how many years do you keep your egg layers?

[gallusdomesticus]

According to the Univ of Florida Agricultural Extension Service Pamplet PS-35 "Factors Affecting Egg Production in Backyard Flocks", a chicken reaches peak production in her first year prior to molt. Thereafter, her egg laying declines rather smoothly by 10% per year. A five year old hen should produce about half of what she did her first year. Most heavy breeds lay 200-240 eggs their first year so a 5 year old should lay around 100-120 eggs or about two a week. I have a six year old Barred Rock that lays about 5 eggs a month.
I agree with the retirement theory of providing gereriatric care for my girls as long as they live. Their value as pets outweigh their ability to lay for me.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I definitely am the wrong one to ask. I never kill my hens. I keep them until they die of old age. I figure, they served me well when they did and now I will just take what ever eggs I get from them and continue to get more younger ones....that is why I have 4 hen houses and need another one this year.

 

[Luvroos]

I think that during their first few years of laying steady they have paid their way through their entire lives until death by natural causes and have provided us, you in this case, with a healthier than store bought egg so this should entitle them to live their full life span as per myself. They're helping you, us, me sincerely and therefore should not be forced to accept a death sentence by any means. Then again some of you are into them just for their providing food on your tables for your family's.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes, some of us have to weigh the economics of "keeping something until it dies" as it eats its way through many years of nonproductivity. If one can kill it while it is still relatively young, it can still be turned into food for the family.

It is all well and good and sounds very noble to keep chickens into retirement but this just can't be done for many families. Many people raise chickens for the sole purpose of food production that is safe to eat and do so at an added expense to their budget.

For folks who keep a few hens for pets and have the money to continue to do so, keeping a chicken past the years of productivity is feasible and within your budget constraints, obviously. For some, the economy makes sentimentality and the luxury of keeping that many pets a mere pipedream. We have to think of our families first and our feelings second.

To make statements like chickens "should not be made to face a death sentence" is a slam to those of us who do not have the luxury of keeping a retirement home for chickens. Please cut us a little slack, if you will, as we could make similar statements about wasting food while children go hungry or the idle rich who have plenty of money to waste on playdollies clothed in feathers.

When it all comes down to the bottom line, I don't believe anyone actually purchases chickens, shelters, fencing, feed, and supplies and goes through the trouble of raising a flock of chickens to merely be cruel to them by "giving them a death sentence" after they've "helped us" with their steady laying. It may seem cruel to you but very practical and economical for our families and to us. Please allow us to feed our families without all the negativity when this subject is introduced.

 

[Fred's Hens]

It cuts both ways here at BYC. It is the nature of this forum. There those who attach terms like "girls" and "boys" when referring the male/female rooster/pullet chicks, of which they fancy themselves "mommies" etc. There are huggers, petters and so forth. That's fine. It is what it is. Animal lovers of all kinds can try to understand, I guess, if they've ever cherished a favorite dog or treasured horse.

There are also utilitarian keepers here. Farmers, homesteaders and folks who have little interest in even naming their birds but provide for their flocks with great care, for this point of view is toward the livestock and basic egg/meat food provision end of the spectrum.

I'm sure there are folks here who fall somewhere in-between on continuum. Got to get along. Not always easy, but perhaps best we all try.

 

[chooniecat]

I originally picked 1 or 2 of a particular breed to see what the differences might be and that has made it hard to slaughter them(my son did our original bunch of 6 girls when they were 6 years old and it was hard for him) because they were identifiable and had names SO we have gotten a group of BA's that I didn't handle much nor can we differenciate between them so when the time comes(soon) it will be easier to slaughter. My son is the main processor and he adores the girls we currently have that have names so THEY will be with us for as long as they thrive. I also have 6 RIR girls,10 mo, that we will process in a year or so. I treat them ALL the same though wether they are to be eaten or pets(and that would be with great care and attention to their species!!!) They free range 12 hours and pasture 12 hours. Happy chickens.

 

[chickenaddictntn]

Well I have a rule also the hens that lay less than 3 eggs a wk go to freezer and roosters of my choosing go to freezer named or not named.

 

[Luvroos]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone here

! As stated before by many, we are all different and have a variety of life styles. I wouldn't starve anyone especially a child.

I remember a topic a while back when the weather were extremely cold and others were discussing death rate of their shipped chicks. I feel different than most pertaining to this also since to me it's a waste while one knows that they'll lose a few chicks here nor there and think that their number lost at the time were 13 in total. This seemed like a lot to me while I look upon this as possibly starving a child in the future and could had possibly fed them well with the 13 that did not survive and even homeless that live on the streets through out our country.

I could go on all night regarding this issue but, must leave it at that. I will never condemn anyone that's trying to feed their families and didn't mean any harm by it and should had put it in different words verses being so blunt.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm sorry too, Luvroos.

I didn't mean to get snippy. I just get a lot of flack about eating my own chickens from my sis and my co-workers and there is much of that on here too....it gets old after awhile.

I live well below the poverty line so, if I want clean and quality meats for me and my family, I have to raise my own. I don't like to kill anything either but I have to be practical and responsible when it comes to my animal husbandry practices. Either that or all of us go vegan, which we have done before.

I love my chickens too.....they get the best life I can provide, which has been pretty darn good. Then they get a quick and merciful death and repurposing of their bodies. It's the best I can do with the money I have.

 

[Luvroos]

I agree, understand and can sympathize with you regarding all above! I know it's tough and we have to do what we have to do regardless of weather or not it's what we like!! I hope that my life never comes to the point that I must cull my flock just to eat! I don't know that I could actually do it.

Sorry you get so much flack from others, it's a shame that we must voice our opinions ie: opinions are like a**holes, every body has them lol. Maybe you should begin asking if others will pay your way through life and see if this will hush them up!