How soon to cull?

[chickndays]

Chickens are about a year and a half and wondering when is a good time to think about taking birds out and adding new ones. They were laying fabulously their first summer and now we're doing about 4 eggs per day from 7 hens. We did just move them to a larger coop last week so stress could play a part in poor production? There is at least one bully who has been pecking and pulling feathers from others. We unfortunately have a limit on how many we can own and can't afford poor producers. At the same time, I don't want to accidentally kill a good layer. Also, when do Barred Rocks generally hit their peak production?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Peak production for All breeds is in their first year of laying. After that you will see an approximately 20% yearly decrease in the lay rate, though their eggs will become larger. Your hens will enter their first molt soon and won't lay well for a few months. Some remove and add layers when the first molt begins, while others allow their hens to live at their natural lives. The decision is entirely up to you.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The stress from the move is probably the reason for the drop in production, so you may see an uptick once they've adjusted. However days are starting to shorten and birds may be preparing to molt in the upcoming weeks and months. They will likely not lay through the winter this year, or lay at a very decreased amount, which is why production birds are generally culled at around 18 months.

 

[aart]

When I was repopulating for continuous egg production, I went by thirds of my winter population capacity. Winter capacity was about 18, so 6 in each of 3 age groups.

I would hatch in late winter/early spring and slaughter the males at about 12-14 weeks.
Then slaughter older hens(~30mo) in the late summer/early fall just before they molted,
just about the time the youngest group would start laying of which I would sell any 'excess'.

 

[Manuela]

My oldest been was almost 9. She still was laying eggs, not every day and not as large as my olive eggers but still going strong, She became mother hen and took care of all the hens and was a favorite to every one of my roosters. Sadly she was only recently lost to a fox while free ranging late. She was from my first flock, a Rhode island red, gorgeous until the day she was taken. You would've never known she was old. Through the years she had periods of no eggs and it was always due to stress like Roosters over-mating her or a predator attack or when she melted but even that is short. Had been told to cull her twice. I refused & she always started back up after some TLC. I've added birds at different times of the year and have had them molt at different times staggering my egg production. In 8 years I've had only a handful of times I've had to buy eggs for our family. With small flocks of 5 birds and as large as 18 hens. Great success with Isa Browns- the best rate about 320+ eggs a year, Rhode Island Reds, Americanas, olive Eggers. Adding some Marans to my flock now.