What to do with old hens?

[Jmanvanatta]

I have 3 8 year old hens that just dont lay any more, my dad said i have to do somthing with them or he will eat them. I hate this thought, does anyone have an idea as to what i could do?

 

[Chickie64]

Do you have any friends that could take them? If not you could buy them off your dad and pay for their food and bedding, and then they would be yours an he couldn't take them an eat them.

 

[swga]

Check your local backyard chicken groups (like on Meetup). There are people who adopt non-laying birds and other rescues. Most often they go to places where free-ranging is the only food source to act as pest-control.

 

[swga]

you might also look into some of the threads available about kick-starting an old hen's laying with extra variety in the diet. Some advocate fodder or extra protein or extra electrolytes and vitamins... lots of options and opinions.

 

[Jmanvanatta]

thanks