how long will hens lay

[mama dixie]

I have heard you should get rid of all your hens every three years and get new ones to keep egg production up. well anyone who knows me at all knows I fall in love with my laying hens and they are family so I still have like 6 year old hens. my question is how long will a hen lay a reasonable amount of eggs. say 2 a week. my hubby is a bit hartless and says if they are not laying they should be stewing in the pot...any ideas of how to get older hens to lay eggs? I told hubby the old birds would be too tough to eat,

 

[chickchicks]

thats a good question and would love the answer too

i have two year olds that have had chicks of there own and i have not had an egg in about 15 weeks

i do hope they start soon again!

i love mine too and they all have names

 

[aoxa]

I like how you told your husband they are too tough

Depends on the breed.. I've read a few posts where people were still getting a couple of eggs from really old hens, but there is no set number.. I'm assuming that the chickens that are bred for egg laying (ie: production red, white leghorn), lay less eggs when they are older. A chicken is born with so many eggs to lay in a lifetime, and the more often it lays, the less time it will take for her to be spent.

 

[mama dixie]

ok so I wonder if I told my family I am born with only so much house work and cooking I can do and the more often I do it the quicker I will be spent and not be able to do anymore....anyway. I have white leghorns who lay one a day thank hevens and then I have salmon faverls, cochins, and what I was told were huge cochins that now I am wondering if they are brama's and I have some araconas that are multing and not laying any, they are like 3 years old. I have one rhode island red that is 4 years old and only lays one a month and one barred rock that has spurs but sets on the nest and I have yet to see one egg from her. so needless to say thank goodness for the leghorns becuse chicken food keeps going up and our chicken coop is costing like 500.00. I tell ya this self reliance thing gets spendy....

I just dont know what to do, I may need to slaughter some of the supposed cochins if I dont get an egg from them soon, there we purchesed in june and still no eggs...I guess though they need to be like 6 mo at least to lay an egg so I am rushing them I just keep praying no roo's no roos.....

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Start a thread asking the sexes of the cochins. You should know if they are male by now.

I would NEVER butcher a chicken. Way too soft for that

If I HAD to get rid of a group of chickens, I would get them processed. I don't even think I could do that.. My hens have a place to live as long as they are living. I will make a retirement community when it comes time. My oldest hen is only a little over a year.. Have a while to go yet.

 

[stoopid]

I have a few old bantam girls, 9 years old, and still give me a few eggs a week. So there.

 

[mama dixie]

woo hoo good to hear that a nine year old still lays eggs. I think I may have some other issue as to why they are not laying. I just do not know what is going on. I need to get my heat lamp out today. I have had a back stock on eggs so I did not need any but I would like to start getting some becuse we have some people asking for some... I had a rotten egg explode on me today. never had that hapen before it was so gross I still can smell it. changed clothes took shower washed hair and I am worried I still smell like rotten eggs. ewwww.... I will start carying rotten eggs instead of mase becuse I tell ya it almost took my breth away.....chickens are mad at me becuse it broke in the coop and now they are just weighting for it to air out. it is so gross...

 

[Fred's Hens]

You mention "self reliance", as in you and husband have goals of self sufficiency? I ask this because there are two or three basic types of folks here on BYC. We all meet here and exchange information and encouragement. However, vastly different goals between a small egg business, self-sufficient farm goals, and someone more inclined toward the pet side of things. Just wondering.

 

[mama dixie]

I am unsure myself as to what our goals are. I have asked myself that a lot lately. first off, I love my animals and feel even if we need to slauter and eat them they are respected and loved, because they are feeding our family. I am very soft hatred and find myself eating les and less meat. But I do eat meat and do not want to be one of those that will eat meat from stores but not be real about the fact that something died for me to have it. I am trying to get to a point where we can self sustain a lot more than we do, and have cleaner food free from pest asides as much as possible. I am taking hort classes and such. so long story short I don't know I am on a journey to see how far I can go with this self suffient thing, but make no mistake I love my animals because they give life to my family and a lot of joy. just don't come over as I am loading Cornish cross to proses because I do kinda cry, but it is what it is. where do you stand on this whole thing....

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
I know what you mean.. I have a hard time eating meat without wondering how that animal was treated. I think every animal should be killed with their dignity intact (if butchered at all).. I think Americans eat far too much meat. We don't need to have meat with every meal, so why do most believe they need to?

No disrespect to anyone. Just stating how I feel. I prefer knowing where my meat comes from, and same for my veggies. Doesn't need to be organic per-say, but I would like it to be fresh and local.