Flock Management

[CARS]

At about noon today I posted all my old laying hens on Craigs list. Within the hour, they were gone. Well, not picked up, but "spoken for".

Does anyone else give away their old birds as "flock management"?? I really didn't want to go through the trouble to process them for future soup. I didn't know what else to do with them. Heck, they eat as much as they did a few years ago but really slowed down on eggs. The old girls just didn't dollar out

Now to plan for their replacements

 

[Andi]

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I totally love my girls, but I'm very limited in space. There's so many breeds out there that I would love to have that I'm just going to have to wait until I'm not getting enough eggs to justify keeping the ones I have any more. It'll be a sad day, but the new chicks will make it all better. I'd rather keep them, but I need to be practical. You're not alone.

 

[gritsar]

Right now I'm busy planning on how to add more birds without a second coop built yet. Still, there will come a time when some of the older girls need to go. I will give them away. I do have a few birds that will live their entire lives here with me, laying or not. My roo will be staying for life; even if he gets too old to protect my flock anymore. He'll have a bachelor pad if it comes down to it.

 

[CARS]

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My wife and I are having that discussion right now. The roo's are so cool and the first friendly one's I have had. But.... they are only eye candy.

 

[gritsar]

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My wife and I are having that discussion right now. The roo's are so cool and the first friendly one's I have had. But.... they are only eye candy.

Nothing wrong with a little eye candy in life to remind us to smile.

 

[CountryMom]

My three kiddos and I just had this discussion. We have hens that are 2 years old now and have some replacement chicks due to arrive tomorrow. So far my hens are still producing like crazy, but come spring time when the chicks start laying I may sell off a few of the older ones. I have seen some on craigslist for $5 each and they go quickly. The kids each have their favorites which I knew would happen from the first round. So we will keep the old hens as pets ..... just a few. And now we are hatching out some of the breeds we like the best as replacements of our own. I think I need to invest in some colored leg bands and mark the old and new hens before they all look alike to me! LOL

As for Roosters, yes I have one that will live the rest of his life out with me. My son is hoping to hatch out one of his sons for his own personal pet Rooster too.