Too tough?

[bobbi-j]

IF the time comes, you could pressure-can them. I bought some old layers from a friend and that's what I did. Canned chicken over rice is a great meal! That having been said, I'd hang onto mine as long as I can, too. I've had predator problems the past few years so mine have never gotten to that point... (Building a new coop, reinforced run this spring!)

 

[dancingbear]

Mine have generally met with death by misadventure before they ever stop laying. Mine free-range as well, and I've had a few that got hit by cars. Sometimes one will get injured somehow, and I don't know what the heck happened, but a badly injured hen gets the mercy stroke, and then off to freezer camp. One recently got killed by a hawk, the one and only loss to a hawk I've had in over 11 years at this location.

I don't have a lot of predation, but I lose one now and then. I've only have one hen that I know for sure had stopped laying, and she died about 5 months later. The year before that, I was still getting at least 4 eggs a week, I hatched some of them, too. I have at least 2 "daughters of Thelma" running around, I know them for sure because they look like her, she was my only buff orp. Her male offspring went to freezer camp. That other old hen, the one that died on the nest, was a unidentified red hen, I think she may have been a New Hampshire, but I'm not sure. The lady who gave her to me didn't know what she was, she'd ordered from a hatchery, but couldn't remember what she'd ordered. I wouldn't mind having some more of those, she was a great hen. Lots of personality, very funny to watch. And a phenomenal layer, too.

 

[MamaJohnson]

So far the only predator that has affected my flock is a dog we USED to have. We thought we'd trained her well, until one morning when she broke through the chicken wire surrounding the enclosed run for my brooder coop, and into the pop door that leads into the coop where the rest of my chickens were just waking up for the day. The commotion brought me running, but by the time I got there, 12 hens were gone. It was horrible - a bloody massacre, and my poor rooster died from his injuries later that day. Dog went to the pound just over an hour later. I tell you what though, I was so tempted to take her up into the hills with my pistol grip shotgun - it would have expressed my feelings beautifully!

We believe in being humane though, right? So, pound it was, with a good boot in the rear goodbye! We do have a nest of hawks nearby though, and they regularly circle my chicken yard. My rooster sends the girls flying for cover whenever they're overhead though, and so far, so good.

 

[MamaJohnson]

Thank you all, by the way, for your help. I have such peace today. I'm going to eat my chickens at will, instead of feeling like I have to clear out 20 at a time (can you imagine the mess?). My neighbor is going to help me learn how to properly butcher a chicken. I've watched her do it before, but havn't ever done it myself. So, she's gonna let me hold the knife next time she's makin' chicken dinner, and to thank her, I'll provide the chicken! Any opinions on the best way to kill them? I like the cone method best - cracking their necks in my hands is just too spine shivering for me, and the axe I think is too messy. My neighbor does the neck cracking, but at home, I plan to use the cone. Anyone else prefer this method? And why, or why not?

 

[dancingbear]

Hooboy, that's the $50,000 question. There's a thread, https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14845 , where many people express their opinion on the subject, some in great detail.

You might also check out

, it really helped me a lot. If you watch it, pay close attention to how close to the head the cuts are. They're right up along the jawline, maybe through the earlobes, I'm not sure.

This other one helped me a lot with the evisceration.

My opinion has changed a bit over time, and with experience. I now prefer the hang-upside-down and cut jugulars and carotids, while pulling down firmly on the head to keep the cuts open for a fast bleed. Maybe I'll find a better way at a later date, for now that's my method.

 

[dancingbear]

In the course of looking for pics of a fav roo I used to have, I found pics of him with that old red hen I was talking about. Any of you guys have any idea what breed she could have been? I'm thinking New Hampshire, but I don't know. She was solid red, no black on her tail, if that helps.

Here's link to the pics on another thread, to avoid posting dup. pics all over. She's in the last 2 shots of post #17.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3927626#p3927626

ETA: Never mind! Now that I've had my memory refreshed as to what she looked like, I did some image searching. I think she may have been a Cherry Egger! The pics of those look more like her than any others.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Hello Mamajohnson and welcome from another Idahoan!!!
I'm glad you decided to keep your birds for another year, personally I think their 2nd and 3rd year are their biggest and best eggs. But give me a holler some time and come meet my 7 year old hen, she laid an egg a day through her 6th year. She was off to a slow start this year but is already back up to 4 or 5 a week . . . eating her skinny butt would not be worth it! Rustyswoman is also from Idaho and she butchers her own so you might talk with her about your questions. I take mine to the chicken butcher 2.25 a bird is just to cheap to pass up!

 

[MamaJohnson]

Quote:
Hi KatyTheChickenLady,
Saw this post, and sent you an email too, but thought I'd also follow up here. WOW!! You mean it only costs $2.25 to butcher a chicken somewhere around here? PLEASE, tell me more! I've got 2 different neighbors who both say they'll teach me their methods, but I'm no fool - if I can get someone else to do it for me, I'm ALL in!! I'm also so excited to hear about your 7 year old hen. I love my girls, but I also look forward to having that ready-made food supply in my backyard, so want to diversify my flock into both egg and meat birds. This post has been such a relief. I'm gonna keep my best layers (such a relief, 'cause they are good ole' girls), and plan instead on eating the up and coming roos, and an occassional meat bird. If you can though, tell me more about that butcher - sounds VERY interesting!