How to decide culling hens

[wild chick]

I want to cull 4 hens, and 2 that have to go are a no brainer, but I'm not sure about the next 2. In July I ordered 8 day-old females, assuming at least 1 or 2 losses and 1 or 2 males would happen, but no males and only 1 loss, so I have 7 pullets and thus want to subtract 4 older ones to make it right for my coop size. (You guys taught me how to do Chicken Math, did I do it right? ) How do I pick the other 2 freezer camp hens? Oldest? Top of the pecking order? Bottom of the pecking order? More than anything I want a happy flock, and I'm observing the lowest on the pecking order (not counting the 14 week-old pullets) are the meanest to the young ones. But for eggs it doesn't make sense to cull the year-olds since they are laying better than the coming 3 year olds.
Of course I have a few that are on the Do Not list, so that shaves it down again. I thought it would be easier when the time came. The males were like, pick one, all the rest are freezer. I've never had to decide about which hens. Any advise? Again, happy flock is the goal. Eggs are second.

 

[RUNuts]

No easy answer. Sorry. Yes, subtraction is part of chicken math.

Choose on color, personality, not laying or like Mawmaw. Whichever one she could grab was supper.

 

[Mosey2003]

Cull the oldest. No matter who you cull, they're still going to re-negotiate the pecking order.

 

[lomine]

The lowest on the pecking order are 'meanest' to the pullets because now they have someone lower than them in the pecking order. That's normal and they will settle down.

If there are no clear bullies or trouble makers in the flock, I would recommend culling the oldest ones or those that lay the least. The older ones are going to lay even fewer eggs next season.

I did my first hens this summer. One was a hen that had never laid an egg and the other was a bully who caused a lot of problems. Those were easy. I also, like you, wanted to cull other hens from the flock to make room, and reduce my numbers in general. Instead of butchering the other hens I sold them. The 18 month old ones went for $15 and the year old went for $18 (prices similar to others in my area). I didn't really need the meat (growing out CX and lots of extra cockerels) so I decided to try to make a little money to help pay for feed. That may be an option for you too if you just can't decide.

 

[wild chick]

Thanks for the replies - it helps, even if there is not a clear answer. I knew that anyway, when I asked. Good to know we have company, right?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Like you said some are no brainers but some get hard. All else being equal it makes sense to choose from the oldest.

As Mosey said there will be some resetting of the pecking order no matter what but there might be less if you select the lowest in the pecking order. I don't know how many different ages you have or how many are in each group. With living animals you can't tell what will happen if you take out a couple of any of them..

Even if you take out the dominant hen the shake-up in pecking order may be extremely smooth, it often is. Even if you leave the dominant hen one of the others may see this as a chance to challenge the dominant one to take over the flock. You just don't know. If it were me choosing the hen's position in the pecking order would not be all that important but if you have nothing else to go with I'd go with the least dominant n the older group. You need to use something to decide.

Most of the time this is not as bad as we fear it might be. Good luck!

 

[wild chick]

Yeah, the flock will re-arrange itself no matter what. Last year when our first clutch of chicks was weaned by the broody, the lowest of the low (not the chicks) turned into the meanest, pecking & making them run & scream in terror. I had falsely thought that maybe finally after a year of have zero friends and always being pecked on, she would finally get to have a friend. But nooooo. It was like she got revenge for a year of being bossed around by terrorizing the new youngsters. She didn't hurt them, just made them run and squawk when a stink-eye would have worked.
I have 7 hens hatched in 2016, 4 hatched in 2017 and 7 hatched 3 months ago, which are obviously all keepers. The two on the cull list is one from each year.

 

[cottontail farm]

When faced with this situation I cull the most annoying ones.
For who to keep, it depends on your goals. We have a Brahma roo and rainbow ranger hens. I hatch chicks every year and we eat some of our chickens so for me I keep 1) broody mamas 2) big hens 3) pretty hens.

 

[nparks]

When faced with this situation I cull the most annoying ones.
For who to keep, it depends on your goals. We have a Brahma roo and rainbow ranger hens. I hatch chicks every year and we eat some of our chickens so for me I keep 1) broody mamas 2) big hens 3) pretty hens.

I am facing similar situation, I have seven 2.5year old hens. 3 of which are great broody hens ( they are buffs) how long will they continue to be good broodies for? Are they worth keeping after they are done laying? How long do most buffs lay regularly for? Is it worth keeping them through/ after the fall molt? They will be 3 March. Will I get another decent year of laying?

 

[wild chick]

I don't know the answers for you @nparks - I think 2.5 is still young and probably productive, which is why I started this thread. It's easy to choose culls if they are not productive (for whatever your goal is), the hard part for me is because I choose to get some new breeds and I only have room for X number. Cull or build a new coop! Easier to cull, but only after it's done. Chicken math will catch up with you eventually if you don't. I'm curious about answers to your questions as one new breed is a buff.