What do you do with your older chickens?

[SlipsWife]

As for cooking, I agree on low heat for a long time. If the meat is still stringy or to though, cut it off of the bone after cooking and put it in the food processor. Season heavily with taco type seasoning and use.

Oh the broth on the older chickens is awesome. Do not forget to add the feet when making the broth.

I have an electric pressure cooker that never gets enough use, this might be what its been waiting for!

 

[10xmama]

That's all to do with flock management...do you just want to have chickens and let things just fall apart naturally or do you want to manage your flock to maintain the highest level of health and production? Those who actively manage their flocks so that health and productivity is at its highest will do so by culling birds that no longer lay well, no matter the age. Laying is an indication of a bird's general health and those that are not laying or only lay sporadically are birds that compromise the health of the whole flock because they are more susceptible to disease and parasite infestation.

Each year you can tell who is going to be a steady layer for the year, more or less, by checking for lay in peak season in March/April. If they are laying in these months, it's the best they will be laying all year and those who are laying are usually your steady producers. Any birds that are not laying every day or every other day should be considered a sporadic layer and unless she is a working broody for your flock, she needs to be culled. There are sometimes exceptions when there is a favorite old hen or rooster but I wouldn't make it a general practice if you want the best flock and the best for your flock.

The meat from older birds will be chewy and very flavorful and it's best if they are canned up for soup if you want to render them to their best flavor and tenderness.

There is no guilt for not keeping older, spent birds simply due to the fact that the older they get the more likely they will have laying issues, health issues and fall prey to parasites. It's a natural process to remove these birds from the flock to prevent their eventual suffering, so the meat can be harvested while the chicken is still in good health, and also to make room for younger stock and refresh the flock matrix and social structure.

Every bird has a story and it's wise to keep in mind that all stories end, without exception.....it's up to you if the story ends well or badly.

I appreciate this perspective. I think so often we put our human thinking into the lives of our animals… and overlook we are the one who manages their well-being and the well being of the flock as a whole. Good advice.

 

[Cluckysnap123]

I don't kill at all. I let them live lives in peace.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

An older chicken, even though not productive in laying eggs, can still be useful, eating ticks and slugs, dominating the unruly young'uns. My girls, I think, are entitled to a retirement, because I have so benefitted from their healthy eggs! My oldest hen, Ottoline, now is about ten. I have the sweetest memories of her as a teenager, being let out of the coop and racing ahead of all the others to the compost heap, with all the excitement of a young girl let loose in the mall! So now she is sedate, but grumpy, wants the best sleep space, bread soaked in milk, and she limps rather than runs. Reminds me of myself! But that's the circle of life and why should she not have the full circle?

 

[SlipsWife]

An older chicken, even though not productive in laying eggs, can still be useful, eating ticks and slugs, dominating the unruly young'uns. My girls, I think, are entitled to a retirement, because I have so benefitted from their healthy eggs! My oldest hen, Ottoline, now is about ten. I have the sweetest memories of her as a teenager, being let out of the coop and racing ahead of all the others to the compost heap, with all the excitement of a young girl let loose in the mall! So now she is sedate, but grumpy, wants the best sleep space, bread soaked in milk, and she limps rather than runs. Reminds me of myself! But that's the circle of life and why should she not have the full circle?

Awe, so sweet! I'm hoping we'll be able to keep at least a couple of our first girls forever.

 

[jtn42248]

While I have only just started with a flock of 25 pullets and 6 ducks I did a lot of agonizing about what I would do when the time came that they were no longer "productive" participants in our farm plan. I finally decided that I (and this is only me) could not kill them after they had provided their services and, due to age, could no longer perform as expected. I worked for almost 50 years and then, when my age and health prevented me from performing to my own standards, I retired and bought this farm. Why should my animals not have the same option. I have 8 dogs that will live to an old age and either die a natural death or be helped with that if their health becomes that bad. So, my chickens and ducks will have the opportunity to live their lives out in retirement when they are old as well. I have already begun preparing a "retirement coop and run" for them and it will be as nice or nicer than what they have while the "work". My only concern now is what if they or the dogs outlive me?

 

[SlipsWife]

While I have only just started with a flock of 25 pullets and 6 ducks I did a lot of agonizing about what I would do when the time came that they were no longer "productive" participants in our farm plan. I finally decided that I (and this is only me) could not kill them after they had provided their services and, due to age, could no longer perform as expected. I worked for almost 50 years and then, when my age and health prevented me from performing to my own standards, I retired and bought this farm. Why should my animals not have the same option. I have 8 dogs that will live to an old age and either die a natural death or be helped with that if their health becomes that bad. So, my chickens and ducks will have the opportunity to live their lives out in retirement when they are old as well. I have already begun preparing a "retirement coop and run" for them and it will be as nice or nicer than what they have while the "work". My only concern now is what if they or the dogs outlive me?

I wish we had more land and could keep all of them forever, who know, we might end up buying more land before its all said and done and not have to make a choice at all. We have a few that will probably stay no matter what. I also have a couple from our current group of laying hens that might be moving out once the new pullets start laying. I know there has to be a dominant hen but one of our girls has NO manners and jumps up at us when she wants something and she's pretty mean to the other girls. She poked my lip the other day and busted it pretty good, I thought she was going for my sunglasses...My younger daughter, lover of all animals, isn't very fond of her either, so that's saying something. She always defended even the meanest rooster we had saying he was just doing his job, this hen is another story.

I see you're in West/Central Texas, we're originally from Marble Falls and now live in Odessa! If you haven't been on the Texas board you should check it out!