when to rotate flock

[catterbug]

I have 2 different flocks of chickens. The first flock will be 2 years old this May and my second flock will be 1 this month. In many of the books I have read, they said that after a chickens first few years they begin to cost more to keep than what you get in egg laying. By no means do we make money from our chickens since we aren't in the business of selling eggs, however we don't want to be feeding our chickens and spending more money on them then need be. Our thoughts were to get some chicks this month so they would be laying by mid-late summer and then cull our original flock this fall. How do all of you handle when to rotate your flocks?

 

[Domestic_goddess]

I have 3 sets, young pullets up to a year. Then 2 year olds, and the last set are 3 year old. The 3 year olds get culled when the new chicks arrive in the spring. IMO hens lay thier best in their 2nd year and then by thier 3 year they slow considerably. I think everyone has difference ways of doing it, it's all personal choice.