Useful is up to the OP. Keeping older hens as semi-productive pets is absolutely one option. I have one old girl from my first batch of chickens that is the matron of the flock and only very rarely layed last year (her 6th). All other hens are on a harvest cycle as I consider them livestock. I understand not everyone does.What is useful?
True, chickens often stop laying during the winter period when 2 or 3 yo. But most older hens still give many eggs from early spring till the moult in autumn. For me keeping chickens is not for a living. And older chickens are fun to have around too.
However, the OP was asking about a setup for harvesting eggs and if they have enough eggs for the first 2 years, then by the 3rd they will have a definite shortfall and by the 4th year, they will be lucky to get half the original number of eggs.
So, it is best to think now about how to handle them long term. Do they want 14 pets with reduced eggs? Do they want to to harvest the birds for meat when they get older and cycle in new layers? Do they understand that it is hard to get rid of older layers? I want to warn newbies about the realities of caring for older hens.
Being stuck paying/caring for 14 birds that aren't producing much, you aren't willing/able to harvest and no one warned you about reduced laying is potentially a bad situation. That is why I have taken to asking newbies to consider this up front. You can only make a responsible decision if you have all the info.
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