when to replace my ladies

[louis scarberry]

i have 10 silver laced wingdots that are 2and a half years old i have them for eggs when should i replace them

 

[briteday]

I normally replace my hens every year. I order chicks in Feb, hey are laying by July, and I sell the previous year's hens in August. I've noticed that whether they are hybrid egglaying breeds or heritage breeds, the number of eggs per day drops off after 18 months of age, or the second winter.

 

[jaketheeggman]

The summer may pick up but sell them before fall

 

[Illia]

Quote:
With hatchery bred hens, that is the case. I haven't seen a drop in production at all with my non-hatchery birds, but I'm likely to see it in their 3rd or 4th year. Now for those of you reading this and getting up about me saying that, - It's just a fact. Hatchery birds are bred for production, thus, it is focused on their first and possibly second cycle then dwindles fast.



Honestly it is up to you. Some people replace theirs every year because they want an egg a day, some people wait til the 3rd year when egg production halts almost to a stop (a common thing with most but not all hens)

I only replace my girls when I've got one of better quality to do so. I see no other reason. If she's laying poorly but makes up for it in quality, personality, or the worth of her eggs, she's staying.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

REPLACE 'em?!! My girls have AARP cards!

 

[Patricia Jane]

Quote:

Good one. That will be mine. I plan on letting them grow old and lazy.

 

[Chick'nlove]

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Good one. That will be mine. I plan on letting them grow old and lazy.

me too!

 

[ARose4Heaven]

Quote:
Yup, I have a couple of those too.

I am trying to start rotating my birds every 2 years. I have been a little reluctant this year because I've gotten attached to my buffs.

But I think they will be going to stew pot

when the young ones start laying.

 

[mariel37]

Quote:
oh my ... I can see that we will be over run with hens in a few years -

 

[Fred's Hens]

There are different management methods. If you have egg customers and require X number of eggs from X number of hens, and the lay rate is X, etc.....

Our program is to rotate in young pullets every six months. I brood in spring and fall. This means the hens are never all the same age. When laying falls, whenever that point is, 2 years 3 years, etc, they can be removed. Normally, I remove hens at 2 years and know a family that has need of them. Whether they choose to keep them for another year's egg production, at a lower rate, or feed their large family with them, is up to them.