Retiring Egg Layers

[DarkWolf]

For those of you who have egg layers or dual purpose birds, at what age on average do you end up processing them?

Just wondering what the general consensus is.. Having laying birds is fine, but when they slow down drastically I'd prefer to rotate in a new group.

 

[Rooster-Spur]

I,ve always been told two years.

 

[DarkWolf]

2 or 3 was what I was thinking. My understanding is that they're productive till 3 years old or so... But can live to 7 years.. Pet or not, I'm in it for the eggs.. Hate to hang onto birds for 5 years after they stop laying just because they're "pets"..

 

[wyliefarms]

The older the chicken the tougher the meat gets.

FYI: We have 2 17 year old EE hens at my MIL farm.

 

[DarkWolf]

Yeah, I know.. It'll either be pressure cooking or crocpot for them..

17 years old?? That's astounding.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Two years.... three if your not looking at it from a numbers standpoint.

After two years the amount of feed that's put in per dozen doens't make it economical..... but if your doing it for yourself three is sufficient enough as it is still cheaper than store eggs.

 

[DarkWolf]

Sounds like a plan then... Thanks for the advice.

 

[Shesapip]

I have a follow-up question: Why would someone sell a one-year-old hen to make room for pullets? That doesn't seem economically sound, yet the gal who sold me my first four layers, all supposedly one year old, said that's how she does it.

I don't want to be the suspicious type, but after 3 months, these chicky girls are now laying an egg every one or two weeks.

I am new to all of this and can't imagine eating Honey, Bossie, and Cassie, but I am in this for the eggs and I'm not wealthy enough to run a hens' retirement home.

So - moving out one-year-old layers for baby non-layers: likely story?
Also - if these gals aren't in the decline of their production (each breed is supposed to lay four eggs a week - at this rate I'll be lucky to get four eggs a month from each), how long do I give them to pick up their rate of lay?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Bossroo]

Invite them to dinner and a steam bath with dumplings, then order a few newborn chicks and open your own nursery. Win, win.