Keeping Older Hens

[Susan Dye]

My chickens were my retirement gift to myself. I never intend to get more than what I started with. Ok, I did get 4 more than what I started with but that's it! Seriously! Stop laughing...

At 67, I'm aware that my chickens could outlive me or I could become unable to care for them. It is my intent, however, that they continue to live their lives as ridiculously spoiled chickens for as long as possible.

Same here!

 

[MissChick@dee]

I've found that diatamacious earth works really well for ant control

That’s the only thing I know that DE actually works on.
Big Red Ants! A couple applications per summer and I have zero red ants in my run/yard.

 

[rosemarythyme]

That’s the only thing I know that DE actually works on.
Big Red Ants! A couple applications per summer and I have zero red ants in my run/yard.

I found out accidentally that it works on ants. Uncovered an ant colony while moving some mulch around, and had some DE that I'd bought for the chickens (but decided against using) so figured why not try dumping it on the ants? Left the area alone a while but the next time I went back, no sign of ants.

 

[ZoomuKeeper]

I let mine live... they love life they aren't mindless creatures they have feelings why do we ever need to cull poor chickens (in general) love em

This is my view point. I had a dog once that lost the use of his back end. He could no longer walk and everyone was saying I need to put him down. I got so sick of people telling me to do this. I loved the animal and he loved all of us. One man told me I spend to much time trying to make the dog happy just put him out of his misery. He said and I quote "HE CAN NO LONGER WALK SO HE CAN'T BE A DOG HE CAN ONLY BE A ROCK." I told the guy I agree. By the way isn't your wife a rock? I think you need to put her down. She cannot walk any more so she can no longer be a person. You just need to to put her out of her misery. Long Story short I got a human wheel chair took out the back and would put my rotti's back end over it and strap him in. Areas were cut out so he could still do his business. He was not a rock, he was a diamond. He could still run and go for walks. He lived another year and died at the old age of almost 15. CULL=KILL. I do not kill. Life is life whether it is a chicken or a dog or a cow. I am not God. I have no right to say when something needs to die. My animals will live out their life in blissful retirement.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Welcome to the world of Chicken Math, lol! Yes, our old birds die of old age around here. But the reason we even have chickens is for tick control, the eggs are just a happy by-product. I sell a few eggs for nowhere near what they'd bring in a different area, and nowhere near what it costs to feed them. But they bring us joy and I am repulsed by ticks in a way most people are by snakes. We are in the process of adding fencing and a storage unit to keep the chicklets in, doubling our space! That's chicken math. Or at least it is around here, lol.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That’s the only thing I know that DE actually works on.
Big Red Ants! A couple applications per summer and I have zero red ants in my run/yard.

We dust the hens and hen house and nests when the hens seem to scratch a lot and that puts an end to it. I figure they probably have mites but I don't see well, and I don't care to stick my nose down among the feathers to determine whether it's fleas or mites or lice or what! DE is great stuff! I had some kind of bugs in the basement several years ago and put DE around all the walls and haven't seen any bugs since. Don't ask me what kind of bugs, I was new to the area so I don't know. The only critters I tolerate in the house is rabid wolf spiders, they eat everything else, including black widows and brown recluse spiders.

 

[MissChick@dee]

If you ever have a lice or mite infestation DE would do absolutely nothing. I use it all over bedding. I can’t prove anything. You can ingest it too it’s supposed to strengthen hair and nails. I’ll just powder the ants

 

[ZoomuKeeper]

We dust the hens and hen house and nests when the hens seem to scratch a lot and that puts an end to it. I figure they probably have mites but I don't see well, and I don't care to stick my nose down among the feathers to determine whether it's fleas or mites or lice or what! DE is great stuff! I had some kind of bugs in the basement several years ago and put DE around all the walls and haven't seen any bugs since. Don't ask me what kind of bugs, I was new to the area so I don't know. The only critters I tolerate in the house is rabid wolf spiders, they eat everything else, including black widows and brown recluse spiders.

DE, what I call D-Dirt is ok but once it hits moisture it does nothing. I spray once a month with permethrin. Completely safe for humans and animals except cat, and I don't let cats in the chicken yards. I live in Florida and I do not have a fly or mite problem I also have turkey size foil pans in the yard full of sand so they can take proper dust baths..D-dirt can cause respiratory issues if breathed in so I do not use it. I use boric acid under appliances just in case and my barriers are sprayed so anything walking across it dies. Not a whole lot I can do about spiders and flying creatures. Me and the spiders have talks, You stay up on the wall or window sill you live, you come down into my space and I catch you and you live outside..I have 2 phobias, Bees and lightening

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have seen Permethrin recommended here before but have not researched it yet. If it's not safe for cats we can't use it. We have three and there is no way to restrict them from the large open area where the chickens spend most of their days. It used to be a garden and the cats hunt moles, voles, dragonflies in season and other vermin out there. Thanks for the suggestion though. We reapply the DE as needed. I think it's been over a year, so it's pretty effective and not much of a risk IMO. Pribably time to do it again. The hen house stays pretty dry.

 

[speckledhen]

Most BYCers know mine stay until they die....and some just refuse to die! I have quite a few who are 8-12 years old (I'm thinking 15+ are over 8 years old now) and my oldest hen still lays periodically, though she is crippled from arthritis and has been for four or five years now.
The last one to leave us was my 11+ year old Black Ameraucana hen, Gypsy. But, I've only had one hatchery hen live anywhere near this long, a Buff Brahma almost made it to 10 years old. These are all either breeder quality stock now, except for my oldest, who is the daughter of McMurray parents.