What do you do with your older chickens?

[The Farm]

Cool sounds like fun=)

 

[SlipsWife]

If I knew for sure the chickens we weren't keeping were going to a good home I would give them away. Dog and chicken fighting are rumored to be horrible in this area and I would rather process them than chance them going somewhere they might be abused.

I can't imagine having a chicken for 9 years! Our Great Dane passed away at 7...I would never have thought of having a chicken longer than a dog!

I need to research and educate myself a little more!

We might be able to let the older girls free range again so they can stay a little longer once they stop/slow down on laying. I'm pretty sure we could keep at least twice as many as we have without any issues in their coop/run area. We might just keep adding until we start to notice issues, then slowly start culling the ones that don't fit in well...

 

[Nutcase]

I don't think we'll be culling anytime soon... They've almost become like family since it's just a little flock of 4... I'd definitely have more if we had the capacity. We don't use Craiglist in our area, classifieds go up on Gumtree.com.au. Maybe some people with young children would like them as pets. And the one problem: my oldest and sweetest hen has a limp and needs extra attention. Not sure if that'd be a deal breaker or not...

 

[fiberart57]

Here in my town, there are a couple of people who take in animals, not just chickens, for the love of the animal. So they have a shelter for unwanted livestock. Perhaps there might be such a thing in your area. I would start by asking at the local ranch and feed stores if they know of anyone.

I'd probably do it if I had the means. I once witnessed a guy in a truck chasing two old mules, who were acting pretty perky, to the dump where, I imagine, the trip for them ended.

Mary

 

[Cloudseeker]

I put an ad on Craigslist. I am careful to list them as older chickens, with no guarantee of egg production. The last lady that bought my older hens wanted some "different" chickens for her flock. I insist that the chickens I sell leave my yard alive..... once they are gone I can't guarantee what the new owners do with them.....

 

[Cloudseeker]

Forgot to mention that I also get a lot of my new chicks off Craigslist. I've advertised my Silkie chicks there, too. I just got 2 Blue Orpington chicks this morning.... I have a feeling that one is a cockerel though....

 

[Beekissed]

Our small flock of 8 will be a year old soon. (2 red sex-links, 2 partridge, 2 turkens, 1 bantam EE, 1 red frizzled cochin bantam) We are going to try adding to them this year. I know we still have some time but I'm not sure what to do with the older ones once they aren't laying anymore. The red frizzle has yet to lay an egg (she was injured by dogs we use to have but has long since healed) and we've agreed she'll always have a place here. I would love to keep them all long enough to live out their natural lives but we don't have the room. I'm not sure I want to process them for meat birds (we will be trying meat birds this year but we are going to keep them in a separate area and spend less time with them...). We made the mistake of viewing our first group as pets and not livestock or possible food.

How do you rotate out your flock? How do you decide who's ready to go and where they are going? What age is the best age to rotate? How does the meat from older birds compare to younger birds? Is there 'guilt' for not keeping older birds or does it become part of the process?

That's all to do with flock management...do you just want to have chickens and let things just fall apart naturally or do you want to manage your flock to maintain the highest level of health and production? Those who actively manage their flocks so that health and productivity is at its highest will do so by culling birds that no longer lay well, no matter the age. Laying is an indication of a bird's general health and those that are not laying or only lay sporadically are birds that compromise the health of the whole flock because they are more susceptible to disease and parasite infestation.

Each year you can tell who is going to be a steady layer for the year, more or less, by checking for lay in peak season in March/April. If they are laying in these months, it's the best they will be laying all year and those who are laying are usually your steady producers. Any birds that are not laying every day or every other day should be considered a sporadic layer and unless she is a working broody for your flock, she needs to be culled. There are sometimes exceptions when there is a favorite old hen or rooster but I wouldn't make it a general practice if you want the best flock and the best for your flock.

The meat from older birds will be chewy and very flavorful and it's best if they are canned up for soup if you want to render them to their best flavor and tenderness.

There is no guilt for not keeping older, spent birds simply due to the fact that the older they get the more likely they will have laying issues, health issues and fall prey to parasites. It's a natural process to remove these birds from the flock to prevent their eventual suffering, so the meat can be harvested while the chicken is still in good health, and also to make room for younger stock and refresh the flock matrix and social structure.

Every bird has a story and it's wise to keep in mind that all stories end, without exception.....it's up to you if the story ends well or badly.

 

[Anna6]

We buy older hens if the price is right and they still lay some eggs. For now we do not have many laying birds and from the ones we have we hatch almost all the eggs. We will eat the chickens once our flock of young ones builds up and we get good egg layers. I just can't keep them all.

 

[Anna6]

As for cooking, I agree on low heat for a long time. If the meat is still stringy or to though, cut it off of the bone after cooking and put it in the food processor. Season heavily with taco type seasoning and use.

Oh the broth on the older chickens is awesome. Do not forget to add the feet when making the broth.

 

[SlipsWife]

We buy older hens if the price is right and they still lay some eggs. For now we do not have many laying birds and from the ones we have we hatch almost all the eggs. We will eat the chickens once our flock of young ones builds up and we get good egg layers. I just can't keep them all.

I wish we could keep them all forever...maybe one of these days we'll move where space won't be an issue...who am I kidding, I will find a way to fill up any amount of land.