Culling a broody dud chicken?

[FountainFlock]

Help me decided what to do!

We have ten chickens. One of our black australorps is a dud. She's always been aloof from the flock. She's 15 months old and has only laid around a dozen eggs. When she does lay her eggs are wonky - either torpedo style or super tiny pullet sized. For the last couple months she's only laid maybe one or two a month. A couple days ago she went broody. We have no roosters and won't be adding to the flock until next year so she's broody for nothing.

We just don't think she's worth the effort of rehabbing because she's such a bad layer anyhow. The hard part is deciding what to do with her. We have experience culling (helped our friends process 75 meat birds) but culling from our own flock feels more difficult. I'm a little iffy about eating our own birds because I worry about the unknown (germs, parasites, diseases).

What should we do?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Personally i would not keep a dud like that. I actively cull my flock to remove traits I don't want. Those could be behavioral, production, or just physical traits I don't want.

One of my goals is to raise birds to eat so my solution is obvious. As long as you follow basic hygiene much like you did wit those meat birds I don't see a problem. Just remember that at her age you have to be careful how you cook her. Crock pot, pressure cooker, or a slow simmer for broth or stew is best. But if you are uncomfortable eating her don't.

If you want her to hatch and raise chicks you can get fertile eggs. But you will not know how many will hatch or how many will be male. Hatching is not always best for everyone.

 

[PirateGirl]

You could give her away for free. Maybe someone will eat her, so her life will have served a purpose. Maybe someone will let her be a free range retired layer and she can just work on bug patrol. She may actually have some sort of health problems if she has never been a good layer.

 

[aart]

but culling from our own flock feels more difficult.

It is more difficult, but it's possible.
Maybe your meat bird friends can help?

 

[TheSillyDingo]

I wonder if maybe she has a health issue making her lay this way.....

 

[Mrs. K]

I would assume that if she is active, alert, clear eyed, clean nosed, breathing easy she is healthy enough to eat. She may have a genetic issue to have such poor laying. If you don't want to process her, give her away, but don't ask questions.

Keeping a bird you don't like, is not worth it. Some birds don't fit in either your flock or your plans, let her go.

Mrs K

 

[CannedMonster]

If you give her away be sure to mention she doesn’t lay well.
I wouldn’t hatch her eggs as her chicks may have the same problems with laying.

 

[snow5164]

Try to rehome her if your in the area for that ,

I agree that you’re feeding her for nothing , maybe someone will want her .... you never know til you try