Suggestions for ISA Brown longevity

[C Siena]

Final update: I had to put down my other ISA Brown tonight. She was 3 years, 8 months. Her last egg was 5 days ago, today I found her hiding in a nesting box with foamy egg goo dripping out of her vent. She’d been laying consistently up to that point. It’s always hard to put a hen down, but I decided to end things now before she got really miserable. Cried a little bit and buried her in a nice spot by my apricot tree. The eggs were nice, but at what cost? That was the question I had going through my mind throughout it all.

I'm sorry for your loss. I think it is always difficult.
We have 3 ISAs and the one who is just over 2 (she could be 2.5) is now laying about 4 maybe 5 a week. Hopefully this will make it easier on her body and she gives us a good amount of eggs. I wondered the same with the breeds that produce 6-7 a week.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I'm sorry for your loss. I think it is always difficult.
We have 3 ISAs and the one who is just over 2 (she could be 2.5) is now laying about 4 maybe 5 a week. Hopefully this will make it easier on her body and she gives us a good amount of eggs. I wondered the same with the breeds that produce 6-7 a week.

My Easter Egger has laid daily for a month or more. Didn’t expect it; don’t want it, for exactly this reason. I hope she backs off soon.

 

[C Siena]

My Easter Egger has laid daily for a month or more. Didn’t expect it; don’t want it, for exactly this reason. I hope she backs off soon.

It was exciting at first to have an egg a day then I realized how much it could shorten her life and possibly have reproductive/egg troubles by 3 years old.

 

[Solanacae]

It was exciting at first to have an egg a day then I realized how much it could shorten her life and possibly have reproductive/egg troubles by 3 years old.

Exactly. I know that for some people, the production breeds are the way to go, and there are a lot of legitimate reasons for why. I can respect those reasons and don’t think they’re bad people for managing their chickens the way they do. For me however, I have space for a larger flock (currently have 19 hens) and my girls have value beyond egg production, and so I have the luxury of being able to add new chicks to replace ones who have passed while still getting enough eggs for my needs.

 

[Mrs. K]

When you are stressing over getting an egg a day, do know there is not a dang thing you can do about it. Worrying about it is like worrying your hair only grows 3/4 inch and not an inch.

Enjoy their life, make sure they have a quick end, and really that is the only thing you can do about any kind of chicken. None of them come with an "I will live this many years" kind of guarantee.

Mrs K