Urban Backyard Chickens end of life solutions??

[Oliver Douglas]

You are a responsible chicken lover...good for you. I can understand the cost to feeding the hens that no longer produce eggs...but sometimes, you have to make exceptions for cost vs. love. We had an old dog that was pretty much useless...except for giving love and affection. No watchdog, no protector of the property...but she was always there when I needed to hug and love. Chickens are no different, just feathers and claws, no licky-licky....but they know you and appreciate your being there. Perhaps there is a way where you live to get some support and help to cover the costs? If your hens are friendly, maybe a petting zoo? Don't give up on them because their "usefulness" has come to an end...I know when I am 70 those crazy birds will still be around...expecting the respect they have given me over the years.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

You are a responsible chicken lover...good for you. I can understand the cost to feeding the hens that no longer produce eggs...but sometimes, you have to make exceptions for cost vs. love. We had an old dog that was pretty much useless...except for giving love and affection. No watchdog, no protector of the property...but she was always there when I needed to hug and love. Chickens are no different, just feathers and claws, no licky-licky....but they know you and appreciate your being there. Perhaps there is a way where you live to get some support and help to cover the costs? If your hens are friendly, maybe a petting zoo? Don't give up on them because their "usefulness" has come to an end...I know when I am 70 those crazy birds will still be around...expecting the respect they have given me over the years.

Thank you so saying this. I have been thinking the same thing. I have some house cats that do not produce but just provide me love. I would never ship them off just because they are not longer kittens who want to play. They may just want to sit on my lap and be stroked and loved on. Thanks for pointing this out, I really needed to hear someone say this, I thought I was crazy for wanting to keep them just as pets after they stop laying.

Tell me would I need to buy them the expensive layer pellets or could the eat something that bit cheeper that would still give them the nutrition that they need. Thanks again for your opinion, that really hit home for me. I will do my best to keep them here at their place they know as home till they die of old age. They are great company for me in the backyard and I love to spend time with them as I work in my garden and they eat the bugs that I till up. They are great companions for me and bring me so much joy.

Does anyone else here keep their hens as pets after they stop laying? Just want to make sure I am not crazy or wanting to do so.

Thanks again Oliver Douglas you were a big help.

 

[Oliver Douglas]

You are not crazy for keeping hens that are no longer "productive". I think many of us have children that are grown up and feel the same way....

 

[Oliver Douglas]

Also, ask your neighbors for food scraps....my dumb clucks prefer that over feed! If they are no longer laying, they don't need as much specific nutrition as found in layer feed...but don't go the other way and just provide chicken scratch...it may be cheap, but there's a reason for that. Minimal nutrition...more like a treat than a rounded diet. My clucks are happy with old bread (no mold, not good for them OR you), a little milk and cereal (not too much sugar), cottage cheese that's a little suspect....and leafy, wilted veggies. They are not from Martha Stewart's film audience...save on garbage disposal! And you might be surprised how one hen likes something but the others don't...amazing how different they can be.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

Also, ask your neighbors for food scraps....my dumb clucks prefer that over feed! If they are no longer laying, they don't need as much specific nutrition as found in layer feed...but don't go the other way and just provide chicken scratch...it may be cheap, but there's a reason for that. Minimal nutrition...more like a treat than a rounded diet. My clucks are happy with old bread (no mold, not good for them OR you), a little milk and cereal (not too much sugar), cottage cheese that's a little suspect....and leafy, wilted veggies. They are not from Martha Stewart's film audience...save on garbage disposal! And you might be surprised how one hen likes something but the others don't...amazing how different they can be.

great!! thanks for the tip. I will consider doing that. I do really want to keep them and let them finish out their lives here with me. I love them too much to kill them or give them away if I don't have to. I have another coop that I use for my hospital. I am thinking about fixing that up and using that as their hentirement coop. That way I can make sure that the hens that are laying are only eating the layer pellets because they are expensive and do something different for the hens in retirement.

Thank you all so much for chiming in and helping me. There seems to be this precedent that when a hen no longer lays
you have to move on with hens that do. I guess I was falling victim to that overlying precedent that I had to get rid of them.

This is going be fun, the hard part is going to be deciding what theme to make for the hentirement coop. My current coop in the "Kuntry Klucker" done in an americana theme. I am think John Deere them for the hentirment coop. I will have to keep thinking on it.

Anyway, I think I found my solution, Thanks again!!!