Official BYC Poll: What Do You Do With Your Old/Retired Hens?

[SmiYa0126]

Mine live out their natural lives here. They are pets and entertainment before anything else, so none of them go to the pot or up for sale.

I will say, it takes a loooong time before they completely stop laying. Yes, they slow down significantly to the point where if eggs are important to you then it's understandable not to keep them, but it's more of a trickle to a stop than a complete halt one year. For example, I got a whopping 2 eggs from one of my 11 year olds this year, and my 6 year old Dorkings are laying almost as well as they did when they were half that age. The only older ones not laying at all are the ones who struggle with arthritis or other ailments of old age, and the Cochin bantam girls who have been broody for almost 3 months solid now.

Three year broodies?! Lol you poor thing!

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Mine are raised as pets so they get to live out their entire natural life here with me! I think having older hens in the flock is really beneficial. They teach the young girls a lot and show them where to lay, how to behave, and they're just sweet with a lot of personality. Their poop is also amazing compost for the garden, I save money by not having to purchase any type of fertilizer.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Three year broodies?! Lol you poor thing!

Three months, but yes, it's madness. Donna and Rowena spend literally every summer never leaving broody jail. Roxanne decided to join them this year as well. Hopefully Abra doesn't finish out the family quartet next summer.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Thank you again! I do love my flock, and all my pets. I count them all as members of the family.

Same! I never had children and I guess I know why! Apparently I'm a top of the pecking order Hen! I cant imagine life without chickens

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Mine just live out their best life. No culling, no prep for the pot, no selling or rehoming. Just spending their days wandering aimlessly around the retirement home waiting for treats.

Wandering aimlessly, lol

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Every little life in my care is a blessing, a family member. I value their personalities, companionship, affection & humorous entertainment even more than their eggs & free garden manure. My flock will live out their natural lives.

 

[Coops Dad]

Old birds are culled for the stew pot; if they're too tough or skinny, they're skinned and are used in our dog's raw food diet.

 

[Redbrew]

More than five of our first flock of chickens lived to be 7+ years old. Our last girl from that batch is 8 years old and has cankles, a Speckled Sussex named Suki. We don't think she has ever layed an egg. She is first to the food dish and last to leave. She now puts herself away in a next box or on the hay floor of our smallest coop (where some of our banties go to bed). The other two pictures are Poof the Egger, age 7 and the perfect first chicken my daughter had (who layed her first egg the Friday before Easter 2013) ... The buff Silkie Fluffy. She was hit by a hawk at age 7+ but was still healthy. We miss her!

 

[MotherofOrpies]

my oldest hen will turn 11 next February, she still laid more than 30 eggs this year! Look at her spurs ! She started getting them around 5 years and now she can hold her own with almost any rooster Her 1 year younger daughter also laid eggs this year, but she does loves to get broody ( sitting right now ) she’s the one in the middle, on her right is one of her daughters from this year, looks almost like her twin, but has a simple comb and not a touch of buttercup, like her mother

 

[SueT]

Speck is my oldest hen, at 6 1/2 yrs. She’s heavy, and a bit bedraggled and stained, and her feet/legs are a bit lumpy. (Kind of like me). She’s lowest in the pecking order now. But she’s still laying, about 4 eggs a week in the small extra coop no one else wants to use. The shells are kind of thin and rough feeling. She is so smart, she knows her name and comes when called quietly to get a treat when the others aren’t looking. She’s the only one who dares eat hornworms. The others don’t allow her in the main coop any more. She sleeps in the small coop. But somehow she doesn’t like to go in by herself at night. She’ll come up to me, hop into my outstretched hands and then I gently carry her to roost, stroking her and telling her what a good hen she is. She clucks quietly to me to say goodnight and again in the morning when I greet her. I love Old Speck. She will be allowed to live out her days….