When to cull old hens??

[Mosey2003]

It's all up to you, they're your chickens.

A couple things stand out. You say you'd need to get more expensive feed to hatch AND that they're looking ragged and not laying. Are you feeding scratch or something very low protein right now? Lack of protein will hinder egg laying. If you only want to keep birds that will lay on low protein feed, you'll want to cycle them out faster.

The rooster can go any time.

 

[Mosey2003]

Nooo! I won't cull mine Never! But that's just me. Me and my chickens are

You should still have a plan in place for if/when one becomes injured beyond saving or sick beyond saving. It's better to plan ahead than to be scrambling while a bird suffers.

 

[Chickassan]

Mine are "safeish" but being a chicken is dangerous buisness. Honestly every day nobody gets eaten or just keels over is a good day.

Yea, Chickie pants, that’s my problem too. They’re usually killed by predators before two years old!

 

[rebrascora]

I cull and eat surplus cockerels and distance myself from them as soon as their sex becomes apparent and they are broody hen reared so I am not handling them like you would if they were brooder raised but my hens have a retirement plan if/when they stop laying.
From the OP's original post it seems to me that their chickens are not pets and they are viewing the situation dispassionately. In that case, I would say that having kept them through their non productive moult period and now approaching spring, it makes more sense to keep them for eggs whilst you raise new pullets and cull them when the stop laying to moult next autumn/fall..... assuming you are in the northern hemisphere and the birds are over 2 years old.

 

[Shadrach]

Yes, but you could have made your points about older birds' value without adding judgment to those who won't or can't do the same. But again, you use words like "exploit" in order to elicit an emotional response.

I made a couple of posts in response to the OP and a general comment. The first post a serious alternative view and the second (notice the tongue out emicon) as a bit of humor.
Later in the thread you seem to have taken exception to the second post and implied my view was ridiculous.
That’s fine, there are a number of ways of viewing the value of life.
However, you directly quoted me and that as I assume is intended to draw my attention to the post where you have implied my view is ridiculous.
My next post, given you had just described my view as ridiculous was I think very even handed, also with a touch of humor.
You could have just left it there but instead you put forward your view, despite me implying in the previous post that I would rather not delve into the subject.
Now you are accusing me of using words that may engender an emotional response. The word ‘exploit’ is perfectly acceptable in the current discussion.
So far, I have been polite and done my utmost to avoid any confrontation.
I haven’t made any personal comments about you, or how you keep your chickens, or your writing style.
I suggest you adopt the same attitude.

 

[aart]

Well said, @Eggscaping !
Are you a mediator in real life?

 

[aart]

I had a position before retiring where I was the one they sent angry customers to.

Well, I can feel your calm reason, even thru the internet...and I'm a bit of a hothead.
I've enjoyed your posts.

 

[CheekyMare]

I culled 25 roosters last weekend and we’re canning them today. I cull roosters when the hen:rooster ratio gets out of whack.

Hens, I cull when they start sleeping in places they shouldn’t or when I need to reduce the population. Or when we want to make soup.

 

[bobbi-j]

I just wanted to say here that my chickens are a part-time job for me. I am having to sell chicks and eggs to help save up for college, plus work another job and go to school. Mind you I am a 17 year old who's grandparents bought me my first flock of 6 two years ago. I have not had chickens for long, but I have been trying to balance the feed I put in my chickens. I can not afford to put more money that I do not have into my chickens.

I love my chickens dearly and I would not want them to suffer. I want to humanely kill my older chickens so they do not suffer trying to put more stress on their body by producing eggs.

They have not gone broody and I do supply Oyster shell in a large sheep trough 24/7. All of the eggs I have tried to hatch do not make it, or have deformities.

I cannot use their eggs for hatching eggs, and they don't give me enough eggs to use them as eating eggs. I am trying to rebuild my funds back up so I can give them a better coop so having 'freeloaders' will not work for my system.

Plus eating eggs are going for less than $2/dozen in my town because of the local stores having local "free range" brown eggs for $2 a dozen.

Since these 2 hens are dual purpose hens, Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red, I could use their meat as well for my family.

I have lost many chickens over the 2 years and I am just trying to learn along the way. Any helpful advice would be nice, but understand that I can't have huge flocks and keep all my older hens because I just don't have the space, nor the money to do so.

Good for you! As you can see, there are passionate feelings on either side of this subject. My feeling is, if someone can afford to keep feeding "freeloaders", and has the room to keep every chicken that comes their way, and provide veterinary care to keep them from suffering in their later years, more power to them. But that is not my reality. I keep chickens for both eggs and meat. When egg productions slows, and we're not getting enough eggs to meet our needs, the chickens will become meat. That's my choice, and that of others here on the forum.

I think you are managing yours in a responsible manner - knowing that you can't have a large flock of chickens running around that aren't earning their keep, and wanting to let them have a good life until one bad day, rather than take a chance of them developing reproductive or other issues that would impact their health and well being as they age.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I just wanted to say here that my chickens are a part-time job for me. I am having to sell chicks and eggs to help save up for college, plus work another job and go to school. Mind you I am a 17 year old who's grandparents bought me my first flock of 6 two years ago. I have not had chickens for long, but I have been trying to balance the feed I put in my chickens. I can not afford to put more money that I do not have into my chickens.

I love my chickens dearly and I would not want them to suffer. I want to humanely kill my older chickens so they do not suffer trying to put more stress on their body by producing eggs.

They have not gone broody and I do supply Oyster shell in a large sheep trough 24/7. All of the eggs I have tried to hatch do not make it, or have deformities.

I cannot use their eggs for hatching eggs, and they don't give me enough eggs to use them as eating eggs. I am trying to rebuild my funds back up so I can give them a better coop so having 'freeloaders' will not work for my system.

Plus eating eggs are going for less than $2/dozen in my town because of the local stores having local "free range" brown eggs for $2 a dozen.

Since these 2 hens are dual purpose hens, Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red, I could use their meat as well for my family.

I have lost many chickens over the 2 years and I am just trying to learn along the way. Any helpful advice would be nice, but understand that I can't have huge flocks and keep all my older hens because I just don't have the space, nor the money to do so.

There is (or should be) NO reason you have to feel you have to defend your management choices like this. Your reasoning and choice are perfectly reasonable and, most importantly, yours to make! Sometimes others forget that.