What do y'all do with older hens?

[Kadu]

I know all you chicken addicts want to get new chickens every year. This becomes a problem later on because you will still have some of your older hens that have stopped laying.

I want to know what y'all do in this case. Do you process older hens? what do you do if you get attached?

 

[WallyBirdie]

I keep them happy and healthy and let them live like delightful sponges!
They are still a joy to feed and watch. They come running for treats, and it is nice to recount their adventures.

 

[sourland]

Keep them in the flock. What else would you do??? Killing them cuz they stopped laying is evil...

Judgmental and a matter of opinion - not everyone has the luxury of supporting non productive birds.

Pets/named birds have lifetime rights. Flock birds are processed.

 

[lomine]

Weird to see people think of chickens who have stopped laying due to natural causes "free loaders": your eggs don't come from a machine, they come from a breathing, living animal who at the very least deserve some modicum of respect. Stagger your hatches as you need them & you will have less of a problem of having to feed a ton of older birds.

I give my chickens and ducks the best life I can. They have five acres to roam. They spend their days chasing bugs, scratching grass, dust bathing, or just sleeping in the the shade of a tree. They always have food and clean water. They get treats. They are protected from the elements and predators. I care about my birds. Some have earned a lifelong spot but most will not. When their time is done they get a quick death and their flesh nourishes my family. The birds are livestock to me but that doesn't mean I don't see them as living beings. I have a huge amount of appreciation for what they have given me and my family.

 

[lomine]

My chickens aren't pets but that doesn't mean I don't care about all of them. I do my best to give them a good life as long as they are here. But I'm not made of money and I don't have unlimited space so I'm not going to keep free loaders. I've sold some older hens and I've processed a few. The best stock I've ever made was from an older hen. Some have earned a place for life as they have proven to be fantastic broodies and that is valuable to me. I do what works best for me and my flock.

 

[Cyprus]

Mine stay for life.
Like my 5yr old Red Ranger hen.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Keep them in the flock. What else would you do??? Killing them cuz they stopped laying is evil...

THAT is a matter of opinion.
Some would say that waiting for them to get sick and die is evil.

For me and mine....I process older hens.
I have had a few birds I would consider young get sick (reproductive disorders). There needs to always be a "what if" plan for ending a suffering.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Everyone has different goals for their chickens, different circumstances, and different ideas about flock maintenance. We all individually do what works best for us. There's no need to be critical about the way others manage their flock numbers.

 

[MROO]

I know all you chicken addicts want to get new chickens every year. This becomes a problem later on because you will still have some of your older hens that have stopped laying.

I want to know what y'all do in this case. Do you process older hens? what do you do if you get attached?

"I will hug them and love them and squeeze them and call them George!"

 

[slejdad]

None out hens are even a year old yet, and we already have more hens than we have room for them. My DW is addicted. A betting man would say ours will stay until they pass of natural causes