What do you do with a hen who is done laying?

[Jessie_Jazz]

Can you eat a chicken that has died due to old age, rather than you killing it?

I'm veggie so wouldn't eat my chickens but my husband isn't and probably would. I don't think I would feel right about killing them though. Especially as I never raised it to be dinner, just as a pet and a source of un-farmed eggs.

 

[Beekissed]

When you say "died of old age" what exactly do you mean? Do you mean they lived until they were old enough to die of heart failure, liver failure, kidney failure, eggbound, cancer, or opportunistic pathogens? Have you ever seen a person who lived long enough to die from their body wearing out and multiple system failure?

Now...do you really want to let your chicken suffer through the symptoms of these debilitating and often painful and distressful conditions?

And even more distressing...do you really want to let your husband eat a chicken who is sick and debilitated? Might as well just eat store bought chicken!

I'm often puzzled by the folks who are going to let their chickens "die from old age" or "let nature take its course (meaning, let predators eat them)" and they think that is the more humane choice.

 

[Mrs. K]

No one should eat anything that died of unknown circumstances, disease, or old age. As the body shuts down, opportunistic bacteria begin to prepare for the beginning of decomposition, even before death.

This is why once you kill an animal, you immediately gut it, and wash it.

I have heard of people eating road kill, but unless, you kill it, and begin butchering immediately, and can wash it, one is asking for the very least a possible stomach upset.

People here, who mostly are very fortunate in when it comes to the availability of safe food, who often raise at least part of their own food, should never wantonly risk their health or that of their families by consuming food that died naturally.

If you were in a country where eating is not regular, and food a scarce commodity, one could take a chance, but I would strongly recommend boiling in clean water for several hours before consumption.

Sometimes we forget how VERY LUCKY we are when it comes to a food source, and that we have sufficient quantities that allow us to be picky what we eat.

Mrs.K

 

[Mrs. K]

Also, once you have done the deed, and gotten the head, feet, and feathers removed, it is much easier. If you still think you have trouble eating it, buy some store chicken, and rewrapp it in the same kind of plastic bag as what you are putting up your own chickens in, and mix it up in the freezer. Then you can always say, "I think that this is the store bought chicken."

Sometimes fooling ourselves is easier than we think! mk

 

[ladybuglives]

Quote:
I would not want to push guilt on anybody, but long before I got my chickens, I knew I would be getting them for these reasons in this order: #1 - Free fertilizer for my garden, #2 - Bug catchers. #3 - Oh, and eggs - what a bonus!

I ALSO knew I would name them, that they'd be pets. Then I got my first few chickens and discovered I needed to re-order the priority with a new #1: Stress Relief and pure pleasure of watching Chicken TV.

Meat was never in the priority list.

I absolutely know I'll be running an Elderly Hens Retirement Home someday. My chickens will still provide stress relief and pleasure, free fertilizer, and be able to keep the bug population down in my yard, even when they no longer lay eggs. And the rooster(s) don't ever lay eggs, but they provide the other priorities for me.

The Olmstead Homestead is (or will be) the Sunset Resort for Mature Poultry Personages - (gotta include the ducks!)
​

Well put -- I too will be running a Sunset Resort. I got 6 chicks because I wanted 4 ultimately and someone told me I would lose a couple inevitably but the little runt that was threatening to die, Ladybug, was nursed back to health and is now the queen of the flock at 18 weeks. I was a stress case for about a week making sure she was eating and drinking. Actually, the early chickhood phase was a nightmare for me because I am such a overly responsible type person -- especially where my animals are concerned. All my girls made it through the brooder time. None are laying yet but they all appear to be in good shape. The Chicken T.V. is what I am now benefiting from -- so much joy to be had there -- not to mention my lover chicken, Nicolette who enjoys sitting in my lap and talking up a storm -- the eggs will be a huge perk.

I do support people humanely raising their own meat and wish I were someone who could do that -- unfortunately, I am like Fern in Charlottes Web -- she couldn't bear to see Wilbur killed. Sentimental, yes -- no judgment on others who have a more reasoned approach. I was just not cut from that cloth...

 

[calichix]

We took in hens that were elderly when we got them, knowing that they would not lay much longer. They are tough old girls, and once in a while we get an egg or two from them still. We keep them because they were beloved pets to someone else and are now loved by us. We don't have much room and so this does mean that we can't have too many chickens at once, but diversity in age and breed are so interesting to observe and the girls do eat bugs and keep the garden fertilized of course. They are also very tolerant of little children. We have chickens ranging in age from 6 months to 11 years right now...(and counting.)

I am running a chicken retirement home, I guess, and sacrificing some eggs. But the philosophical rewards are great. Life has value at all ages, and besides psychologically I guess I am thinking "I sure hope my value doesn't decline once I hit menopause!"

 

[Dinkadoo]

When we first decided to get our "girls", it was understood when they were no longer laying efficeintly they would go to the freezer. Well stupid us, we didn't realize we and our extended family would fall in love with them. LOL Have told hubby, he will have to build a retirement coop.

I would have never thought you could love a chicken. My 4 yr old DGS plays with them every Sunday.

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
I would say a big NO. One should not eat something that is dead by natural causes. For one thing you would have to hover over the dieing creature and bleed it out the second it's heart stopped, even then it would not bleed out properly.. No no no bad idea.

(3rocksandme...Thanks for the kind words...

)

I must say I am enjoying the variety of opinions on this thread.. Really this subject is more sensitive than religion or politics if you think about it...

The only point I am sticking too is IF you do use any animal products of any kind, you should at least kill once yourself.. Just so you know how it feels. I suspect their would be a whole lot more Vegans in this world.

(I am sorry... Respectfully in my very personal opinion Vegetarian does not cut it if you wear, use or consume any animal related product.. You are still directly or indirectly responsible for the death of an animal..) Again just IMO... (Yes I am very happy eating vegetarian many if not most days of the week for HEALTH reasons NOT moral reasons.....

) IF my morals lean to not thinking it is OK to take an animals life for any reason I would be hard core Vegan..

ON

 

[jjthink]

Me, retirement home for my feathered friends. And no, not buying chicken elsewhere - vegetarian. All other points made have been interesting, and most reasonably defensible.

It's okay to state the following as opinion, but not as though it's authenticated fact, as it cannot be said with authority - the notion that humans are the only ones that are aware of the passage of time is, in my opinion, simply not true:

Chickens do not know the passage of time, so dying at two years of age or at ten matters not a bit in the animal world.

JJ​

 

[Tropical Chook]

Until recently, I had never slaughtered any animal, even though my diet consists mostly of meat. When we got chicken, we did so because we want eggs and self raised meat. When the day came to slaughter our first bird, it took me a few hours to build up enough courage, and I'm sure my father-in-law thought I was nuts, considering he's been doing it since he was a boy. Anyway, I eventually had to do the deed, and to make it as easy as possible, I decided to chop its head off rather than cut its throat. When everything had been done, and the bird was on the table, it was the best chicken I've ever eaten, and not just because of taste. Now that I've slaughtered a few, I have no problem doing the deed, and as another member has stated, every meat eater should be willing to kill an animal if they're willing to eat meat. I for one believe it's better to eat an old hen rather than allow her to grow old and suffer. With that said, I don't allow myself to become too attached to our birds. One or two will get to live a long life because they are great brooders, but the rest will at some point end up on the dinner table.

Sure, if they are only pets, then I see your point, but if not, then you need to face facts, and if you eat meat, then it's time for you to get blood on your hands.

Each to their own...............