Poll: When is the right time to cull a chicken?

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Continuing to keep a hen as a pet, even when she's not productive, can sometimes be a reasonable choice.

But I think it should BE a choice, something you think about, not just the thing that happens because you didn't think whether to keep her or not.

It may be worth picking one or two times each year to actually consider every chicken you have, and whether to continue keeping them.

Sometimes fall is a good time to think about which ones to cull. Winter can be hard on older chickens. Also, summer provides more opportunities for them to spend time outdoors, but in winter the weather is more likely to force them inside, where they feel crowded and get bored. Having fewer chickens means more space for the ones that are left.

Spring can also be a good time to think about which chickens to cull. Spring is a good time to get new chicks (buying or breeding), so you might remove some older birds to make more space, and as you consider any breeding goals.

Many people like to get chickens in the spring, so it is also a good time to re-home any chicken that is healthy but that you just don't want to continue keeping (maybe she's a good layer but a social mis-fit in your flock, or you don't like her color, or some other reason that might make her perfect for another flock but less-than-perfect for your own flock.)

Makes perfect sense!

 

[SueT]

I have sold extra cockerels at the local poultry swaps. There are several swaps in this area. I took 3 aggressive older leghorn hens to a swap and sold them within 5 minutes.

 

[Mrs. K]

As to your own problem, what do you mean having trouble egg laying? Do you mean she takes awhile to lay? Or is she prolapsing? If she cannot lay by herself, or internal parts are out, I would cull. If it just takes her awhile, I would not worry.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Whenever it is best for your flock, individual birds, or your preferences. The only “right” thing to do, is maintain good husbandry. Culling is a part of good husbandry.

Yeah that's why I was wondering. To people who grew up with farm animals, it seems that they knew exactly what good husbandry means. To someone like me who did not, I'm never sure when the time is right to cull. That's why I wanted to get others' take on when that time is.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I'm never sure how to answer that question. It's either both, or some third category that falls in between the "pets" and the "strictly eggs/food" groups.

I like chickens enough to keep a flock even when that costs much more money and time than buying eggs & meat at the store. I like to have a variety of breeds, and I care that each one looks pretty to me. I recognize individual chickens and give them names. If you ask me about any chicken in the flock, I expect to be able to tell you approximately how old it is, who its parents were or what hatchery it came from, something about a hen's laying & brooding abilities, something about the genetics of his/her coloring, whether he/she is an escape artist or tries to peck me in the face or is very shy, and probably a bunch of other stuff.

But I also kill and eat chickens, including those same named chickens, and it doesn't bother me too much. They would die anyway at some point, since nothing lives for ever, but that usually happens at a time I decide when they are still in good health, and they are put to good use as meat rather than being wasted.

I'm not entirely sure how I ended up this way, but my parents did things similarly, so maybe growing up with these attitudes is what did it. I appreciate that I can have the pleasure of knowing each individual chicken, while not suffering too much pain on butchering day.

Thanks for this!

Honestly that's kind of how I would like to eventually be. It seems really practical. It seems like you love your chickens, but you're also able to separate the emotions and be practical about the meat you want to eat. We have raised CX for meat so I was able to distinguish them from my regular chickens from the start (not name them, take great care of them but not get too attached), but it does seem I get a little tied up with the emotions with my "pet" chickens.

 

[MadisonAdam]

I have some 3 year old Golden Comets that started laying softshelled and runny eggs during the hot summer after they passed a year old,in spite of Oyster shell available, many would have culled them then,but they got well,and still healthy a couple years later,but they never layed again after they reached 18 months and molted,and they wouldn't accept the new chicks even after being exposed to them through fence 24/7 for months,they werent just pecking them,they were going to kill them,territorial. So i built an extra coop,and then a took over a neighbors yard with a barn in it and fenced it in with old privacy fence for my own use and its a very large retirement community for my spent Hens,and a rabbit and sometimes baby goats in the summer. Many of the things people on here say they kill their hens for out of mercy,mine lived through just fine,got over whatever ailed them and have a good life fat,sassy and spoiled. Since they are pets that trust me completely and hop up on my lap to sleep ,i could't put them down. It is inconvenient having non productive hens that i have to keep separate from my layers,but they can keep the bugs down and some of the vegetation that had previously been out of control on my neighbors property finally prompting me to take over their yard . When my current younger productive hens stop they will go to the fenced in yard retirement community,which may be soon,they are a year old now. Then a completely new group of 4 will replace them in the 10x20 coop and have it to themselves like the others before them.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I have culled off bc of failure to thrive, and 1 meat bird (accidental purchase) and bc of injury.

I do NOT have the ability nor the facilities, nor the desire to house chickens in my home while they are sick. I dispatch them.

I have 5 golden Comets and 6 Cinnamon Queens on the list currently for fall. They will be 18m old or so and I wanna cull them off before their 2nd yr bc I read you could run into a lot of health problems at 2yrs+ with those breeds, plus I have goals to convert my current coop into my holding cell for my boys/cull birds from my other flock. Taking out 11 will leave me 7 in that coop. They are also on the cull list but likely not till next spring as they are all still good layers.


As goals change, culling needs to happen... however that looks for you.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I guess I double-posted this thread somehow. Not sure how it happened but I can't figure out how to delete the other one. If a moderator is able to, it would be appreciated.

 

[Mrs. K]

In this chicken

I don't want this thread to be about this particular chicken. It's more about the general question so I and others can learn when when culling is appropriate (in general).
But I will answer the questions because maybe this could serve as an example of knowing when to cull or not. She is an older hen, but I have no clue how old since she came from a rescue farm. Likely 3-4+ years. My flock is currently eating DuMor 17% all flock with oyster shell on the side and crushed egg shells.

She's generally been a great layer but the past month I haven't seen any eggs from her. She laid a soft shell egg that was hanging from her vent the other day, and was acting lethargic. I thought she was dying. But with some calcium supplement (calcium citrate) she has perked up and is acting normal and eating/drinking again. But still, I see her in the nest trying to lay but no eggs. Maybe she has laid some soft shells that the others have eaten, but either way, something's weird since I see her eating her oyster shells and/or eggshells daily.

But I will answer the questions because maybe this could serve as an example of knowing when to cull or not. She is an older hen, but I have no clue how old since she came from a rescue farm. Likely 3-4+ years. My flock is currently eating DuMor 17% all flock with oyster shell on the side and crushed egg shells.

I would have this chicken on my non keeping list. If I was culling anything else at this time, I might cull her too. If I needed room for other birds. If I need to reduce my feed bill, I would cull her. But otherwise I would just let her be unless she takes a real turn for the worst. She is probably not hurting anything in the flock, and with spring she might perk up.

I would try not to hatch her eggs. They are old, and I would think there might be problem chicks if they lived that long.

 

[Mrs. K]

duplicate