I am looking to start with between 3 to 5 birds. My question is how long will they lay eggs for? After they stop laying do people keep supporting them or turn them into dinner? Thanks
They will lay good for 2 years then taper off after that. They will still lay eggs just not so many. It is up to you if you are going to eat them or not. I have heard that the older hens are kinda tough. With only 3-5 hens you might just find that you have some new friends and you won't have the heart to kill them! They are not very bright birds, but they sure are fun!
My hens have layed very regularly well into their 7th year. Unless you are counting eggs per year, the drop off is not noticeable & I believe it is blown out of proportion. If you get non-broody types, they will lay far more than birds that go broody as they do not lay when they are broody. How many eggs does a family need per week? Look at an average of 4-6 eggs a week per bird throughout it's life. It may be many more than that especially if you have a laying breed but I'm being conservative.
