What to do with old hens?

[Annadoodles]

I live in Wilmington, NC, and my hens all just turned 3...and it shows. They've almost completely stopped laying (I only get about 2 eggs a week!). Usually I would take them to the Flock Swap in Castle Hayne, but winter's approaching, so I don't think many people would be interested in buying. Where else could I take them? I'd rather not keep them through the winter and pay for their feed when they're not giving me eggs in return.

 

[phalenbeck]

It is called chicken soup. Procesing is not a big deal, and it is a good use for old hens.

 

[Peplers chicks]

Oh yes, and I do agree on this one

 

[Ridgerunner]

Personally I eat them but you can try posting on Craigslist.

 

[Cluky]

if the breed is decent for
meat, as in not bantam soup or stew

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can eat any chicken, any age, any size. You get more meat off some than others but people eat quail. They are smaller than a bantam.

 

[donrae]

I'm with this crowd. The pressure cooker is my friend for old hens and older roosters. They make great enchiladas!

I have posted some on Craigslist, but like roosters around here, you literally have to give them away. I figure that's my feed and work, why give them to someone else?

 

[tepchickens]

Ooh Enchiladas sound good. Could you post your recipe? We are thinning the flock in a couple of weeks

 

[newbie32]

Ooh Enchiladas sound good. Could you post your recipe? We are thinning the flock in a couple of weeks

I have a great enchilada recipe:

Ingredients-1 or 2 chickens, 2 onions, 1 or 2 packages of dried red enchilada sauce (in the spice aisle), shredded cheese, corn tortillas, sour cream, lettuce, and tomato.
The amount of chickens and sauce depends on how big the bird is and how much you want to make

Boil the chicken, then after it cools shred the meat off-ALL the meat! While the chicken is cooking- in a sauce pan add the packet of sauce to water (slowly add water until you get the taste you want). Heat on low

After shredding the chicken make a line of production-frying pan, Then tortillas, then chicken, then diced onion, then cheese, then sauce.

Heat the frying pan on medium heat with oil covering the bottom. Place the corn tortillas in one at a time and heat with the oil (should take just a second), then remove onto a plate(CAREFUL IT WILL BE HOT!) and place chicken in the center with some onion and cheese. Roll t up and Place in a baking dish. Repeat making a full row on the bottom of the dish (casserole dishes work too). Once you have the bottom row done pour enchilada sauce on it, add more cheese and onions and repeat the process until you run out of chicken. You will just keep stacking rows on top of each other.

Cover with a lid or tin foil and place in pre heated oven for 30 minutes @ 450 degrees. Remove from oven and pour the remainder of sauce over all of it. Use lettuce, tomato and sour cream as toppings. ENJOY!

 

[Alaskan]

The secret to good old chicken is LOW HEAT COOKING!! It is very important, or the meat gets tough.

This article is marvelous, read it through.

http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/cookingwheritagechicken.pdf