Is it time to put hens in my freezer???

[Tala]

Queenie, my favorite and only true pet pullet will probably live out her old age with us (unless she gets herself killed first, the girl is fearless!)

the others aren't quite so lucky. That's what they get for being flighty and un-friendly

 

[TarzantheChickenMan]

when i'm butchering meat birds(next Monday) i grab a couple of the no longer producing hens a process them too. The family has names for them but when its one or two hens i can chalk it up to a "predator". I just make soup out of the old hens. Mind you mine are just finally stopping laying at 3 years out of 8 birds i get 1 egg every 2-3 days now. The 2year olds lay daily. I've got some replacements tat should be laying very very soon.
All i know is next year i'm getting one breed for laying so they cant name them as well

 

[ScrambledGreg]

I thought about this myself, as when I got into doing this I just wanted eggs and I saw them more as pets. Since I got my new flock, I've decided to take a different approach to chickens now, keeping it 'strictly business' in anticipation of putting some meat in the freezer.

Besides, if I rotate the girls out, I can mess around with different breeds...and raise some new chicks every couple years (that's the part I enjoy)

 

[TomKat]

Three of my hens don't lay at all (freeloaders!)

I realize where my meat comes from, but we didn't name or interact with the ones under cellophane at the store. I'll leave the plucking and cleaning to the butcher. It really comes down to the plan you had for them at the outset. If they're food, they're food. If you're emotionally attached, they're pets.

 

[Crazy4cochins]

Quote:
Thats my idea too. This spring I hope to get more cochins of course and silkies, and more crazy unfriendly super egg layers.
ohh yah and the list keeps getting longer, sorry I have to have some ducks and a frizzled goose.
My cute chickens aren't going to earn there keep in The winters here,
I won't be culling my favorite ladies but my RIR's will surely be going in thef freezer after they are done.
I processed 2 big Roo's this week then my husband wouldn't even eat my Rooster Pot Pies !!!! He was the one complaining about them eating upall the food!!
I understand those who can't bare to cull your hens but, I am willing to do it instead of someone else.
Now 2 years ago before we moved to the country NO WAY! But I remind myself this is good for my family and I feel better eating my own especially afetr seeing a repor on chicken processing plants

They will only shut them down if the whole plant shows a 20% rate of salmonella!!!! I read someone else's post on here about them working at one of those plants and they said alot of the legs and wings ect.. were from infected birds and they cut off the good parts package them and sent them out . GROSSS.

 

[siroiszoo]

Quote:
For many years, we kept chickens just for eggs. We let our hens live out their natural lifes. Most wound up getting picked off by the occasional predator; on rare occasion, one would fall to disease. We had one standard cochin that was awesome with raising chicks twice a year and lived close to 15 years before a predator got her. I was actually amazed cause I didnt know chickens lived that long and we have never come close that again. She was a great mamma and worth keeping all her days. But we never noticed any problem with egg production during all that time. We always had plenty for us plus many to give away. So I've always puzzled over the 3 year old culling standard that most people are adamant about. Of course, I don't run an egg business; least wise, not intentionally.

Anyway, the present economy and the number of roos we always seem to wind up with dictated that we begin to use them for meat purposes as well. (Plus the fact that so many people fight roos in our area, no way I'd give or sell one around here.) And I absolutely HATE butchering a chicken; deer, hogs, rabbits not such a problem but chickens???? It's just so much more.... messy, I guess. If I could do it without getting covered in blood and could skip the plucking, which always smells like a wet dog to me, maybe I could stand it a little better; not that I enjoy anything being killed. But the reality is that I'm no vegetarian.

Anyway, I've switched to a dual purpose bird just recently so as to be more suited to the new plan. It's gonna be hard too. Cause I've spent A LOT of time with my orps & australorps to keep them friendly and tame. So we will see how all this works out.

We have already processed 3 roos this year and have two more roos plus a hen scheduled for processing. I isolated the hen trying to find the egg eater. I think she is the one and she doesn't seem to be laying at all either. But then again, she's at least 6 or 7 years old. It's the first time I've noticed that one of our hens wasn't producing. So maybe the 3 yr cullers have a point?

 

[chickenbottom]

my chickens will not be butchered ever if they stop laying they will still have a home with me i got them for pets and thats what i intend to keep them as until they pass naturally hopefully in over 10 years. ill get more for laying but this is my first real flock that i bought feed and take care of love and spend my time with but this is my choice and what you do with your flock is your decision.

 

[logan]

yes eat them

 

[speckledhen]

It's personal preference. Since mine are "pets with benefits" and not livestock, they will live out their lives here, even if they quit laying. Hey, my dog doesn't lay eggs, never did, and she's still here. I do realize that costs are a very real consideration, though. I don't, however, have any trouble processing a bad boy rooster.

 

[lauralou]

I still have 2 of my very first hens. They will be 3 years old in spring. I haven't noticed much of a drop in egg production. They still lay quite well. When they are laying.

They are broody hens, and both are amazing mothers, so they will have a place here for as long as they can hatch and raise chicks for me.

Aw heck, who am I kidding? They have a place here forever!