Topic of the Week - Flock Development and Management

How often do you replace older birds?
I replace my older girls that have died every year. I like getting them in the spring because they would begin laying eggs in the summer!!
I get around March or April, sometimes May.

What do you do with the older birds in your flock?
I love my older girls very much, just the same as the young ones that are laying. I often get too attached to my chickens and can't just kill them and eat them. Most of them they will get sick and I have to put them down. It's best for them. But if they are still alive, I let them live their lives as long as they live.

When you replace birds, do you: Hatch your own, buy local, order from a hatchery, breeder, other?

I mainly get my chicks from Tractor Supply or I do a lot of hatching my own eggs. I also love doing hatch alongs here on Backyard Chickens with everyone! I also get some chicks from Meyer Hatchery about every other year.

Do you buy chicks or started pullets?

I LOVE baby chicks! It is the best part of spring! I only get baby chicks because sometimes started pullets can bring unwanted disease to your flock. I believe that they are great for new poultry keepers but probably not for ones that already have some chickens.

sumi said:

Specifically:

- How often do you replace birds?

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I don’t replace hens on purpose. Some have vanished, dyed or got killed. I have sold one hen and chicks a couple of times. Cockerels always need to go (for free, urban setting). If I have less than 7 or 8 chickens there is space for a few more chicks. My setup is good for max 10 bantams.

sumi said:

- What do you do with the older birds?

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They can stay for company.

sumi said:

- When you replace birds, do you: hatch your own, buy local, order from a hatchery, breeder, other?

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I buy hatching eggs in spring if I have a broody.

sumi said:

- Do you buy chicks or started pullets?

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No.

sumi said:

Anything you'd like to add?

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Now I have 6 hens and next spring I want to buy bantam size, speckled Sussex hatching eggs as soon as I have a broody in April.
The advantage of hatching eggs:
- no new sickness is imported and the chickens dont need any vaccinations.
- broodies do a great job in caring and teaching the chicks what they need to know.

- How often do you replace birds?

A: Lately every 2/3 years or when I notice they’re not laying or eating eggs.

- What do you do with the older birds?

A: Freezer camp

- When you replace birds, do you: hatch your own, buy local, order from a hatchery, breeder, other?

A: hatch! Nothings cuter than a back yard mix. I have purchased from hatcheries n tractor supply & breeders and have gotten what I didn’t want (bunch of Roos) so I rather hatch my own from now on & by CC

- Do you buy chicks or started pullets?
A: chicks when I do buy bc they can get use to you quicker.

Anything you'd like to add?

sumi said:

- How often do you replace birds?
- What do you do with the older birds?
- When you replace birds, do you: hatch your own, buy local, order from a hatchery, breeder, other?
- Do you buy chicks or started pullets?

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- How Often Do You Replace Birds?
None of the members of my flock ever get replaced. I buy new breeds instead of the same ones each year I do decide to add new chickens, in order to experience more variety and unique personalities.

- What Do You Do With the Older Birds?
All of my old chickens live out their happy lives without having to worry about getting culled for no reason. I keep chickens for enjoyment, not strictly for eggs or any other similar purpose. The majority of the breeds I keep are not ones that produce high amounts of eggs anyways, most of them are ornamental.

- When You Replace Birds, Do You: Hatch Your Own, Buy Local, Order From a Hatchery, Breeder, Other?
Again, I don't replace my birds because I want to experience new breeds, though I may get more Speckled Sussex once my current ones are no longer here. They are a sweet breed, but do better in a Sussex-only flock because of how easily they get chased off, including the males. I buy the majority of my chickens from Tractor Supply, though I wouldn't recommend buying from them unless you're like me and you have no other local place to purchase chickens from. This spring, I had ordered twelve bantam hatching eggs from Cackle Hatchery, and only two of them hatched, with one being shrink-wrapped. Therefore, I likely won't try to hatch again, even if my poor hatch luck was most likely caused by the fact that the eggs took extra time to ship here than they were supposed to. A few of my chickens came from a backyard breeder, but that was because they were in poor condition and it was more like rescuing them than anything.

- Do You Buy Chicks or Started Pullets?
For my whole chicken-keeping time, I have never bought started pullets. Again, all of my chickens are for enjoyment purposes, I don't care about the egg part unless they are producing an unusually low amount. When you buy chicks, you can develop a fast relationship with them, compared to started pullets that tend to be flighty because they just got moved to a different home.