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

[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.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I think NatJ - you keep a flock, I keep a flock. My hobby is having a flock of chickens. I try to have the healthiest chickens I can. But birds come into and go out of my flock. I do not expect forever friends, but I rather expect to keep a flock of birds for another 20 years.

I never quite understand the posts about the longevity of chickens, why would you want a 9 year old non laying hen? I enjoy them, but I have realistic expectations about keeping chickens.

Mrs K

That makes sense. I guess I'm also trying to get more "realistic" about things too. Old hens can have a lot of issues. I'm not sure I believe in trying to keep something alive that's clearly heading toward death. I grew up kind of the opposite. In my family we'd try to "save" any animal we had or found that was sick or injured. But now I think of it in a different way. I wouldn't want to be suffering for a prolonged period of time, so why should I make another creature suffer for longer than it needs to?

I realize that some 9 year old non-laying hens may be otherwise in good health, so that makes it a tougher call for me, but it seems that at that age a health issue is bound to come up anyway. Idk, I guess it kind of is a tough call if she is otherwise in good health. Not sure what I would do.

 

[NatJ]

That makes sense. I guess I'm also trying to get more "realistic" about things too. Old hens can have a lot of issues. I'm not sure I believe in trying to keep something alive that's clearly heading toward death. I grew up kind of the opposite. In my family we'd try to "save" any animal we had or found that was sick or injured. But now I think of it in a different way. I wouldn't want to be suffering for a prolonged period of time, so why should I make another creature suffer for longer than it needs to?

I realize that some 9 year old non-laying hens may be otherwise in good health, so that makes it a tougher call for me, but it seems that at that age a health issue is bound to come up anyway. Idk, I guess it kind of is a tough call if she is otherwise in good health. Not sure what I would do.

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.)

 

[alwaystj9]

The number 1 reason I cull is for convenience. If I have a bird that simply doesn't get along with the program...the persistent flyer that keeps getting out and is a pain to get back in. The bird who figured out where to get over the fence - then makes a beeline for the carport to eat the dogfood and poop on my air compressor. The aggressive hog-chicken that spends all her time trying to get into the goat pen or the stall where I feed another animal. I dispatched a bird yesterday who figured out how to get on the barn roof and sidle down the corner wall to get into the barn cat access and eat all the cat food. I culled a persistent broody who wouldn't brood in the chicken pen.
It sounds like I have starving chickens but they are fed quite well and free range on 3 acres most days.
I also cull for rooster issues, too many or constant fighting or any human aggression. I culled a roo who would attack goats, cats and dogs, his perceived area of control/dominance was my whole pasture and no other animal was safe!
Culling is often rehoming, especially for hens. There is a demand for laying age hens. When I have a bunch of young roos, I will put them on CL for $5/each or as a group at a discount and they sell pretty well that way. I can and have processed birds, I just don't do it all that often.

 

[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]

This is actually a very good discussion. Right now, three of my friend and I have an order in for 50 chicks. so 15-20 new chicks for each of us. Fresh blood in the flock. The days are getting longer, the chicks will be tiny for months to come. Half will be males. There will be a unknown variety of breeds. Thing is you can cheat a bit on numbers going into the spring. But it does not last forever.

First cull will to be pull the cockerels somewhere around 2-3 months of age to another coop. I am not particularly fond of the rooster I have now, so will be looking these over carefully.

Right now, I have Mrs. Feathers - a successful broody, and 5 pullets from last year. I will keep the pullets, or at least a couple of them. Mrs. Feathers is on the maybe list. I do rather like her, she is a good broody, but she is getting some age on her.

Thing is - I really need to fit my coop and set up going into winter. I would like that number to be below 12. That is what fits in my coop, but 10 would be better. So in September, I will have laying hens for sale. Last year I made more than my expense of adding new chicks.

Culling is hard. It makes your heart beat fast, and can be like a hard job waiting to be done. But like any hard thing, it makes you feel accomplished when you get it done. You have handled life reasonably, respectfully, and responsibly. A very confident way of living. Always solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

 

[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.

 

[Sussex19]

I cull for various reasons.
My flock is a bit half and half; half livestock, and half pets, which makes it a bit hard at times.
I judge individual birds on all aspects, from egg laying, to heath, colour, size, temperament, and what fits in with my goals.
Also, some hens and rooster just have something I 'like' about them, hard to put my finger on what it is, but it is there.
Those that rate highest in all aspects are the keepers, and the ones that becomes pets.
The others will be culled when the space is needed for young stock.
When a 'pet' becomes ill, I will let them live as long as they are comfortable, and then put them to rest.
Also, almost all cockerels will be culled, as I only need two or so roosters, and don't have the space or inclination to keep free loaders. (and they taste good!)

Over all, it is not a one size fits all approach, but based on the individual.

 

[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.