What do you do with your old hens? Im talking people who dont keep

[nikischicks]

them once they are done productively laying. If you cull them out, what do you do with them? Ive heard you dont want to eat them cause they would be tougher than leather.

 

[flyingroosterranch]

We do eat ours, but after they are butchered to cook them , we boil or simmer the meat on the stove, this makes them a little more tender. I use this for chicken noodle soup, or chicken and dumplings. Hope that helps.

 

[silkiechicken]

Who says you don't want to eat them? Best in stocks and slow cooked. You just can't cook a 2 year old bird the same way as you cook a 2 month old baby that you find in the store.

 

[VI KING RANCH]

I first knock mine out on something hard eg. log, wall, tractor tire or door. then i cut the jugular. I let the old birds drain 15-20 minutes and then continue to pluck if eating or the go into the tractors bucket and i burry them in the composte.

 

[cybercat]

2 yr old is not an old hen. Mine are still laying after 4 years. I know of hens laying at 10. Ofcourse these are not sex links or production birds.

But with that said they are a few good recipes for older hens. They make great soups and there is a french recipe for old hen that is wonderful. You might look it up in the recipe section here on BYC.

 

[runsw/scissors]

Basically you want to use low and slow cooking methods with lots of moisture, stewing, soups etc...

Two years old really isn't all that old. Most hens ought to be good for twice that! Unless you make your living or a large part thereof selling eggs the drop off after 18 mos to 2 yrs really shouldn't be so large as to make that much difference.

 

[Queen of the chickens]

We culled some older roosters and tried to stew them. They were kind of tough. However, the broth and meat were greatly appreciated by our dogs and cats when added to their usual dry food.

 

[LarryPQ]

I crock pot them with a jar of failed pickles. Mmmm....pickled rooster.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Pressure cooker.

 

[flowerchild59]

Pressure cooker. Makes them tender and makes a great stock too.