Does everyone here kill their chickens after they stop producing eggs?

[summerwindsfarm]

I dont have any problems eating extra roosters but i get attached to my laying hens. I cant afford to feed nonproductive hens so my solution has been to sell all my laying hens at 2 years when they still are laying well. Someone else gets good laying hens cheap..and with that the decision of whether or not to cull them in a year or two as they slow down laying. I do have a few *pet* hens that are here for their lifetime but i try to keep them to a select few since feed is so expensive.

 

[hooligan]

My chickens are not here to produce anything for me, I'm allergic to eggs LoL So they are here for the length of their lives, however long that may be

 

[chickenzoo]

I got mine first as horse manure spreaders, bug eaters and then eggs. As long as they can scratch they have a home, if they lose that then I guess they'll have a weelchair! LOL

 

[IloveTravis]

I keep my chickens as pets

I don't even care if they lay, none of them are gonna end up on the dinner table.

 

[KellyGwen]

This is my first time having my own chickens and I'm planning on keeping a few of my faves whether they lay or not... But I think that I will replace a lot of them when they slow down. I have almost 50 of them and really can't afford to feed that many "pets". I also have bunches of the same breeds who are almost impossible to tell apart... and I've only made lap chickens out of my silkies (who I plan to keep forever)... So I'm thinking that when my astralorps and LH's stop laying they might be in the stew pot (or sold.. don't know yet!). The EE's are a little tougher because they all look different so they have names! AHHH! The roos will probably end up staying longer, since they don't need to be productive... (NO COMMENT ON THAT ONE!)

I'm planning on raising/breeding meat rabbits and some broilers next spring... so maybe I'll become "used to" the killing part? Dunno... only time will tell!

 

[Summer Beth Marie]

Um...i really think killing your chickens are up to YOU because they are YOUR chickens. Personaly, I wouldnt but if you dont know what else to do then put up an ad in the paper or whatever you can do and i am sure someone will take the chickens that stop laying eggs off of your hands.

 

[FarmerChick]

Our chickens are not pets at all...we farm for eggs. A little after 2 years old we sell off 100-150 of that age and replace with 16 week old pullets.

BUT--yes I eat some along the way...LOL

Do what you feel you want to do. Some raise for meat and eggs and have a few as pet status.

I raise goats. Most of my 80 goats are farm livestock...I have 20 with names and will retire here much to the dismay of my husband..LOL...he knows not to touch those...HA HA

 

[SewingDiva]

Follow your heart.....whatever you decide, every single viewpoint expressed here is valid.

~Phyllis

 

[coffeemama]

If I had property, I would raise meat chickens in a heartbeat. But, our small bantam flock are our pets, and we don't really care how much they lay. We have a 14 year old cochin hen who hasn't layed for many moons, and I could care less! Now if I was in it for egg production, I would probably sell the older hens at the auction or on CL.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

We cull out our chickens at between 1-2 years old.