What age to "retire" laying hens?

[rancher hicks]

This is a decision that is entirely personal and if you were getting 4 eggs out of 7 days a week from a hen it's time to go. No they are not entitled to live out there lives till the end. If every farmer held to this belief we'd all be paying enormous sums for eggs. Certainly people are entitled to their opinions just as I'm entitled to mine. Certainly people are entitled to waste money on non productive birds. There are two types of folks on this site those who keep chickens for pets and those who don't. I'm one of those who doesn't have money to waste on birds that don't lay.
That said, all chickens are not equal and some quit sooner than others. Do some research and see what the average laying age is for your breed and decide. As for the poster w/ the Aussie, Aussies hold the per anum egg lay record. Though that was in a controled environment research situation. 355 as I recall.

 

[HEChicken]

I also approach this as a "practicality" issue. My girls are treated very well but.....they have a purpose. And when they are not fulfilling that purpose well, then, we will eat them. I really don't see it as using them and then throwing them away. We use each other. They use me for feed, water, coop, warmth, and safety. I use them to get eggs. During their lives they are treated far better than any commercial bird. They free-range, have access to unlimited quantities of food, feel the sun on their backs, forage for bugs, dust-bathe au natural. But I don't have room to feed them for 12-15 years - nor would that be cost-effective. My plan is to raise a few chicks each year to sustain my egg-laying population. That way I should always have some older hens in their last year of laying (for me), some in their prime and some pullets being raised up to maturity.

 

[cheeps]

My oldest gals are only around 3. I haven't been in the game long enough to have an "old" chicken I guess. How old is OLD?

ALL my chickens went on strike in late September. We got our first eggs again in Mid Feb. But, we did have a hawk problem until, *ahum*, recently.

But even now, Buffy my 3 year old BO still gives me a big ole brown egg every day.

 

[spamee34]

I have an eight year old EE she lays five days out of the week yes she took off for the winter but she lays the most beautiful egg she is a nice addition to the new comers just laying that all lay brown eggs. If I were you I would start up a new flock and as they come into lay then put the others one ebay or craig's list as laying hens you can still get $5 each or even $10 is what they would sell for here . Some ppl prefer them already laying than starting with babies or pullets. As far as feed goes around here alot of folks feed their chickens dairy texture and they still lay fine so it is cheaper and still has lots of what they need as far as calcium and other vitamins .

 

[speckledhen]

My four year old hens are still laying several eggs each week, the ones who are not suffering from internal laying issues. As long as I can afford to feed them, they can stay. I do have sentimental attachments to many of my girls, I admit. Hey, my dog never laid one egg in her 12 years and I don't begrudge her a couple meals a day.

Chickens are just as valid as pets as dogs are, in my opinion. Many of mine beg to be picked up and so much with some of them, that it's annoying at times. And it's not because of food, either. They like my company and I theirs.

If I was just keeping layers as a commercial enterprise, I would not interact with those hens like I do my pets, so when they were no longer productive, I could sell them to someone else or eat them, but I sort of believe I'd have trouble keeping my distance because I know myself pretty well. Either way is valid, cull or keep an Old Hens' Coop going. It's an individual thing and I won't tell folks they can't eat their older hens and they don't need to tell me I'm wasting money feeding hens whose production has waned or quit.

 

[MistyValley]

I raised a dual purpose flock starting last year. This fall some will got to freezer "stew" camp, I'm planning on hatching some eggs this Spring with a broodie, the roosters from that hatch will go to "fryer" camp. I only have one hen that will live out her life her at the moment. But, I do want to keep egg prodution to at least where their feed is paid for, which it is now, plus they are paying for the few ducks that we have, and even some of their bedding. We have just the flock we planned for and are working to keep it going. However everyone is different in how they view their flock, and their birds. Keeping the flock going for eggs and meat is our plan. Good luck with want you want to do, or expecting out of your flock.

 

[dcs02d]

When you do decide to eat your pets......

Do you butcher the chicken yourself or take them somewhere local to be be processed?

 

[IggiMom]

Yes--if I decide to eat a chicken of mine, I just think about how much better a life it had with me than it would have had elsewhere, like in a commercial chicken place.

Catherine

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

My solution is to free-range all summer, the lighter, younger birds seem to disappear less often than the older birds. Sometimes I lose a new layer, but usually it's the old nasty rooster, or the wierd old hen who doesn't lay. I provide good housing, food, and treats and patting, and don't lose much sleep over the ones who disappear... (we have foxes and weasels, and if the chickens go too far from the house, they are more likely to just go ) I lose about 5 or 6 a year, and sell the other older ones once they're 2.. still have a lot of eggs left, but making room for newer stock.

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:

That would be my thought.