What season to cull the flock?

[MaggieMoo21]

What time of year do you cull your flock?

I'm looking at our flock of mixed age layers and we have one that I know is not laying and hasn't laid since at least November. There are two others that are laying poorly compared to the same time last year. My husband says to give them a break since we're just now getting into spring. The same flock was laying strong this time last year.

For future flock maintenance, I'm wondering if spring, summer, fall, or winter is the best time to cull.

If we lived in the country with unlimited space, I wouldn't be so worried about having non-layers but we're in the suburbs.

 

[nuthatched]

I personally don't cull my hens unless there's an issue or they're ornery, but I don't think there's a 'best time', I'd do it as it's needed. Old timers (not disrespectful, I mean people in times past) would be constantly adding and subtracting hens from the flock the year through, though I think most hens were culled at around 2, when production would go down and the newer pullets would start to lay.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My guess would be sometime in fall would be "optimal" as that 1) gets you the maximum amount of eggs before the cull, as they're unlikely to lay in winter (where they'll be eating and giving you nothing in return) and 2) opens up coop space for the rest of the birds as they may be more likely to stay in through winter weather.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Spring laying is your gauge if you should cull soon. No need to keep a non productive hen if you don't want her.

I believe what you are witnessing is second year hens that lay little or not at all in winter compared to the pullet year winter. In my Northern location the hens are in full swing by April. Meaning years of late Easter I can hatch and years of early Easter I am setting eggs.

 

[aart]

I'm looking at our flock of mixed age layers and we have one that I know is not laying and hasn't laid since at least November.

How old are they, in months?

I used to hatch replacement layers every early spring, so they would be laying by fall.
I would slaughter the cockerels at about 14 weeks old,
then the older hens in the fall before winter to keep my winter population fitting my space.

 

[Silexian]

If I am going to process a batch of broilers. Which takes a few hours. I usually plan it for spring or fall. Just so the temperatures are more pleasant. If I am just going to process one or two. I do it early in the morning, during warm weather. Or wait for the temps to rise during colder weather.

 

[MaggieMoo21]

How old are they, in months?

I used to hatch replacement layers every early spring, so they would be laying by fall.
I would slaughter the cockerels at about 14 weeks old,
then the older hens in the fall before winter to keep my winter population fitting my space.

These three are 25 month old BSL. We already have 5 new chicks that are about 6 weeks old because I figured we would be retiring the BSL sometime in 2022.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

How old are they, in months?

I used to hatch replacement layers every early spring, so they would be laying by fall.
I would slaughter the cockerels at about 14 weeks old,
then the older hens in the fall before winter to keep my winter population fitting my space.

^^^

While I cull (for my table) pretty constantly, the above strategy influences how heavily and what I cull. Typically more coming into winter - removing older birds, coming into molt, who are reasonably expected to lay few eggs in the coming year. Unproductive mouths.

Less in Spring, when producing replacement birds for fall/winter laying is more critical. This also works with my pasture - which is far less productive in late fall/winter than in spring/summer.

Most of the summer and fall culls are males (from spring hatchings) of course, while the late fall/winter culls tend to be more older hens.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I cull only specific birds in Spring, & Fall for both room, & adding new layers, & to put meat in the freezer.

I cull for breeding purposes(Certain ones I just keep back as just egg layers for awhile), before I decide to cull.

Mean roosters, extra cocks, or project culls are the main boys who end up in the freezer.(Demon is exempt)

Old hens, or certain pullets are culled generally are ones I don't really need, are added to the freezer.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Fall feeding them in the winter is a waste of feed since they wont be laying