them you really dont need much space to do the size flock you have I would suggest a garage with the door closed or a small shed on your property an 8X10 is really all you need and would work just fine I did one on my back deck with a small table and my canning equiptment. I used our old turkey fryer and the large pot to heat the water for scalding I used my waterbath canner with ice water to cool and another pan for washing the Chicken after dispatch. There are people who do the whole process in the kitchen.

With my new set up I will have a small shed that will be for medical needs brooding and culling / processing. The shed could have many uses other than end of life.

Good Luck with your preperations
Hopefully you have a number of years to consider your options.
 
tjo804 said:
Oh Roy Rooster,
I could be wrong but you seem to have a strong connection with you flock it is more pet than producer with you I could be wrong. However,

The one thing you are going to want to know is that it was humane and that they were treated with respect.

IMO

If you are looking to eat them you really dont need much space to do the size flock you have I would suggest a garage with the door closed or a small shed on your property an 8X10 is really all you need and would work just fine I did one on my back deck with a small table and my canning equiptment. I used our old turkey fryer and the large pot to heat the water for scalding I used my waterbath canner with ice water to cool and another pan for washing the Chicken after dispatch. There are people who do the whole process in the kitchen.


With my new set up I will have a small shed that will be for medical needs brooding and culling / processing. The shed could have many uses other than end of life.

Good Luck with your preperations
Hopefully you have a number of years to consider your options.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I am very attached to my flock, they are like pets to me, but hubby wants the eggs. So I am looking for a good place to send them to once
they stop laying. He said I could keep them if I was the one who was responsible for feeding the ones that are not laying. I could do that for some of them but I would
not be able feed 14 non laying hens. Unless they don't need a feed that is as expensive as laying pellets. I love then and want what is best for them. I want to allow
them all to stay here and live out their lives, some who I am most attached to will, but I just cannot keep them all.

I am not there yet, thankfully, but I just wanted to see what my options were for someone in an urban setting. I do love them and wants what is best for them.
 
If you don't want to eat them (I couldn't), I thing your best option would be to re-home them, if at all possible. I couldn't find anyone to take my rooster, but fortunately my sister's neighborhood had a pack of REALLY free range chickens roaming the street, owners have two acres and accepts free birds. They probably have maybe 20 or so...so Mr. Roo found a home with 18 girls and one scrawny little bantam rooster (think Chihuahua with feathers), and is still doing fine. Out in the country, not hard to find a place. City...meh. In San Jose, where we came from, our southern neighbor had TWO full grown illegal roosters, and two hens, cramped in a little two by three coop. They were miserable, poor birds. No shade, no room to stretch their sings. Fortunately, I guess animal control was contacted. Don't know the outcome...but even in a bucket of KFC, they would have been better off. People who raise chickens who aren't familiar with their needs should get goldfish instead. JMHO.
 
Oliver Douglas said:
If you don't want to eat them (I couldn't), I thing your best option would be to re-home them, if at all possible. I couldn't find anyone to take my rooster, but fortunately my sister's neighborhood had a pack of REALLY free range chickens roaming the street, owners have two acres and accepts free birds. They probably have maybe 20 or so...so Mr. Roo found a home with 18 girls and one scrawny little bantam rooster (think Chihuahua with feathers), and is still doing fine. Out in the country, not hard to find a place. City...meh. In San Jose, where we came from, our southern neighbor had TWO full grown illegal roosters, and two hens, cramped in a little two by three coop. They were miserable, poor birds. No shade, no room to stretch their sings. Fortunately, I guess animal control was contacted. Don't know the outcome...but even in a bucket of KFC, they would have been better off. People who raise chickens who aren't familiar with their needs should get goldfish instead. JMHO.
Click to expand...

No, I don't want to eat them. I am hoping to fine a home for them with someone who would like to have some older hens. I want to keep them all but I cannot afford to keep
14 expired hens with feed prices. I will keep some of the ones that I am most attached to then the rest I will need to find homes for. Hubby wants the eggs so I will at some
point have to do something for some of them. The down side is, I love my flock, but 14 non laying hens is a lot to feed. Hubby wants to get some more chicks so at some point
I will need to sale them. I cannot eat them, I love them too much to do that.

That is sad about the chickens that were stuffed in a small crate. I agree, if you cannot give them the proper room don't have them. Mine free range in the backyard
so they have all the room and bugs to eat as they could ever want.
 

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