What to do when hens stop laying?

[121626]

My hens are getting up in age. I'm starting to notice a decrease in egg production. I'm starting to wonder about life expectancy and what my options are for when my hens are finished laying. I thought about butchering but I've heard that their meat will not be good. Any ideas?

 

[emma p]

How old are they? They start getting up there in age at about 5 years... Please do not butcher them you will get hardly anything out of it. And they have been providing you with eggs they deserve to live the rest of they lives.

 

[121626]

They are almost 3 years I believe. Keeping them as pets is not an option, I have too many to keep feeding them until they die. I want to know if their meat will be good when they are older. They are free range, I treat them well and feed them well. They have lived a good life, but lets be realistic.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What you do is up to you and depends on whether you are able to provide adequate housing and provisions (food, etc) for a non-producing bird, if you need that space for a bird who will provide you eggs or are not able/willing to pay out expenses for a bird providing no return, then you will want/need to remove them from the flock. The meat won't be as good for certain things as a younger bird, but you can prepare it in ways that will mitigate the issue of the elderly bird meat. There is no one right or wrong answer to this question - it is something for each person to decide for themselves and their flock.

 

[emma p]

What you do is up to you and depends on whether you are able to provide adequate housing and provisions (food, etc) for a non-producing bird, if you need that space for a bird who will provide you eggs or are not able/willing to pay out expenses for a bird providing no return, then you will want/need to remove them from the flock. The meat won't be as good for certain things as a younger bird, but you can prepare it in ways that will mitigate the issue of the elderly bird meat. There is no one right or wrong answer to this question - it is something for each person to decide for themselves and their flock.

x2
at that age they are probably going to slow down in egg production.


By the way the dog in your avatar is really cute!

 

[bobbi-j]

What you do is up to you and depends on whether you are able to provide adequate housing and provisions (food, etc) for a non-producing bird, if you need that space for a bird who will provide you eggs or are not able/willing to pay out expenses for a bird providing no return, then you will want/need to remove them from the flock. The meat won't be as good for certain things as a younger bird, but you can prepare it in ways that will mitigate the issue of the elderly bird meat. There is no one right or wrong answer to this question - it is something for each person to decide for themselves and their flock.

X2 - when we butcher our spent hens, we pressure-can the meat. It's the best! It gets nice and tender and can be used for so many things! If you don't have a way to do that, pressure-cooking the meat is also an option. Or crockpot it. Low and slow is the answer here. We also boil the carcass to get the remaining bits of meat off the bone and keep the broth. I usually freeze that, although I suppose it, too, could be canned. There are a lot of options out there. This is an issue that we all have to face at one time or another. I agree with Ol Grey Mare that there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It's a personal choice, and one that a person should be allowed to make without feeling like they're being judged for wanting to be practical.

 

[jennychick45]

the meat will be stiff and tough.... definitely old and not good.

 

[bobbi-j]

the meat will be stiff and tough.... definitely old and not good.

Not if it's prepared right. It won't work on the grill, but boiled off the bones, cooked in the crockpot and shredded, or canned it will be delicious!

 

[121626]

Thank you for the input. I have to be practical about it. I'm trying to start a hobby farm and really don't want to be wasteful about it. I've never tried pressure cooking so I think I will do that first. All the ideas are great and I really appreciate it

 

[AmericanMom]

Thank you for the input. I have to be practical about it. I'm trying to start a hobby farm and really don't want to be wasteful about it. I've never tried pressure cooking so I think I will do that first. All the ideas are great and I really appreciate it

When we cull back our young cockerels and old hens we let them rest for 3 or 4 days in the fridge before cooking or freezing.. I haven't pressured cooked them but I do put them in the crock pot and let them slow simmer all day with plenty of seasoning, I then pull the meat from the bone and make chickens enchilada's or chicken and dumplings... Those old birds have GREAT flavor, meat does seem to be a bit on the stringy side at times, but I believe that's more in the way I have cooked them then the bird itself..

Those of us that have small farms and raise our chickens for meat and eggs have to cycle the flock, It is unreasonable and not cost effective for me to keep every bird I bring onto the property.. I sell both eggs for eating and hatching and I also sell laying hens at times, this is to help with feed cost, Older hens get culled in the fall, and young cockerels at 3 months. We also raise rabbits and have just added Geese and Turkeys to the mix.
The only animal safe on this farm from the dinner table is the cat