Old hens that no longer lay

[333113]

Well there really are only three things you can do. Keep them, cull them, or sell them or give them away. However, in my experience, death rate generally takes care of this too. While some people have very long lived birds, it is rather rare. It is not uncommon for chickens to have a pretty high death rate around 3-4 years of age.

People on here, enjoy chickens - some keep pets, some keep flocks. Neither is the right way of doing it. Do the best you can, good food and water, be realistic about the possibilities of loosing birds. If you have to cull, do it as well as you can. Always solve for peace in the flock.

Good luck

Mrs K

Wow.

What breed of chickens have a high death rate at 3-4 years???

My average across all my breeds is eight years. I lose some sooner and some later. The oldest roo ever died at almost 19, the oldest hen at 17-1/2. Average last egg age in my flock has been 11.2 years. Yes, I am keeping track. The production of eggs seems to be highest at 2-5 years and starts to drop off after that.

My experience with talking to chicken owners at swap meets is that the usual cause of death is, "something got 'em," not culling, old age or disease.

 

[333113]

I would have put that poor hen out of its misery.

There are no wrong answers, here. But I just want to note that, even though I personally do not cull old birds, I have no idea how that fits with chicken philosophy. I don't even know whether all chickens have the same philosophy. Is it better as a chicken to die quickly while still healthy, or limp into old age? I don't think that people agree on that, for themselves. So, if you cull or if you don't, there is really no way to absolutely tell which is the better way.

 

[gtaus]

I have mostly dual purpose breeds, and my idea is to harvest them after year 2 or 3 and get new chicks that year. However, my backup plan is to build a "retirement" coop for the older hens and just let them free range knowing the risk they may be taken by predators (my laying hens are enclosed in a predator-resistant chicken run and a Fort Knox coop.

I saw one YouTube video of a commercial chicken farmer who said it was not worth his time or effort to butcher older no-longer-laying hens. He culled his older hens and fed them to his pigs. I don't have pigs, but I thought - from a commercial point of view - that made sense to feed the older chickens to the younger pigs. Having said that, I imagine his chickens were egg laying hybrids and not much good for any meat.

From personal experience, it takes me too long to manually butcher and package my chickens. The price of chicken meat at the supermarket for young chickens is less per pound that what it would cost me to have my old hens processed commercially. I like the idea of the person who got their birds butchered by the Amish for $2.00 per bird. I'd do that if it was available where I live.

 

[333113]

My intent was to retire my hens to the stew pot when they stopped laying. Involving my two daughters in the planning and especially in the rearing of our first chicks nipped that idea in the bud. I briefly argued my case but then realized the point of this for us was the experience and the reflection on what it takes to feed the human race. So we have what I call the Agricultural, Economic, and Environmental Think Tank and Retirement Home for Post-Menopausal Poultry. I do a lot of thinking while cleaning out the coop. Mostly it is, "this is no way to feed seven billion people!"

Chicken poop, well-composted, makes the best garden fertilizer, and a garden can feed a lot of people and animals.

I also enjoy them as bug-zappers, especially while I am out there gardening. And -bonus- haven't seen a snake in the garden in years, since they cornered that garter snake in 1998.

 

[neo71665]

Frying pan when they stop laying

 

[Aunt Angus]

I plan to let mine live out their natural lives once they stop laying. It's for religious reasons, but everyone's needs are different, and I don't judge. Most folks use their chickens in a very practical way. I appreciate that, even if they end up in a stew pot, their lives were not disregarded and wasted.

 

[birdlady11]

My girls are for eggs but they're with me for life. When I need new layers to replace those that have stopped laying or passed away, I'll slip eggs under a broody hen and let them do all the work. My two oldest hens are both 12 or 13 years old and haven't laid an egg in years, but give them eggs to set and they are the most dedicated setters and the best, most gentle moms I've ever have.

 

[Erba]

Mine tend to pass away on their own. I just have one hen that is getting old now. I will keep her because of the group dynamic. She is still the boss and the roosters gal, even if she doesn't lay eggs anymore.

 

[Gordonsetter2007]

What do you do with your older hens that have stopped laying? So far we keep ours and let them live out their golden years. Our oldest are only 3 though.

I read all the replies, then went back and reread your post. Now I get it, lol. We keep ours till death do us part. However, I have the world’s most shiftless, gorgeous huge Blue Cochin, who has YET to give me even one egg. Anastasia rules the roost, as they say, and will for the rest of her shiftless no-egg life. PS-she is named for the character in 50 Shades of Gray because she has at least that many shades of gray in her feathers.