The first thing I thought of when I read the OPs post here was that the helpful but misguided fellow may be going with information he got from his dad, granddad, etc. Somewhere back in history of that family, there were some chickens. They had a few chicks and some broodies in the barn or house because of a potential snow or something of that sort. The rest (probably just coming off a molt) were out in the coop. The temp dropped way down for a few days. Bald chickens and freezing temps may have resulted in a few losses. The next year, same thing. Do this two-three years in a row, you are down to nothing but birds at or under 3 years of age. The story gets passed down the line and modified in the telling.
Now you have a "kill 'em before their 3rd winter" piece of genuine chicken advice that ranks right up there with needing a rooster to get eggs.
Now you have a "kill 'em before their 3rd winter" piece of genuine chicken advice that ranks right up there with needing a rooster to get eggs.
