I love my chickens, that I must say first. But- at the same time, they are food. At the end of the day, that's why I got them. Yes, mainly for the eggs, but I did not want a rooster at all, and the one we ended up with has become a real pain. So this spring, he's in the pot. As for the hens...
Any chicken can be eaten if processed properly. As noted above, you should let the carcass rest in the fridge for a few days after processing. And if any of the non-meat birds don't look like (or weigh out to) enough meat for a roast chicken, you can always make soup or stew, or the best chicken...