Why do people slaughter 3 months after laying begins?

[asans]

This is my first year raising chickens, so maybe I'm missing something?

From what I've read, when you're raising laying hens from peeps, it takes about 6 months before they start laying. In my area, peeps are only available in the farm stores in March-early April. So the girls don't typically start laying until September-ish right?

So what is the thought process behind raising laying hens and then slaughtering them in December, when they've really only just begun laying and starting from square 1 again the following spring? Seems like an expensive endeavor!

 

[gamebirdsonly]

They might want tender meat.

 

[Den in Penn]

I don't know why someone would do that. Some do cull the hens when they go into their first molt at around 18 months, because they don't lay as well in the second year. With a farm that can only carry so many over the winter, they cull before the pasture goes bad in the winter to get the numbers to what can survive and be healthy. The Farmer would tend to keep the young hens, the good layers and the proven broodies. Truth is I never heard of getting rid of a whole flock before they are done the first laying season.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I don't know why someone would do that. Some do cull the hens when they go into their first molt at around 18 months, because they don't lay as well in the second year. With a farm that can only carry so many over the winter, they cull before the pasture goes bad in the winter to get the numbers to what can survive and be healthy. The Farmer would tend to keep the young hens, the good layers and the proven broodies. Truth is I never heard of getting rid of a whole flock before they are done the first laying season.

yeah, pretty much my thinking. Kind of strange to hear of slaughtering first year pullets. Hmmm....

 

[asans]

Yeah, these are hobby chicken people, not farmers; and the do kill the whole flock. I don't know if they don't think the girls will last through the winter or what. Its definitely a head scratcher for me...

 

[Fred's Hens]

I have no idea why anyone would do this, frankly. If one wishes to grow DP birds for meat, the butchering window opens at 14-15 weeks and closes around 19 weeks, for maximum tenderness. Meat birds vary greatly by strain and variety, but most are ready for processing around 9 weeks.

Egg laying pullets make a poor choice for any reasonable amount of meat. Egg laying pullets are also worth $12-$20, depending on the area, so this makes no sense economically whatsoever. Selling or disposing at 18 months makes much more sense, although the majority of folks certainly get two good laying seasons with very little effort.

Do you have a link to where someone was discussing doing this? I'd like to see the context of all that.

 

[asans]

No links, sorry. These were conversations I've had with several people around town here when we first began researching chickens.

Basically I came upon the info when I asked how they managed their flocks in the wintertime. Several people told me that they took the birds to be slaughtered in early December.

 

[Den in Penn]

May haps they were thinking of their life style, and didn't want to deal with going out in the snow and fussing with frozen water.

 

[donrae]

Who on earth would do that? It's not standard practice anywhere I've heard of. People with more $ than brains, I guess.


On the other hand, boy if you could set up to supply them chicks you'd be set for life!

 

[NovaAman]

Actually, I have heard that from some people also. I think its NUTS! What they do, they get chicks lat february, brood them, place them in the out door coop near the end of march. They start laying in June, and then either sell them off or butcher after thanksgiving or just before the snow flies. Crazy cakes if you ask me. I have some hens that are nearly 2 years old, and 1 is still a daily layer, and 2 are great broodies. I'd never butcher them just cuz I do not want to take care of winter issues.