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

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I have only been keeping chickens for a year (started my flock with older birds) and have had to cull two Golden Comets who developed what I believe was salpingitis. It got so bad and I wanted to put them out of their misery. Right now I have another hen who is having trouble with egg-laying but otherwise seems healthy. I was thinking I will have to cull her if she starts showing signs of salpingitis or something, but is it really humane to wait until they are suffering so much? It got me wondering: when is the right time to cull a chicken?

Some people cull at a certain age, some cull when sick, etc. I wanted to get BYC's opinions so I can help form my own. I'm mostly concerned about when is the most humane time to do it, but I would love to hear any opinions you have.

 

[picklestheduck]

What are you feeding the hen? How old is she?

 

[Mrs. K]

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.

 

[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]

What are you feeding the hen? How old is she?

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.

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.

 

[Sally PB]

"Solve for peace in the flock."

I'm drawing a blank on who said that on here.

I culled 2 cockerels who were 2 too many.

If I had a sick bird, I would cull him/her if I thought he/she was in a lot of pain. Or if the prognosis was poor.

 

[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.

 

[TwoCrows]

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.

I moved over 1 post to this thread and deleted the duplicate thread.

BYC Staff

 

[NatJ]

My views on when to cull a chicken:
every option in your poll (except "never"), plus quite a few more.

The thing is, I like to eat chicken. I expect to eventually eat every chicken I ever raise, unless it is killed by a predator or has an illness. So the chickens that I like best will to stick around longer (ones that are pretty, healthy, lay well, and get along well with the other birds and with me.) The chickens I don't like as well get culled (butchered) sooner rather than later.

Reasons I have culled/butchered chickens include:

--I wanted to eat chicken
--I got tired of hearing him crow
--she sang the "egg song" all day long for so many days that I got tired of hearing it
--I wanted to buy new chicks, so I needed to make space to house them
--the chicks grew bigger, so they became crowded, so I needed to remove some
--she bullied others
--she was bullied by everyone else
--she was injured, and I wasn't able/willing to provide proper care for her to heal
--there were too many males
--I had a breeding project, and this chicken was not the right color
--someone wanted to learn how to butcher a chicken, so I butchered one to demonstrate

I've probably culled/butchered chickens for quite a few other reasons as well, but I don't remember them all.

With small chicks, I have culled them (not butchered for eating) if the chick had a deformity or was failing to thrive, or occasionally if I was doing a breeding project and could identify from an early age that some had the wrong color or other traits. "Culling" healthy chicks can mean I give them to someone else, or that I dispatch them (behead) and dispose of the bodies. For me, "big enough to butcher" is about the same size as an adult quail, which is still pretty small but definitely larger than a newly-hatched chicken.