What do vegetarians do with unproductive laying hens?

[Gardener_in_Training]

I'm new to the forum and still deciding if I would like to try keeping chickens. If I do, I will keep a small number (around 3) in a suburban area, for the purposes of egg production.

One factor (of many) I must consider is what to do when my hens grow older and no longer produce many eggs. Both myself and my husband are vegetarian and are not interested in eating our chickens.

What do other vegetarians do? Do you keep the hens until they die of natural causes? If you keep unproductive hens around, do you bring in new, younger hens and keep a mixed-age flock so that you still get eggs?

I'm not meaning to start a philosophical discussion on vegetarianism and omnivorism; I am only interested in learning what people who do not eat chicken meat do with their older hens.

Thanks!

 

[yotetrapper]

Cull and use as fertilizer to grow more veggies???

 

[cybercat]

Basicly people sell there older chickens off. In your case to non vegetarians. There are those that just like to keep them as pets but that is few and far between.

 

[Chicken03]

You can keep them around as pets until they die of old age. Or maybe you could sell them alive to somebody who wants to eat them?

 

[Judy]

Around here it is not a problem to find someone who will take a hen for free or a little money, to butcher and eat. Depends on whether that would bother you, I guess.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I am not a vegetarian but my laying hens will never be food, for me or anyone else. Once they stop laying they will live out their last days as pets. Honestly, hens can produce a few eggs here and there most of their lives anyway and I feel they have given me so much I will give them their retirement.

 

[coffeelady3]

Quote:
Nicely put!

 

[Chihuahuamom]

AMEN luvmychicknkids ! The answer to everything on here....cull em ,eat em, did anyone ever hear of just having them as pets???? I have dogs and cats that give me nothing in return except Love!

 

[Gardener_in_Training]

For folks who keep them around - do you periodically get young hens so you continue to get eggs? If so, do you introduce them to the older hens or house them separately?

 

[Imp]

Gardener_in_Training,

Ditto-Forever Home

Imp-They still earn their keep even without eggs.