Culling Older Hens?

[lovethechickens]

yeah, great advice guys. After your done getting what you want out of them, just kill em and eat em. Great pay back for the years of eggs theyve fed you with. How about give them away as pets?

 

[silkiechicken]

Please be respectful of people's decisions. There are people here who raise their animals for meat and some who paper them like other house pets and spend thousands on their vet care.

If one choses to eat their animal, it is not our place to judge them. The OP was searching for options on what she could do with them as they are keeping their birds for production. Let your mind rest that the birds did live a better life than they would have in a factory.

Instead of saying:

yeah, great advice guys. After your done getting what you want out of them, just kill em and eat em. Great pay back for the years of eggs theyve fed you with. How about give them away as pets? hmm

Try omitting the first part and just saying

"How about give them away as pets?"

We are here to help and not be judgmental. A more constructive criticism or suggestion would be better taken as advice rather than attack by the OP and others.

Thank you.​

 

[lovethechickens]

Hey, I understand what you are saying. But....also, please respect that I am on a forum, and am simply posting my opinion. Im allowed to have one. Im allowed to say what I need to say as long as I am not breaking any terms right? No disrespect was intended and I wasnt name calling or pointing or singling anyone out. How I word my sentences is how I word them, and if I were you, then I would have worded them how you think I should have. I am not you so I say what I say. Cant help it....sorry for having somewhat of a sense of sarcasm. Please dont judge me for having that quality. Oh, and yes, I was trying to help.....the chickens.

 

[aladatrot]

Thanks for the advice, guys! I will try the paint trick with my older hens to see who is laying and who is not.

As far as eating them or giving them away as pets, I must say that I have a differing opinion on what's "best for the chickens". I would rather humanely slaughter my older hens than to send them somewhere where I will no longer have control over whether or not they get food, water, or shelter. I know how I take care of my birds, and I would hate to think of them moving to another home only to be attacked by predators, or worse- starved to death because someone didn't care for them. For me, it's the "not knowing" that is more difficult than the idea of knowing they were properly dispatched and not subject to mistreatment.

Thanks again for the advice!
M

 

[Sonia]

HEre's an idea for those of us that need production but also love our birds....pick ONE that you will keep even after she slows down laying. THAT one is a pet and you can spoil her all you want. That's what I'm planning on doing.

 

[morelcabin]

Around here there are people who will dress your birds for you and charge $3 a bird. That may be an option if you don't want to do them yourself. ( I know that is my option, because I really don't like doing it myself, but I do intend to have my own birds in my freezer) There is nothing wrong with putting your old birds in the freezer...after all that is what God gave us certain animals for.

 

[ncgnance]

If you want to see who's laying and who's not, check their vents. The laying hens will have plump, pink, moist looking vents. The non-layers will have thin, whitish, dry looking vents.

 

[karrie]

My 9 hens are pets, & I'll keep them till they die. I've often thought about my options, but I'll just keep them.

 

[dragonshiner]

Personally we are going to cull our non-producing birds when the time comes. Our flock right now was all purchased from someone else to help us get started and only a handful of the chickens are laying eggs. All of our guinea hens are laying and our ducklings are still too young to lay. But I've been out in the coop watching the chickens every chance that I get and when I see a layer I go in and mark them with a leg band to signify that they are to be spared. Come fall the chickens that don't produce, and our excess roosters, will be slaughtered.
There are a few exceptions though. Some of the birds understandably have charmed their way into our hearts and once they stop producing eggs or start "shooting blanks" will be set out on our land to free range for the rest of their days. We'll still shelter them and water them, but, except for the winter, they'll be on their own for food.

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI1182.html