What do you do with old hens that dont lay good anymore?

[daniel-delarosa]

I have some new pullets that are now 16 weeks old that will replace some of the older hens that don't lay good anymore. I plan on caging up 5 of the older hens at a time in their own cages for a week to see how much they lay. How many eggs should a good hen lay in 7 days? They are buff orpingtons and chanticleers by the way. What do y'all do with your non laying hens?

 

[kgdubois]

Our hens go into the pot when they stop laying -- there are a few who get a pass & will get to live out their days just being chickens (because I'm particularly fond of them, and they are gentle & great broody mama hens also). A couple of them I've given away to people to use as broody mama hens for their flocks, but usually they get made into chicken & dumplings. I usually keep 25+ hens minimum, so it takes a great personality for me to become attached to a hen...also, I was raised on a working cattle ranch and was taught that livestock should serve a purpose, so I was prepared to take that step with my flock.

I think the average for egg laying is one egg every day & a half or so. Some of my hens will lay every day, and others every couple of days, and a few lay once every three days...it just depends on the bird. They get culled when they only lay every five days or so.

Hope this helps!