When chicken Stops Laying.

[Loren-Michaela]

Hi,
I was recently reminded today that my chickens will one day stop laying. I knew this and always shrugged my shoulders to the people who always said to "Cook them up". I always just told them they are 'pets'; but now i am thinking.... What happens when they DO stop laying and I have 23 chickens with no way to provide me with the eggs; which I then sale to be able to feed them and keep them as the wonderful pets they are? What do you guys do? Is it really as easy as killing them and cooking them up? Our chickens were bought for pets/eggs and nothing else. I don't plan to allow them to hatch any out.(for reasons). So any one have any good advice for a first time chicken owner who is already worried about her chickens for no reason? I appreciate all the feedback!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hi,
I was recently reminded today that my chickens will one day stop laying. I knew this and always shrugged my shoulders to the people who always said to "Cook them up". I always just told them they are 'pets'; but now i am thinking.... What happens when they DO stop laying and I have 23 chickens with no way to provide me with the eggs; which I then sale to be able to feed them and keep them as the wonderful pets they are? What do you guys do? Is it really as easy as killing them and cooking them up? Our chickens were bought for pets/eggs and nothing else. I don't plan to allow them to hatch any out.(for reasons). So any one have any good advice for a first time chicken owner who is already worried about her chickens for no reason? I appreciate all the feedback!

I recently read an article on this site about that same subject. It said that there is only a 50% decrease in eggs after five years. I have eight chickens and get about 3 1/2 dozen eggs a week. I can’t eat that many, so even if they are only laying 20% of what they are laying now that will still be more than enough for me. I plan on keeping mine until they pass on, because they are pets to me.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This is a good question and is the core of what we all jokingly refer to as "chicken math." It's why some of us have sweet old ladies on Hen Social Security and multiple coops, lol.

Ours live out their lives in comfortable retirement until they die of old age. So every three or four years we buy a fresh batch to replace the, er, losses. We were down to 8 layers last fall so purchased about 20 chicks this spring. But then we have about 10 acres so space is not an issue, and the main reason we have them is for tick control.

I feel that an 8 or 10 year old hen isn't going to be all that tasty anyway.

 

[IamRainey]

My plan was to let them all die of old age. But I still add a couple each Spring to rejuvenate the flock.

I'm about to have to eliminate my rooster soon 'cause he's causing all sorts of issues and I think I have a younger one now that we may have better luck with.

So I've been thinking about this issue a LOT. I'm in a place where I can kill my roo. But I don't think I could ever be in a place where I could eat him. I may collect his gorgeous feathers and keep them. But that's about it.

 

[Acre4Me]

You mentioned that you sell eggs do you can help defray the cost of feed. Therefore, if you have no laying birds (or minimally laying), then you have an upside down business model. Money out, but none or little coming in to cover any costs.

Some people who reliably want eggs will keep a bird till 2nd molt then sell them. The bird will be around 2yo, and will still be a fairly reliable layer and can be sold to small flock owners. Just have a plan to raise some replacements or buy started pullets in time for the turnover.

Some people process their older layers to make broth, and get schmaltz (rendered chicken fat common in Jewish cooking I’ve read), or cracklin’ (Cooked crispy chicken skin). A layer hen has a good layer of fat on her body, so lend itself to these items. You can eat the meat too, but might need certain treatment/cooking style to make it to your liking. Some process the chicken to feed to their animals.

If you are not sure if you can process your chickens, then try to find someone else who will do it /maybe teach you.

An older person I was talking with awhile ago told me he takes his older layers (leghorns with lean bodies) that are no longer laying reliably to his kid’s acreage and releases them in the back woods on kid’s property. The whole circle of life occurs and some kind of predator gets a meal. Not the solution for most, but that was his solution.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This is the tough reality with keeping chickens for both pets and production. For me, they're primarily pets... I don't sell eggs (and really don't even eat that many) so I keep a small flock and am fine with feeding them for life even with no egg production. I actually look forward to a slow down in egg laying as that means it's time to get a few new chicks.

For you, in order to keep production up you may want to consider having a rotating flock where you only keep layers to around 2 years, and then rehome them as retired layers, and maybe only keep a few favorites on as personal pets.

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Additional thought to consider.

Older hens are wise about the area they live in. Even sending them to a "retirement farm" can offer some educational advantages to younger birds, as older birds may teach younger ones better foraging or social communication
Even with a decreased egg output, older hens are still capable of going broody and raising chicks. They may very well teach younger gals how to do so as well.
The most efficient method of keeping eggs in the fridge is to spend the money to buy young layers and then retire them before they decrease production. This is essentially small scale egg factory farming and I don't think anyone here is interested in that approach with their birds. The most efficient method, in my eyes, of keeping a productive and healthy flock with good egg output, enough to sell some and eat some, is to have a multigenerational set up. Every year or so add a few hens, but don't aim to cull the old unless necessary.

 

[Mrs. K]

Instead of keeping chickens, try keeping a flock. A flock is just as entertaining, but chickens come into it and leave.

If you want to sell eggs, you really want a multi generational flock, where not all the birds are the same age. Each year it is handy to have pullets that will lay through the dark days of winter, older birds take a break.

If you don't want to eat them, I agree with Acre for me, sell a few each year, add a few each year, and you don't have this issue.

Mrs K