When to cull old hens??

[Ms Clucky]

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

 

[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.

 

[Ms Clucky]

Ya we had to do that to a OE Brown Red with really bad legs. She couldn't walk anywhere. Her legs were totally broke. Fighting over the coop when they were small.

 

[LunaMarieWolf]

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.

My chickens free range a large area and are fed a little bit of scratch towards bedtime and layer pellets in the day. They also get handfuls of live mealworms and crickets once a week that I breed and raise. Also they have access to oyster shell that stays out in the coop 24/7.

I hatch out chicks and I recently had a chick with a couple of deformities and the egg was from one of the older hens. All of the eggs that I have tried to hatch from the older hens have either quit developing or the one chick who did live had deformities.

I was told it was a nutrient problem and that my older hens don't take in nutrients like younger hens do, so I need to get better feed for them that is higher in nutrients and things like that. But it only is with the older hens. All the other eggs I've hatched out from my other hens have been perfectly fine.

 

[Mosey2003]

My chickens free range a large area and are fed a little bit of scratch towards bedtime and layer pellets in the day. They also get handfuls of live mealworms and crickets once a week that I breed and raise. Also they have access to oyster shell that stays out in the coop 24/7.

I hatch out chicks and I recently had a chick with a couple of deformities and the egg was from one of the older hens. All of the eggs that I have tried to hatch from the older hens have either quit developing or the one chick who did live had deformities.

I was told it was a nutrient problem and that my older hens don't take in nutrients like younger hens do, so I need to get better feed for them that is higher in nutrients and things like that. But it only is with the older hens. All the other eggs I've hatched out from my other hens have been perfectly fine.

In that case, if it were me... If you really want some chicks out of them, I would get something to add to their water like Nutri-Drench or there's a Rooster Booster product that's usually available in stores, for added vitamins and minerals. Also, get yourself a kitchen scale that weighs in grams and weigh the older girls' eggs. If they're much over 65 grams, they're going to give you trouble and I'd quit trying.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I was told it was a nutrient problem and that my older hens don't take in nutrients like younger hens do, so I need to get better feed for them that is higher in nutrients and things like that. But it only is with the older hens. All the other eggs I've hatched out from my other hens have been perfectly fine.

Many recommend a feed with 22% Protein or slightly higher for hatching eggs.
Feed for 2 weeks before collecting eggs.

Tractor Supply Co carries this Nutrena meatbird feed 22%. .But they also carry DuMOR Starter 24%. . It's available in smaller bags too. I prefer Nutrena or Purina feeds myself. GC

 

[Shadrach]

It depends on your set up.
I free range with multiple groups, each group having at least one rooster.
I don't kill hens that are no longer productive. They have other functions in a flock that has nothing to do with their egg laying capacity. My senior hens are invaluable to the safety and learning of the new flock members. Each year I let a few hens sit and hatch. This way there are always egg productive hens in each group. Each year some get predated. I would lose many more if it wasn't for the senior flock members who teach the younger ones what is expected in the way of behavior withing the flock and what they have learn't over the years about safe routes, best foraging, roosting habits, responses towards humans and the other animals here.
I would by preference rather the more senior hens sat and hatched. they have a proven track record. In most species the old teach the young and I believe in my keeping circumstances if I killed the more senior flock members (I'm talking 7 to 10 year olds)
then I would likely end up with a flock of very productive but know nothing predator bait.

 

[Shadrach]

It would be interesting to know the ages of those who advocate the termination of life after the reproductive ability diminishes, or stops. I mean, after all as a society and species we don't want any freeloaders.

 

[Chickie pants]

I just have birds for fun, so it's hard for me to cull. I haven't had that problem, because predators seem to get them before they get old. I finally have a good coop and run for them, so next year ilI'have to make that decision.

 

[Chickassan]

I don't cull either, one of the biggest reason I keep my flock small. The two elders will be hitting three years this summer so i'll be trying to hatch a daughter from each in case predation or illness takes them.
I will be giving those ladies extra vitamins "poly vi sol" and mixing calf manna into their feed about a month before gathering hatching eggs from them.
Both old girls lay eggs over 65grams but that has always been their normal so I don't expect issues, of course I may have some but that is just how it goes.