To cull or not?

[lazy gardener]

I cull, or sell older birds to make way for the new generation.

 

[Nyla]

I keep my old Muscovy's for brooders! I have a 9 year old female going strong. She hasn't been laying for a while but sure does brood great! I also keep mine as pets with benefits!

 

[BantyChooks]

In the past I have culled by selling to those that want hens for whatever reason. C-u-l-l is not always spelled k-i-l-l. Sometimes, sure. I might process them for food in the future... it depends if I can get up the gumption. If I didn't cull old layers I'd have well over a hundred and I can't afford that.

Of course, I have my pet hens too.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I started out getting new chickens every 2 years. The first two groups 20+ years ago went to two older gentlemen that processed them for food. I was OK with it, I knew they didn't suffer. From the first group we kept 2 hens & a rooster that were my sons' pets. Two only lived another year, but Brownie lived until 8 & saw several new flocks. For a the next two flocks I was lucky to find a young man who kept lots of chickens & was happy to take 2 year old hens. Then I was talked into delivering a flock to a woman & almost turned around & brought them home. They had a nice coop, but were totally free ranged in the open & I am sure they didn't last long. My last group of 12 hens went to live on an alpaca farm to free range in a fenced in area with the alpacas. Hopefully this dentist will need more in a year or two when I am ready to pass my current flock on. In 25 years, I have never been able to cull them for eating myself!

 

[aart]

We process our spent hens. It's a matter of space and economics. If I want to keep chickens that lay in my flock, I have to remove those who don't.

Exactly!

C-u-l-l is not always spelled k-i-l-l.

Ditto Dat^^^
synonyms: select, choose, pick, take, obtain, glean

I have limited space and raise chickens for food, eggs and meat.
Sell some of each to pay for the feed and supplies,
mostly eggs which covers feed and most supplies,
some stewing hens and live birds to cover some of the other expenses.

New chicks are hatched here every early spring.
I also hatch for a local farmette, bartering for the lamb and pork they grow.
Extra cockerels are sold, or most likely slaughtered, by 16 weeks.
Oldest hens are sold or slaughtered after pullets start laying well.

Slaughtering is difficult, both emotionally and physically(for me),
but that's part of the 'where your food really comes from'
that I wanted to experience and be responsible for.
I've never had better stock/broth than from an older hen.

I have kept a few favorites over winter,
was ugly to watch them suffer in crowded space,
far crueler IMO than the 'one bad day' on the way to my plate.

 

[lazy gardener]

I have kept a few favorites over winter,
was ugly to watch them suffer in crowded space,
far crueler IMO than the 'one bad day' on the way to my plate.

Agreed with all of above.

 

[sroy]

I could never kill any of my chickens. I have them for pets with egg benefits. I don't care that they don't lay eggs anymore. They deserve to live out their lives.

 

[LaLaLaLauria]

Actually it's not a bad idea to talk about these things ahead of time... it would be bad after 3 years for him to suddenly ask when he can expect some chicken and dumplings! But there's no right or wrong... as long as you're treating them humanely they're already living a better life than any factory bird.

This^

 

[LaLaLaLauria]

My husband and I have compromised on what we plan to do... I have a core of 5 hens with personality for miles and I will happily "pay for their retirement" XD so long as they're healthy. We have twelve others that don't really care much for us but do lay. I will not be too sad about culling them when the time comes... They do have a long and happy life for a chicken as is.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine just go into retirement here.