Older Chickens That Stop Laying / Slow Down Laying Eggs

[Barnyard Dawg]

We had 18 chickens last spring February/March we currently have 8 chickens. We culled out our flock and keep our best layers, 2 are Leghorns one white and one brown I prefer white eggs because their yolk is so orange. The rest we have left are 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Rhode Island Reds and 2 Black Sex-Links that lay brown eggs. I give a lot of eggs away to family, friends and co-workers I do not sell any. My wife and I prefer free-range chickens to commercial raised chickens, we know they are far healthier. My wife will make soup out of all her chickens so it doesn’t matter what age they are. We will vacation in China for two weeks in March/April so will cull our flock to 6 and restock in April when we return. The chickens do live a good life in comparison to commerical raise chickens I must say.

 

[CharlestonChick]

No chickens yet, but definitely starting to plan.
IMO I don't think I'd be able to cull them, if you ask my DH though... he seems to think if we get a rooster in the mix he'll just eat it. Yeah right! This is the man who refers to himself in third person in front of our dogs (i.e., "who wants to go play with daddy?"). If we raise chickens from chicks, he will be so attached, I can see him becoming a vegetarian.

 

[HenHappy]

My DH was like that for sure...Big tough guy goes out to the coop all the time!!

 

[SandraChick]

I consider myself a realist....but even I have a line.....
It may seems strange to some....especially those who can't eat what they hatched, as I am the opposite.

**If the chicken is a rescue (currently ALL are 1roo-7hens)- They CANNOT be eaten....can't rescue something and then kill it! This includes chickens I paid for to rescue them....not chickens paid for just to purchase them. We don't hatch/hand raise our own perse...we let our chickens do it.

**If we raised the chicken, they're considered future layers and/or dinner. Any roos hatched are named Roo Jr. and eaten when grown.

Now for the runner ducks....Our current flock of 3 (1drake, 2hens)--Being my first flock of ducks ...I thought I'd never want to eat any of them...but I have a REALLY loud hen who thinks I'm going to kill her everytime I get within sight of her and she may just drive me to do it (besides the fact that she hasn't laid a single egg yet). And, the drake has started to harass my chickens like a bully and has taken to thinking "chicken little" should be his girlfriend and I had to doctor her comb from him grabbing her all the time.....None of my ducks were rescues, So here I am, the realist in a quandry! My other hen is a keeper...good egg layer, and pretty mellow.

There you go-
Sandra

 

[Blisschick]

I started my original EE flock three years ago, so many of my old girls are probably pass their prime, but they are laying some whopper eggs now! Last summer, I hatched out a couple of clutches to replace them, plus bought a couple from the feedstore to add new blood. I have too many now, so I'm going to have to thin them out. I'm really attached to my old girls, but I realized that I can't be too attached to them where I can't say goodbye at some point. I know they aren't really worth eating, because we culled the EE roos and they don't have much meat to talk about, so I've decided that when I thin out the flock that I'm just going to sell some of the older girls off. I'm still getting good laying rates, so maybe whoever gets them will get what eggs they need out of them.

 

[Ricochet Ranch]

I have a Dutch Bantam hen that is 6 years old this spring. She laid a few(half a dozen?) last year. She is the self appointed Flock Queen and doesn't take any manure from anyone-even 3 times her size. I also have 2 other Bantam hens, Old English, that are 4 years old.

I don't care if the senior ladies lay eggs or not. They are a treasured part of my flock and will live out their days in the High Desert of AZ.
Peace, Penny

 

[jstudy]

When I was growing up on the farm (horses, no chickens), we bought 6 or so angus cattle to sell. I was 10 or 12, and I didn't have any problem sending them to market because I DID NOT NAME THEM!
It sounds funny, but I think what would absolutely keep me from processing a chicken is if my wife or I give it a name, it's instantly protected.

 

[chickchair]

I'm in the same "chicken generation" as Carla and Elissa...(gosh, it's good to see you gal!) I only have one "spring chicken" this year and she insists on laying from her roost.....so I get one broken egg every day from her....
The rest? Even Snorkie is aging as far as the chicken world goes....It was Feb 23 four years ago that most of my girls hatched at Mcmurray. The regal queen will also be four this year.
I find that the girls, even at their age, lay enough to keep ourselves, our neighbors, and the occasional buyer with enough eggs for all.
My issue is that with my new free-ranging technique I have to do an "Easter egg hunt" to find them all....

Truth is....I'd never think harshly on culling the older gals for anyone else....however my girls, no matter how long they live....give me more than just eggs, so they all earn their keep.

What I spend on feed for them is so much less that the meds for high blood pressure, stress etc. They fascinate me....and calm me.... This is the bottom line of the backyard flock.....

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Quote:
I agree my wife and I don’t name our chickens. We might refer to them by one of their distinctive characteristic like black tail, white tail, flower chicken. It does make it easier if you’re going to process them.

 

[SilverFlame819]