Wondering what to do with old chickens?

[zrossk]

not every chicken keeper is a farmer.

 

[bobbi-j]

No they are not. My point was, not everyone is willing or able to keep them as 100% pets, and letting them "live out their lives" is not an option. I think if someone wants to give away their old, spent hens to someone who will let them scratch and peck and root around in a garden or field, good for them. Personally, I have too much time and money invested in them to just give them away. And I'd still like to know what this place does with them when they are done using them to "till" the fields. Eventually, they're going to run out of room if they get too many birds.

 

[zrossk]

yea true, just try not to breed them and get to many.

 

[Carols Clucks]

We have a few elderly chickens. Our rooster is a great old guy! Going to be sad when he passes, he is friendly, watches for his ladies and is long past "over dating" them. He is about 12, he has his favorite hen who is his age and they stick together. Moms favorite hen has learned to be crafty and sneak in all kinds of places, she is a good earth mover too (10ish) then another one that is about 8 and not doing so well, and her daughter who is about 6 and still lays an egg every now and then. Those 4 do take up some roost space and we could use the eggs. But not sure any one of them would make much more than some tough fatty broth.

 

[hemet dennis]

Quote:
+1

 

[cmom]

Quote:
+1

X2 Ours is a working farm and when the chickens are past their prime they are processed. Also we hatch so our excess boys either get processed and if we have to many the excess go to our local auction.

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
+1

X2 Ours is a working farm and when the chickens are past their prime they are processed. Also we hatch so our excess boys either get processed and if we have to many the excess go to our local auction.

Gotta agree with this....

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

What a nice idea this is! I think it's becoming very popular with organic farmers to bring chickens in behind the cows as an alternative to chemical pest management. And wouldn't it be great to have chicken flocks patrolling woodsy areas that are over-run with ticks?

I promise each of my chickens in my small flock that they will never end up in a pot but I am curious - does an elderly chicken taste different from a young one?

 

[CMV]

Quote:
Very much so. Elderly chickens must be cooked low and slow, and usually immersed in sauce. The flavor is much more intense than what you would get in a 9 week old CX. The meat is tougher and stringier, as well. There are more fatty deposits on the older birds, so there is a bit more trimming involved during processing.

I eat my older birds, but I don't eat them all. I don't keep my birds around just for food. Meat and eggs are a nice fringe benefit from my living yard art and pest/weed control animals. There is also the added benefit of getting to teach my child valuable life lessons through chicken experiences. And we can't forget "Chicken TV" on hot summer evenings. I keep the older birds I like around as long as they are willing to get along and play nice in the flock. I enjoy them, but if they don't lead to the betterment of the flock- they go in the pot. I have too much invested in my flock to just give them away, and I have too little space to allow all my older birds to live out their life.

 

[Oregon Blues]

One thing to consider is that once a bird leaves your property, you have no control over what happens to it.

Also keep in mind that some people lie. So you can rarely be sure what they intend to do.

Many "animal sanctuaries" are simply animal hoarders, and the conditions are not good for the animals. Over crowding, not enough money for food, let alone vet bills.

Something else to keep in mind. Many people will take anything that is free, whether they need it or not, whether they know how to take care of it or not, whether they have facilities to keep it or not. They will even take things they don't even want just because they are free.

If you intend to give birds away, either do not care what happens to them or be exceedingly careful about to whom you give them.

My good show birds that people pay good money for, I don't worry about them so much. I speak to the people to see if they know what they are doing. But generally, people do take better care of things that they want badly enough to pay money for. Old birds that are no longer useful, I would rather butcher them humanely than to throw them out into the cold cruel world where they are going to take their chances on the care they will get.

Even though I no longer want them myself, I don't want them starved or used to train pitbulls to kill. I know that if they are no longer useful to me, they are not going to be of much use to anyone else, either. Which makes it dangerous for the birds to be put out there at the mercy of others. If they go into my own freezer, I know that they haven't been starved or abused or used in cock fighting to train the "warriors" how to kill. I know they've been well cared for until the last second and I know they have been humanely killed and not frightened.