Would you send her to freezer camp - advice please!

[ruffles]

I am grey area. I would keep her, she is the only one that is having a problem,

I have laying hens , we sell eggs not alot perhaps two th four dozen a day, all of our laying hens had a very heavy moult end of Oct to about a week ago.

The two and a half year olds are still not laying, but, I cannot kill them, just me.

I also have barred rocks and they can lay very large eggs, I find that Barreds can over eat, and mine when over eaten, take days to lay one egg, and often they measure 7inches in circumferences.

SOOO, observe her eating, or she could have problem with internal organs.

For me it is a hobby more than a business.

 

[seminolewind]

I don't compare chicken death to human death, but I do value their lives. I would put her on Craig's list as a pet hen that doesn't lay eggs. If she was in pain, I would euthanize her. But pain would be my deciding factor. Maybe you should wait. Laying season is just around the corner!

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
We dont need to humanize chickens. When you get a bit older, you would understand a bit more but thank you for being more compassionate for your chickens. A softy guy is a winner to a lucky girl!

 

[corgiscatsandchickens]

Quote:
Um, people eat animals. Even those of us (me) who are vegetarians wear leather, drink milk, eat cheese, and purchase all sorts of things (including plastic--who knew?) that are products of or utilize parts of animals (many plastics). This is the way the world works. I don't think I could process my own birds, at least not the ones I have now, they're egg-laying pets, but just about everybody likes a chicken dinner.

Folks, please let's not get on the "animals are people too" bandwagon. They're not. They're smart, fun, full of personality, they feel pain, loss, joy, contentment, get mad, get happy, just like people do, but they're **not** people.

If the OP is going to process her birds eventually anyway, there is a good argument that she should go ahead with this one. There are plenty of reasons to wait, too. BUT equating killing a chicken to eat when it's not producing eggs is not the same as culling humans who can't reproduce. For the folks who are going to use this argument anyway, I beg you to tackle Tyson or KFC first, before you try to guilt-trip a backyarder who treats their fowl humanely until it's killed.

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:
Um, people eat animals. Even those of us (me) who are vegetarians wear leather, drink milk, eat cheese, and purchase all sorts of things (including plastic--who knew?) that are products of or utilize parts of animals (many plastics). This is the way the world works. I don't think I could process my own birds, at least not the ones I have now, they're egg-laying pets, but just about everybody likes a chicken dinner.

Folks, please let's not get on the "animals are people too" bandwagon. They're not. They're smart, fun, full of personality, they feel pain, loss, joy, contentment, get mad, get happy, just like people do, but they're **not** people.

If the OP is going to process her birds eventually anyway, there is a good argument that she should go ahead with this one. There are plenty of reasons to wait, too. BUT equating killing a chicken to eat when it's not producing eggs is not the same as culling humans who can't reproduce. For the folks who are going to use this argument anyway, I beg you to tackle Tyson or KFC first, before you try to guilt-trip a backyarder who treats their fowl humanely until it's killed.

Well-said!

 

[Johnn]

People would have a whole different opinion if chickens owned us and killed us

 

[DuckLady]

Quote:
If that were the case, we would be pecking around the barnyard and chickens would be typing here.

Please remember that chickens have many different paths in their lives. Some are pets, some are for meat some are for eggs.

Respect that others may not keep chickens the way you do and refrain from getting worked up.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

There is a reason in the real world of nature why hens set a clutch of a dozen or more eggs. Not all develop. Not all mature. Not all lay eggs(and not just the roosters!) Some hens are naturally not good egglayers. It happens. In the world of food production, if a hen doesn't provide food in one way, she can provide it in another.
I don't expect your hen will improve in the next year. If you knew this for sure, what would your decision be right now? I kept an EE around for TWO more years hoping 1. she would go broody again and 2. her laying would improve. 1. no she didn't and 2. no it didn't She is gone now and honestly at 4 years of age, a little too tough to bother with in the stewpot.

 

[bobbi-j]

they'reHISchickens :

There is a reason in the real world of nature why hens set a clutch of a dozen or more eggs. Not all develop. Not all mature. Not all lay eggs(and not just the roosters!) Some hens are naturally not good egglayers. It happens. In the world of food production, if a hen doesn't provide food in one way, she can provide it in another.
I don't expect your hen will improve in the next year. If you knew this for sure, what would your decision be right now? I kept an EE around for TWO more years hoping 1. she would go broody again and 2. her laying would improve. 1. no she didn't and 2. no it didn't She is gone now and honestly at 4 years of age, a little too tough to bother with in the stewpot.

Heh - I have a banty hen here that I kept around for the same reason. She was such a good broody two years ago, I kept her hoping she'd go broody again this year (er, 2011). Nope! Not only did she not go broody, she also hasn't laid an egg since she brooded her chicks in 2010! So, when butchering day comes around again, she's on the list. Too bad, because she's such a cute little thing! I don't know how old she is - at least 3 or 4. I pressure can all my old laying hens. It tenderizes them nicely.​

 

[7L Farm]

Chickens freak out about everything give them more time.