What happens to Commercial Hens when their laying lives are up?

[newlyweds]

I have 5 white Rocks that were destined to be in a commercial laying house, but my FIL somehow got a hold of 5 of them (I actually think they were stolen and sold on the sly). Not by my FIL we were just lucky enough to get them.
They are so sweet and have the best personalities I am so happy that they are free ranging at my house now. But these girls do earn their keep, they started laying they haven't missed one day, yet, since about December.

You can see her top beaks were burnt off from the previous owners.

 

[Cackling Hen]

Quote:
They burnt off there top beaks.......Oh

so sad Glad they are with you

 

[newlyweds]

Yes I know it is so sad, apparently they do that to prevent them from pecking each other because they live in such small spaces.

 

[gallusdomesticus]

The reason Campbell's and other companies stopped using spent hens was the quality of their meat was not up to customer demands. The majority of commercial layers, Leghorns, are bred to lay eggs profitably and nothing else. Their bone structure is much lighter and more brittle than a backyard or freerange chicken and when it comes time to butcher it, bone fragments got into the meat. After sufficient complaints from customers, Campbells decided to stop using these birds. While pet food companies may still use some of these birds, millions, unfortunately are killed and then composted.

 

[chicmom]

Reading all of this makes me want to go and hug all my hens! They're a year old now, and they'd only have about six months left!

 

[gritsar]

Around here they are changed out at 16 months, before their first molt. They are processed into canned chicken, chicken sandwich meat, etc.
I've tried several times to purchase/rescue some. The owners of the battery houses aren't real fond of backyard chicken keepers such as myself. I'd have better luck getting some 3 week olds cornish Xs out of the broiler houses. Three weeks being the time of the first cull in the broiler houses.