Feeling squeamish about culling hen

[cameramaverick]

One of our hens is super annoying. She "crows" (not like a rooster but is pretty loud) early in the morning and a few times throughout the day--and goes on for a while, complaining about who know what. She's a trouble-maker, picks through our berry nets, picks on the baby chicks, sneaks onto the porch and gets stuck...and she barely lays any eggs. My husband and I feel she'd be more useful on our dinner plates. But today during dinner (as I was eating chicken, ironically,) he asked if I wanted him to "process" her, and I felt a little sick. I feel like it isn't her "time" but I don't want a useless, annoying chicken, either! What would you do?

 

[Papas Chickens]

You have youself a talker. She sounds like my aunt that nobody wants to be around. Shes a Old Bettsy lol, Maybe you should coop her by herself or with a few older hens see if that helps.

 

[donrae]

You can always try advertising to find her a new home. Some folks are happy to keep less productive birds around for different reasons.

 

[Mrs. K]

Really if someone else will process her for you, I have always found, that once the feathers are gone, they look pretty generic to the ones you buy in the store. Mix up the parts with a store bought one, and you won't know.

Or give her away.

Mrs K

 

[bobbi-j]

You can always try advertising to find her a new home. Some folks are happy to keep less productive birds around for different reasons.

Really if someone else will process her for you, I have always found, that once the feathers are gone, they look pretty generic to the ones you buy in the store. Mix up the parts with a store bought one, and you won't know.

Or give her away.

Mrs K

Both good options. Find someone to process her for you, or find her a new home. For the longest time after I started raising chickens, I didn't want to process the layers or my roosters. I was OK with the Cornish X, but not my "pretty ones". Then one day I just decided that if I was going to be responsible about it, we did need to get rid of the non-productive birds. I still don't like the process of turning a live chicken into a dead one, but once that step is complete, I can't say that I feel bad. It does get easier over time. Every time, I just tell myself, "We have to do this."

 

[cameramaverick]

You can always try advertising to find her a new home. Some folks are happy to keep less productive birds around for different reasons. 

I like this idea!

 

[cameramaverick]

Both good options. Find someone to process her for you, or find her a new home. For the longest time after I started raising chickens, I didn't want to process the layers or my roosters. I was OK with the Cornish X, but not my "pretty ones". Then one day I just decided that if I was going to be responsible about it, we did need  to get rid of the non-productive birds. I still don't like the process of turning a live chicken into a dead one, but once that step is complete, I can't say that I feel bad. It does get easier over time. Every time, I just tell myself, "We have to do this."

Yes, I feel like I need to be able to do this, too. In hindsight, I was thinking it would've been easier to do this first with a meat chicken. Those layers just feel like part of the family after a while--especially when they are so friendly and want to be petted every day.

 

[Highcotton]

Yes, I feel like I need to be able to do this, too. In hindsight, I was thinking it would've been easier to do this first with a meat chicken. Those layers just feel like part of the family after a while--especially when they are so friendly and want to be petted every day.

Welcome to BYC.

 

[Highcotton]

false

 

[littlethorn]

You can always try advertising to find her a new home. Some folks are happy to keep less productive birds around for different reasons.

2nd this! I got one of my shamos this way right here off BYC because her previous owner said she was aggressive and did not lay. She lays fine for us and we have no problem with her roaming around with the rest of ours. Sometimes they are just like people and need a change of scenery or more real estate I think.

Edited for my terrible spelling.