"old" hens- what to do

[Mrs. K]

Very impressive, I have never even come close.

 

[aart]

Quote:

My old ladies are barred rocks I got from our local feed store. They get them from Ideal hatchery.

I have never heard of hens laying that much at that age....especially hatchery birds.

 

[OR4-hmom]

We started out with 21, 3 were BSL that were in the wrong bin. The BSL's had good personalities and the typical big eggs but they gave out at 3 & 4 years. I'm watching one of them now, she has started to waddle, I'll bring her in tomorrow and check her out. DH is not to keen on chickens in the house but it will get done. It's time to send in fecal samples anyway.

 

[Beekissed]

We started out with 21, 3 were BSL that were in the wrong bin. The BSL's had good personalities and the typical big eggs but they gave out at 3 & 4 years. I'm watching one of them now, she has started to waddle, I'll bring her in tomorrow and check her out. DH is not to keen on chickens in the house but it will get done. It's time to send in fecal samples anyway.

How old are the old BR? Never saw that mentioned. I might have missed it.

 

[aart]

Quote:

My old ladies are barred rocks I got from our local feed store. They get them from Ideal hatchery.

I have never heard of hens laying that much at that age....especially hatchery birds.

Quote:

Quote: They are 7 years old.

 

[Beekissed]

That's some pretty good lay from 7 yr olds, no matter the breed! You might want to hatch out some replacements from that flock.

I've had a few BAs that laid like that at that age, but not many. My WRs only laid like that up to age 5, then started to taper off and lay like that in peak season only.

How long~how many months~ do they sustain that level of lay during the year?

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

I have a flock of BO's that are 5 and still laying. I get about 2 a day from 12 hens.
I often wondered what I would do after they stopped laying. I knew from day 1 they were friends
not food. I do not know enough about butchering to do it safely so I just never wanted to go there.
There is a lot about that process that has to be precise or we could get sick. So for that reason I
just never wanted to risk that.

I can tell that my girls are getting older. They laying has slowed down and their molts seem to take a tole
on them. But they are still perky and happy to see me when I go out so see them.

I often wonder what is the best path when they get older and starting falling apart. It is a hard decision.

 

[chooklover10]

I have a sanctuary nearby that euthanises old birds and feeds them to their crocodiles

, it makes me very sad to think that one day it is something I may have to do but to be entirely honest I can't think of any better way for them to die then being euthanised. It would be quick and non painful just like falling to sleep and they wouldn't go to waste if they are being fed to the crocodiles the sanctuary is looking after. I'm glad I don't have to deal with it yet

but I am also glad that this is available to me and that I don't have to do it myself.

 

[texsuze]

I have two BA's remaining from my starter flock of four. They turned 5 years old in May. One has started laying intermittently, not great quality eggs. She is a healthy, handsome hen. My other hen (when she's not broody or molting) lays a beautifully perfect egg nearly every day during most of the year, except winter.

I have another hen, age unknown, purchased as an adult (purportedly a "good layer") about three years ago, who has never laid an egg and who has never gone broody. I am watching her closely, since she is supposedly an older hen. She, like her flock sisters, will always have a home with me until the last cluck.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I keep all my hens until they die, and yes a lot of them just die one night, it don't look like it was horrible, no thrashing marks, so I think it happens, I think older hen add stability to a flock, and end of showing the young one the ins and outs of living at my place, teaches them sort of a culture, so I like them, I do cull if they look sick or if they are suffering. I would say half my birds live to 4-6 years, and the other half live 6-9. Some keep laying sporadically, some stop. I am lucky to have the room to keep my birds for as long as they are healthy.