should I kill and eat it.

[Mov1estar]

I have chickens born the same day. The others have been laying for 2 months. one just eats a lot and hasn't laid one egg. Should I process it and consume it or what. I just want laying hens not pets. any advice is very welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks Cush

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Are they all the same breed? How old are they?
Unless one uses a strict lighting program, it's anybody's guess when they will start laying. Some start as early as 17 weeks, some at 26-30 weeks.

Keep in mind that, though they lay well the first year, they will molt the second autumn and every autumn thereafter. They take a laying break through molt and until they recover. Each year, they take a longer break.
Will you butcher them each time they start to molt and start over with new birds? That is what commercial egg farms do.

I have a friend that had her chickens that she loved for 3 years or so. They took a good winter break and she decided to give them away. It was early March. I called her and encouraged her to keep them a little longer but she had already made up her mind. As soon as she gave them away they all started laying in the next week. She fed them all winter and gave them away right before she was going to reap the rewards. As days get longer, even old hens will kick in and the eggs get bigger each year.

 

[annelions]

You don't mention if they're all the same breed or not. My leghorns started laying first, within a couple weeks of each other. Then my RIR started laying a couple months later, even though the ages were very close. Finally, a month or two later, my Welsummer finally started laying. It was a good 8-10 months before my Welsummer started laying.

 

[Mov1estar]

Thanks so much for the replies. One is a Production and the other is a Golden Sex Link. I was told that they were both RIR, but later a guy shopping at the feed store where I got them told me the owner was wrong.
I'm new and not sure about it all. Reading about it and doing it are two different things. I still have so many questions. The smell is the worst part. Can't quite get used to it.
Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Stocking density and management technique are so important. I always have from 50 to 100 chickens. Right now I have about 70 (changes day to day from hatching and butchering/sales). One would be very hard pressed to find an odor here. I've had TV news teams here filming. Once I opened the top of a long low coop for them to film. The reporter peered in and got a weird look on his face. I said, "what's wrong?" He said, "there's no smell". I said, "there's never a smell when they're properly cared for."

 

[donrae]

Agree with Canoe, there shouldn't be an offensive odor to chickens.

Can you post pics of your birds and set up? And how old are your birds?

 

[mortie]

Agreed. There should not be much smell. I have 15 chickens living in a space I designed for 4 while I decide which to keep and still no smell. Maybe we can help you figure out what the problem is.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

I have 10 full grown chickens with 8 chicks in a coop, and very little smell. I use deep litter, and it helps tremendously.
Also, chickens do not do very well all by themselves. They do better with flock mates. More than one. Maybe you could post pictures of your set up so others could help you.