Help -- Really struggling with culling older hens

[Morrigan]

In general, I find butchering day difficult, but have managed to get the job done with regard to meat birds, and excess young roos. It's not fun and pretty emotional, but still doable.

I'm now faced with needing to reduce my flock size after about 5 years of chicken keeping and I'm finding it incredibly difficult. I've got broody hens constantly expanding the flock and, as a result, I've more hens that I really have space for. I dodged the issue last year by expanding my coop size, but that's not an option any more.

The obvious candidates are 4 of my older hens. They are 5 years old now, and a couple of them haven't laid an egg in two years and the other two very rarely. But, they are part of my original flock, and I feel like such a traitor to kill them now, after all the years we have had together. It feels so much harder then it was with the meat chickens.

I know that if I want to keep chickens this is part of the deal, but I'm really struggling with my emotions now. How do I do this? Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[BantyChooks]

In general, I find butchering day difficult, but have managed to get the job done with regard to meat birds, and excess young roos. It's not fun and pretty emotional, but still doable.

I'm now faced with needing to reduce my flock size after about 5 years of chicken keeping and I'm finding it incredibly difficult. I've got broody hens constantly expanding the flock and, as a result, I've more hens that I really have space for. I dodged the issue last year by expanding my coop size, but that's not an option any more.

The obvious candidates are 4 of my older hens. They are 5 years old now, and a couple of them haven't laid an egg in two years and the other two very rarely. But, they are part of my original flock, and I feel like such a traitor to kill them now, after all the years we have had together. It feels so much harder then it was with the meat chickens.

I know that if I want to keep chickens this is part of the deal, but I'm really struggling with my emotions now. How do I do this? Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.

Not sure how to help.... But know you gave them a fantastic life and staying with you until the end is a much better option for the bird than being sold to some other yahoo that might well mistreat them.

 

[Mylied]

You could keep the four older girls as your retirement ladies and cull or sell some middle aged girls. They really slow down at 2 years, but people are still willing to pay $15-20 for hens that are that age. At least around here. So keep your original four, keep young girls that are laying well, and get rid of the ones that are dropping off production since you aren't as attached. Just my thoughts.

 

[bobbi-j]

I totally understand. I hate butchering day, but have - after many years of struggling with it - accepted the fact that it has to be done. The hardest part for me is turning a live chicken into a dead one. Once the head is off, (yes, we use the hatchet and stump method - not pretty, but fast and effective) it's easier for me. Then it's just a dead chicken. DH takes care of killing them. I catch them, bring them out to him and he lops while I go catch another. If I were doing it myself, I'd probably use a killing cone. I'm not coordinated enough to hold the chicken with one hand and use the axe with another. I'd probably amputate my leg!

How to deal emotionally with processing the layers specifically... I have kept a few past their prime, only to lose them to ascities or some other issue. I have decided that I'd rather they have a happy, healthy life and have a few seconds of wondering what's going on than let them develop some some of the issues that can occur with older hens. I still hate it, but chicken math does have to include subtraction if one is going to be adding. Another option for you is to not let your broodies hatch... It's hard to resist, though, isn't it?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

I could have written your post myself... so I get it!

My daughter and I process our boys. Had a 4 year old hen almost not laying any more. Had one lash egg and most others have excess calcium making them not hatch able. Not wanting to see her go down hill (as well as keeping the flock strong) we made the decision to cull...

However, deciding this is something we are just uncomfortable with... for whatever stupid reason we have... We have let her go to another dinner plate. Where they will do the deed just as humanely as we would have, but without the emotional attachment and their family will be nourished and the end of the hens' life was just as fruitful as her youth. No regrets!

If you know anybody and this is an option for you, I highly recommend it.

Good luck.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We use a cone also... or I would probably have lot's of amputated parts.

 

[bobbi-j]

Hi.

I could have written your post myself... so I get it!

My daughter and I process our boys. Had a 4 year old hen almost not laying any more. Had one lash egg and most others have excess calcium making them not hatch able. Not wanting to see her go down hill (as well as keeping the flock strong) we made the decision to cull...

However, deciding this is something we are just uncomfortable with... for whatever stupid reason we have... We have let her go to another dinner plate. Where they will do the deed just as humanely as we would have, but without the emotional attachment and their family will be nourished and the end of the hens' life was just as fruitful as her youth. No regrets!

If you know anybody and this is an option for you, I highly recommend it.

Good luck.

This is a good option if you absolutely can't process them yourself. I learned early on as a young farm wife not to name my food. I just can't.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Lot's of our boys get names.. though I know a lot of people say that does help.

Haven't been able to get my husband to help process at all...

We actually plan to pay someone to do processing in the future as well. We do it, we hate it, it's a job, aside from the emotional aspect.. and chickens is a hobby for me. So I can afford to pay to have it done, still eat our home grown chicken, and not suffer the gore... while still not supporting big chicken. I am surprised that I have survived this long as I am quite an emotional person.

I used to never eat meat off the bone. I'm a little past that but still easily grossed out. I dispatch the birds and we walk away for a moment while they do the twitch. Then my daughter does the hard part, breaking bones and such while I plug my ears. Currently the get skinned.

However, if I can't find someone reliable and worthy or if my daughter quits participating.. then I will quit hatching. Most people only want to process large quantities and I am raising heritage breed birds not less than 4 months, not large hatchery batches of meaties. So it's already not cheap. Chicken life is an ever changing thing for me. Who knows where we will be this time next year... other than just as exhausted from all the fun.

 

[FlyWheel]

Re: The ax and leg amputations, Does anyone make a guillotine for chickens?

 

[bobbi-j]

Re: The ax and leg amputations, Does anyone make a guillotine for chickens?

I don't know about commercially, but I don't know why one couldn't...