How many hens do you replace at once?

[Hufflefluff]

Hello!
I have a flock of 8 hens that are all about 2 years old. I got them from a different store (which uses a different hatchery) then I have in the past, and I have not been very impressed with their laying. Since early November, I've been lucky to get 1 egg a week- with my old flock of similar breeds, I still got at least 3, except in the very darkest part of December!
That said, some of them are more like pets, at this point. There are two that I absolutely want to replace, and another one that I'd be fine processing. I'm wondering what's the minimum you all would turnover at once- if I only add two new chicks, taking away my least favorite hens, would that cause more problems than going 3 for 3? 8 is the maximum number of hens I can have, so I have to replace 1-for-1.
I'd love to hear your thoughts- thank you!

 

[azygous]

You and you alone get to decide what flock management practices you wish to employ. Lots of folks cull, process, and replace their flocks every couple of years, and start fresh with baby chicks. It's a legitimate practice.

Other folks, like me, do not cull and process but allow old layers to "retire" as cherished pets, but we add four or five baby chicks every couple years to keep the eggs coming.

This may not be the ideal time of year to make the determination that a hen isn't laying since most mature hens do not lay until the days are twelve hours or longer. Also, it's a mistake to assume hens are done laying at two or three years. Depending on genes and individual care, some hens can lay eggs well into their sixth, seventh, and even eighth year. Some of these prodigious elderly layers live in my flock.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

IMO it's not about the hatchery or source of the birds, it is much more about the breeds you choose. Normally, a leghorn will kick out about 300 eggs a year, a RIR over 250 a year. Cochins and Brahmas will be under 140. That is regardless of the hatchery source. What breeds are your birds?

As for your questions, it depends on how many eggs your family needs per day. It is recommended to keep 2 hens per family member but that only depends on how many eggs you want and the productivity of the breed you keep.
It is best to introduce new birds in like numbers and like sizes. Adding only 2 young pullets to a larger established flock will likely cause problems.
A 2 year old and older hen will take a longer winter break each year beginning with molt but once days lengthen will often resume laying like gangbusters.
Adding 2 chicks a year will give you 2 birds that will lay through your other birds' molt and winter break. That likely won't be enough.
I think with a flock of 8 hens, you would need 4 new birds each year to keep in eggs. Another good technique is to start hoarding eggs in August and store them refrigerated in a sealed container so they will take you through the dearth.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I would not cull two year old birds. Like @azygous, I have had birds still laying into their 5th, 6th and 7th year. Some of them remarkably frequently. But then I have room for 20 birds or so, so I was able to hang onto the not-so-prodigious layers as well.

 

[PirateGirl]

I do not like to add single new birds to my flock and always replace in pairs (at a minimum) so they have a buddy through integration.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well there is the theory and the practice, and not always do they match! But I find adding more is better. And in the beginning chicks are pretty tiny, so you do not have to do a one to one cull immediately. Add the chicks, going into the spring/summer. The longer days and tiny chicks can help you cheat a bit on numbers... for a LIMITED time. By July-August, you should be able to say... this I want to keep, and these need to go. Come the Fall, the number of birds needs to fit your coup.

Some people will buy an older laying hen, if she is not laying enough for you, she might lay enough for a smaller household. Other people make soup.

I would add maybe 6 chicks.... and see how it goes. Some might die, some might be a rooster, some you might not like... and the same goes with your older flock to. This time of year, you have paid to get them through the dark days of winter, (and I am with you and lack of eggs this year) soon, they will be laying. May as well get your money's worth in those eggs. Come mid summer, a lot of the older ones will be slowing down.

MRs K

 

[Folly's place]

I agree with everything already said, and would consider four to six chicks, never fewer at once. It's an opportunity to try different breeds, and have pullets who will likely lay eggs next winter, when your hens take time off.
Meanwhile, in late summer, see who you want to keep, who's healthy, and who needs to go, so you have an uncrowded coop for winter.
Mary

 

[NatJ]

I don't know what number is the best to replace. I tend to decide what I want to have happen, and then figure out how to make it work. In your case, I can see a lot of possibilities.

Have you checked the old birds to see who's laying? Because if all the eggs are coming from your two favorite birds, you might replace all the rest
(There's an article around here somewhere about checking chickens' butts to see which ones are laying. Basically, if the vent looks small and dry--no eggs. If it looks like it's recently stretched enough for an egg to come through, it probably has.)

Do you know how often you want to replace hens, and how long you want to keep them? If you want to replace two each year, that would work out to keeping each one for 4 years (if they get replaced in a strict rotation.) Replacing 4 each year would mean keeping each one for about two years, although it could also mean keeping the favorite few forever and replacing some young and some old ones each year.

I first raised chickens in Alaska, and we had a specific limit on chickens for the winter, because the coop was only so big. But we had twice or more that number each summer, because they didn't need to stay inside all the time. So we raised chicks each summer (usually including some extras), and in the fall we butchered some combination of old hens, young pullets, and young cockerels. That gave us the right number to get through the next winter.

If you are also able to have extra chickens in summer, then you could raise a few more pullets than you expect to want, and then process some old birds and maybe some young ones. (Although there might be someone in your area that would love to buy your extra pullets--I don't know.)

I've learned never to trust that EVERY chick will grow to maturity and be healthy. But I also cannot bet on a certain number dying or having problems. So a few extra chicks, and a willingness to eat the extras, can help.

One time I got exactly the right number of "pullets." But one started to crow, and a dog got another one, so I was two short. Since then, I've made sure always get a few extra! I've since seen missing toes, cracked beak, muff/beard feathers that were blocking one bird's vision, and various levels of friendly vs. not, so it's usually been easy to decide which ones I most want to keep.

 

[aart]

It's tough call....and hard to balance out.
You can only have 8 birds......or you only have room for 8 birds?

I add new chicks every year, brooding in the coop and integrating at 4-6 weeks.
My extra 'summer' space helps with that, then I slaughter all the cockerels at 14 weeks,
and slaughter older hens in the fall before 'winter' numbers come into play.

 

[harmonyp]

What is their egg output in the longer light months? It's not really fair to expect eggs in winter, unless you are modifying their environment (like putting them under lights). What breeds do you have (i.e., if you are concerned with egg output, are you buying breeds with high egg output?). I guess what I'm saying is, before you cull your relatively young hens, I'd be analyzing why you aren't getting an egg output you desire before just adding more and maybe having the same experience.