For those of you who cull your laying hens...

[Akane]

If you are prepared to butcher them you can wait until 3 or 4 years when they really slow down laying. I sell some at 2 just because no one wants to buy them much later than that and it makes space to add new pullets. The ones I don't sell by 2 will be butchered for dog food cause no one wants hens that old.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

I do sort of like briteday but sooner. Most hens are culled when they have passed their 2nd laying season(before they are 2). I Hatch chicks 2-3 times a year, but then I am breeding/working with Sicilian Buttercups mainly.

I start re-evaluating the hens when the chicks are 7-8 weeks old. I will make room for the chicks over the next 8 weeks, culling as I see fit. When you cull the heirarchy changes, I don't like culling and then find out I culled the wrong birds. So a hen that is real noisy or troublesome is culled. I am doing this right now, actually. Example, RI Red tried to pick me when I reached under the Roost to close the pop door tonight. She has been picking fights lately and the Roo has had to step in. She is trying to move up in the heirarchy, but she is too troublesome. One of my breeder Buttercups has her comb bloodied, I'm sure RI Red is the culprit. She gets culled Tuesday if not before. It just makes for a calmer henhouse.

But I make sure that I keep 1 -2 older hens, the grandaughters favorites and the best SBC Breeders. They have things to teach the younger hens. I have seen them in the lead to chase down a hugh rat snake that was headed directly for me, and turn it on purpose toward the garden where it would get tangled in the ground netting around the garden. The older hens stay to teach, again it makes for a calmer hen house.

Best thing, is to come up with a plan and stick to it. I'll warn you if you don't, you or someone will come up with reasons to keep every hen. You could end up with to many and be overwhelmed.

I rotate hens because this way with 2 or 3 different breeds, I always have eggs and I have fresh chicken meat year round without having to have hugh freezers. I cull and proccess myself so a few at a time works best for me. How else am I going to have Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken Sausage, Canned Chicken with gravy over toast tips or pon hos (Scrapple) made with chicken instead of pork. I certainly won't use young tender chicken for any of those.

 

[gogoalie]

Would you be able to sell yer 2 y/o's as brooding hens to raise a starting clutch?