Three Year Old Australorps

[danielle2003]

I do know that butchering a fresh chicken is much easier than cutting up a whole chicken from the grocery store cooler/freezer.

I agree.

 

[gtaus]

I have 4 three year old Australorp hens. They have been excellent layers for the first two years, but now, for some reason, they aren't laying at all. Could it be because it's winter, and it makes their production stop?

Well, winter yes. Longer, darker days. But my Austrlorps were good layers for the first 2 years then basically stopped.

Will they start laying again in the spring?

My chickens come out of the winter and start laying more eggs in the spring, but never as much as the year before.

Or, are they just simply getting "old"? I think their prime production is the first year or so. If, so, should they be meat birds, or are they too tough at three years old?

In my limited experience, egg production was good only the first 2 years. Astralorpes are a dual purpose breed, so they should be fine for chicken soup if you cull them.

OK. How many eggs can I expect from the four of them when spring/summer comes?

My estimate, for 4 hens that are 3 years old, would be 1-2 eggs per day.

Are Australorps good meat birds?

I think any 3 year old chicken would have to be a soup chicken.

How do you cook an old chicken? Put it into a pot of boiling water with a handful of small rocks. Cook for 2-3 hours until the rocks are tender. Throw out the chicken!

More seriously, the French have a chicken meal that uses older hens that have "aged" to get the taste they want. I think the dish is called Coq au vin, but I have never had it myself.

I saw a YouTube video of one guy who culls his old chickens by feeding them to his hogs. He runs a larger commercial operation and I guess old hens are not worth his time or money to butcher. I have butchered chickens at home, and it's a lot of work doing it by hand if you pluck the feathers yourself. Some people will just skin the chicken to save time and effort. I might try that skinning method next time I butcher any chickens at home.

 

[danielle2003]

Well, winter yes. Longer, darker days. But my Austrlorps were good layers for the first 2 years then basically stopped.



My chickens come out of the winter and start laying more eggs in the spring, but never as much as the year before.



In my limited experience, egg production was good only the first 2 years. Astralorpes are a dual purpose breed, so they should be fine for chicken soup if you cull them.



My estimate, for 4 hens that are 3 years old, would be 1-2 eggs per day.



I think any 3 year old chicken would have to be a soup chicken.

How do you cook an old chicken? Put it into a pot of boiling water with a handful of small rocks. Cook for 2-3 hours until the rocks are tender. Throw out the chicken!

More seriously, the French have a chicken meal that uses older hens that have "aged" to get the taste they want. I think the dish is called Coq au vin, but I have never had it myself.

I saw a YouTube video of one guy who culls his old chickens by feeding them to his hogs. He runs a larger commercial operation and I guess old hens are not worth his time or money to butcher. I have butchered chickens at home, and it's a lot of work doing it by hand if you pluck the feathers yourself. Some people will just skin the chicken to save time and effort. I might try that skinning method next time I butcher any chickens at home.

Thank you so much for the answers! They were so organized!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We butchered some young Australorp cockerels two years ago, I believe, and the meat was delicious. However, it had a slightly grayish tint that I was not crazy about. They were not enormously meaty like a CornishX, of course, but sufficient for our needs. I prefer making dumplings, noodles or rice casseroles rather than frying chickens because the latter tends to be messier, and they worked very well for that. I would think older birds would work equally as well. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[aart]

I do know that butchering a fresh chicken is much easier than cutting up a whole chicken from the grocery store cooler/freezer.

Why do you say this?

More seriously, the French have a chicken meal that uses older hens that have "aged" to get the taste they want. I think the dish is called Coq au vin, but I have never had it myself.

Translates literally to 'rooster(cock) in wine'.


Older birds are fine to eat if you rest the carcass and cook properly.

 

[3KillerBs]

IMO, retired laying hens make the best chicken and dumplings ever.

A lot of people replace 1/3 of their flocks every year so that they always have fresh layers providing eggs through the winter. That's not necessarily practical with a small, backyard flock.

 

[WallyG74]

Why do you say this?


Translates literally to 'rooster(cock) in wine'.


Older birds are fine to eat if you rest the carcass and cook properly.

I say this because in my experience it’s a fact that a freshly slaughtered bird is easier to cut up than one from the grocery store. And, since the op was already leaning toward or willing to butcher this bird, I thought I would point out that part of the task would be simpler than what they may have previously experienced.

 

[aart]

I say this because in my experience it’s a fact that a freshly slaughtered bird is easier to cut up than one from the grocery store. And, since the op was already leaning toward or willing to butcher this bird, I thought I would point out that part of the task would be simpler than what they may have previously experienced.

Oh, OK.
I haven't found that to be true myself.
But I do let them carcass rest until rigor mortis has passed.

 

[danielle2003]

Thank you everyone for your input!

 

[gtaus]

Translates literally to 'rooster(cock) in wine'.

I went to my last year of university and studied in France. But like most students, I could not afford to eat the expensive French cuisine and mostly dined on and ate out at Chinese restaurants, which even a poor student could afford every once in a while. I think no matter where you live, college students live on Ramen noodles....