Rethinking how I want to proceed with my flocks

[Shadrach]

Why does free range change it? Mine are half way between, not fully free range, but certainly not enclosed.

In free range groups the senior hens teach the younger hens how to survive in that environment. The rooster if there is one is the focal point but not the teacher. Young rooster get taught by the senior hens as well.
So it's about free range group stability and learning. The senior hens in all the tribes I've known have played a vital roll in tribe cohesion and safety.

The next thing is as has been mentioned that pullets tend to make a nicer meal than senior hens. For many free range keepers a multi generational group has proven to be the least stress for keeper and chickens.

Then there is the factor that one gets to know the chicken better, the longer they live and should one ever wish for the hens to sit and hatch it all goes a lot more smoothly with senior hens ina stable heirachy.

One doesn't really know much about a pullets temperament until she's been laying for a while so it can be a case of better the devil you know. The same applies to roosters.

It's a question of how free range when ranging your chickens are.

 

[aart]

Does that sound like a good plan, to improve the flock?

Yes.

 

[Sussex19]

@Shadrach That makes a lot of sense, thank you!
I think one of my flocks is a bit to confined for it to work like a fully free range flock, but I think its working more like that with the other flock.

 

[Perris]

Sounds like a good plan to me. Remember also that nature will weed out some of them.

 

[3KillerBs]

One question, in the moment some of the hens are really good, they just fit what I want in every way. I'm thinking of keeping those ones, even as they get older, to breed from.
Whereas some of them are a bit yeah nah, I'm not really that keen on them, or their offspring. So I might cull those ones. Does that sound like a good plan, to improve the flock?

Yes, always breed your best birds -- the healthiest, the most vigorous, the best-tempered, the closest to the ideal chicken in your mind, etc.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Does that sound like a good plan, to improve the flock?

Yes. If you breed the ones that you like you are more likely to hatch chicks that are like what you want.

 

[Sussex19]

Yesterday I processed my first pullet.
It was a rather small and skinny one, with the wrong coloured legs and poor colouring over all.
It actually went rather well, and was a lot easier to skin and clean then the cockerels I normally do.
I think what helped me the most was that in the wild if a population of animals took off like mine did, then there would be predators taking out the week ones, and this is necessary otherwise their health will begin to suffer.
There was no space left in my coop, and it was getting hard to keep them all fed, so I had to take over the role of predator. I don't know if this makes sense, but that is how I feel about it.
And I am quite glad that I don't have to rely on selling them, (even if I could) as it can be hard as we are quite a distance from the nearest town.

 

[Mrs. K]

Excellent reasoning, and really the first ones are the worst, and eventually, it does become like Ridge runner stated.

My only 2 cents to offer - is it doe not have to only be 3 year old, or only the young birds. ANY bird that does not fit, can go.

And keeping a successful flock becomes much more satisfying than keeping too many.

 

[Morrigan]

Congrats on getting your first butchering of a pullet behind you. Mrs. K is right, the first is the hardest.

I'm another one here who butchers pullets as well as older hens. In my case, I'm trying to raise dual purpose birds for eggs and meat. I don't have the space and interest in raising 2X what I need for meat, with thought of only eating the males and selling the females. I save a few pullets for eggs for the upcoming winter and butcher the rest along with the cockerels. Like Ridgerunner, I usually wait to butcher the pullets until I have sense of their egg-laying and other traits. Unlike Ridgerunner, I'm am a former city girl and it took me a long learning curve to get used to this. My observations.

--Butchering pullets is harder. Both, making the decisions as to who to keep and who to butcher, and the emotions of butchering a laying chicken.

--The upside is that, IMO, pullets taste better then cockerels. More mild, tender meat and often a lot of fat to harvest to make schmaltz.

--I've also found that, up until maybe 8 to 10 months, you can still use a pullet for something other than stew. I like to do a really slow roast -- oven at 275 for 3 hours and you get a tender enough, flavorful bird, with loads of great drippings to make gravy.

All in all, it is a difficult, but gratifying process and you can get a really unique and excellent product by butchering 6 - 8 month old pullets.

 

[Sussex19]

Excellent reasoning, and really the first ones are the worst, and eventually, it does become like Ridge runner stated.

My only 2 cents to offer - is it doe not have to only be 3 year old, or only the young birds. ANY bird that does not fit, can go.

And keeping a successful flock becomes much more satisfying than keeping too many.

All excellent advise, which I am just starting to finding out for myself!
I think I am starting to get a feel of which hens and roosters I really like, and which ones I don't care for. I would like to get it to the point where all my chickens are really good, and then I can get even fusser about which ones are worth keeping.... although that does sound never ending!