In your opinion, which is more humane, culling or re-homing?

[aart]

The word 'humane' means different things to different people.

To me it makes more sense to harvest the old girls and eat them than put them in an environment (large flock of free rangers)
where they might end up being eaten by a predator, tho it certainly won't be easier.

I got chickens for 'real food'-not for pets or fad, sale of their eggs needs to pay for their food(and it does), if they are not producing eggs to pay for their food they feed me with their meat. I too harvest my old girls, it's harder than doing the extra cockerels...both emotionally and literally, those old girls are have tough viscera and are filled with fat.
Tho my birds are not 'pets', I am not totally immune to having some affection for them and being moved by their physical beauty.

The reason I harvest my non-egg-producing birds is because:
-the responsibility of keeping livestock includes managing their deaths as well as their lives.
-and the 'no waste' aspect of growing your own food.
-of the money spent on growing them up.

I have given away or sold some cockerels/roosters to those who needed one...but old hens are for stew.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am not the one that has an issue with the processing of the old hens in my household. It is something I grew up with so is the normal order of things here.
Hy DH and DS did not grow up with this practice so it is harder for them to accept. They will not be participating or assisting in any way with the process. Flat out refusal on their parts and I understand their standpoint on it.

To them they are pets only. To me they are a self supporting hobby that also provides food for the table.
I will have to make sure I cut up the carcasses so they cannot say which dinner Twinkie is. She was hatched with a bum leg that has proven to cause mobility issues for her. (physical deformity in the joint) No need to get them going about how sweet she was when it is time for dinner.

 

[Justso]

I'm a total "chickens as pets" chick and I see nothing wrong with you processing your old hen. You said it in your post - that your goal was for eggs. If you feel you can't process yourself, you may try posting on craigslist and finding someone who would be interested in processing a beautiful, fresh free range chicken.
Best of luck!

 

[losylee]

We're vegetarians, but still planning on processing our girls for our neighbors who helped build the coop. I had to convince the DH of this...he assumed they'd all live out their happy lives. But giving them to our neighbor means he will buy less factory farmed chickens to eat who had much less enjoyable lives than our fully pampered flock. Just another way to look at the ethics of it.

 

[FridayYet]

We're vegetarians, but still planning on processing our girls for our neighbors who helped build the coop. I had to convince the DH of this...he assumed they'd all live out their happy lives. But giving them to our neighbor means he will buy less factory farmed chickens to eat who had much less enjoyable lives than our fully pampered flock. Just another way to look at the ethics of it.

You know, that's a really nice way to look at it.

PS:

 

[aart]

We're vegetarians, but still planning on processing our girls for our neighbors who helped build the coop. I had to convince the DH of this...he assumed they'd all live out their happy lives. But giving them to our neighbor means he will buy less factory farmed chickens to eat who had much less enjoyable lives than our fully pampered flock. Just another way to look at the ethics of it.

Wow, that's fantastic! Kudos!

 

[4adgrrl]

There are far worse things that can happen to an animal than being humanly dispatched.

Once they are out of your possession you can no longer guaranty their quality of life nor the quality of the end of their life.

I don't understand why someone with 20-40 birds would want to take on spent hens. It sound like things in that flock will have to change in a year or two. 20 -40 unproductive birds is not something most people would be willing or able to support.

Very good points... thank you.