Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[BDutch]

I wonder if any countries still use spent hens for soup or other food? Since the CX the USA has shifted to using CX for soup also.
I intended to use my old hens for soup. Other than severely injured that hasn't happened. I have hens from 2016. They have nice red combs but I haven't seen them lay this year. 60+ hens and 2 DZ eggs a day . Well 5 are broody but still. Last year I was getting 4 dz a day. I appear to have started a retirement home

What breeds do you have?

From reading too much chicken threads I start to believe the high production breeds start to decline in laying rapidly after 4 years, while the heritage breeds and barnyard mixes who don't lay very much in the first 3 years slowly decline and still give a nice amount of eggs getting older. My Black Dutch (9yo) is still laying 3 tiny eggs a week, this time of the year. Her sister Pearl stopped laying when she got sort of broody and started to care for Tintin (no sitting, just caring and educating).

 

[fluffycrow]

I start to believe the high production breeds start to decline in laying rapidly after 4 years

My ISA browns went downhill way before that. It's also interesting to mention that the first batches of ISA browns I got lived much longer than the last. All of them were free ranged and fed what I feed my birds now

The first batches would stop producing at 2-4 years old. They all passed at around 5 years old. The last batches, the first stopped after 1 and a half year of life. Some died a mere 6 months later, while the oldest lived to be 3 and a half. This issue will only get worse. Soon, these birds will be dropping dead at 1 year old

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Stopped at Home Depot after school.

This planter is about the size of the one I'm making.
View attachment 3840295

I've priced them at several locations.

It's amazing the prices attached to planters.

 

[Ladies-Eight]

you feed them with a fork. Do you learn your chickens to eat with knife and fork?

I got over a week behind because the noticing failed.

I use the fork because I really like my fingers.

I can't just set it down as some of the chickens run the others off.

They don't need a knife, they have me.

 

[Molpet]

What breeds do you have?

From reading too much chicken threads I start to believe the high production breeds start to decline in laying rapidly after 4 years, while the heritage breeds and barnyard mixes who don't lay very much in the first 3 years slowly decline and still give a nice amount of eggs getting older. My Black Dutch (9yo) is still laying 3 tiny eggs a week, this time of the year. Her sister Pearl stopped laying when she got sort of broody and started to care for Tintin (no sitting, just caring and educating).

The oldest is a hatchery barred Rock. Then a couple are half black jersey giant and another is half buff Orpington. Most are a mixture of the above breeds along with CX and standard dark Cornish. The extra cockerels are what I hatch for the freezer.

 

[Shadrach]

I don't recall Carbon ever going broody, but I am quite forgetful. Has she? Could she be older than Fret?

Carbon has not gone broody to the best of my knowledge and isn't showing any interest in doing so. This is a bit odd because the UK CCLs have the reputation of being medium to high broodies.

 

[Shadrach]

An hour this morning and two and a half this afternoon.
Grey, cool, but it didn't rain.

I think Fret looks lovely in this picture.

 

[BDutch]

I think Fret looks lovely in this picture.

She looks as if she’s very proud and happy!

 

[MaryJanet]

My ISA browns went downhill way before that.

The vet explained this to me.

ISAs and other commercial laying hens were selectively bred for rapid ageing. All hen birds from the biggest eagles to tiniest wrens are hatched carrying every egg they'll ever lay as tiny cells (same with mammals like humans and dolphins).

The ones who age at a normal rate lay eggs longer. The ones who age fast, lay fast. Commercial laying hens age fast, lay fast, and die young.

I'm speaking in generalities, of course there are outliers.

 

[Sally PB]

@Shadrach, has anyone at the allotments noticed the new chicks?