When hens stop laying...?

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Hello again. This is probably a question that has been asked lots, but i can't find a thread that relates to my query...which is (gulp~) What do I do with hens that have stopped laying eggs? With limited garden space, we will not be able to keep them for years, as pets, as we really got them for the eggs...and much as I love the girls, having a bunch of chooks that are past it seems...a little pointless. Do others cull and ...erm..cook??? Or is there a little holiday park for old age hens somewhere I've never heard of?? lol. I feel quite hard hearted for even asking this question, but I know culling will have to happen one day...so, what do you guys do????
 
hi,
people say that old hens have little meat, and are stringy and tough as old boots.
never heard of any magic place i think it cull eat or keep or find someone who wants old, pet hens:cry: :cry: :cry:
 
No that's a valid question :D and the answer rather depends whether you see your girls as "livestock" or "pets"

There are some that regard them as purely ornamental, and a few eggs as a bonus, or alternatively kill at roughly 18months to two years. You can eat older laying hens but the preparation is different due to the fact they will be considerably tougher than younger birds. My gran used to boil them up and then roast them, there again she would never waste a thing being from a very different generation! :D

There a few pure breeds however, that have many egg laying years in them and will lay for a good 5 years or so, if you add a few of those to your flock that question may not arise for a while anyhow ;) :D
 
I think I see mine as somewhere between 'livestock' and pets.' Whilst they are productive, I put a lot of time, pride and care into giving them the best possible life, i know them all individually, and get a lot of enjoyment from observing them. But the eggs are important, they are the main reason I keep them, and the reason they get such good care. When they get to the stage where they have stopped laying, or are laying soft-shelled eggs, I have to recognise that, with hybrids in particular, it's probable they becoming in danger of degenerative diseases such as egg peritonitis, which are a painful one-way-street to the inevitable end. When that time comes, I've decided the best thing is to give them a peaceful and painless death, and then move on and get younger replacements. Of course, how you manage the 'peaceful and painless death' is another question altogether, which we each have to decide for ourselves. But I don't think there's room for a guilt trip about the decision to cull when as a responsible keeper you can see the hen is past her best days. I just hope someone will do the same for me when I need it!
 
You are being very realistic. I keep mine for eggs with a few rares, some of which are a waste of space as layers. However, I also have hens which are in retirement as they have done me especially well over the years and given me a lot of replacements as well as lots of eggs.

Years ago, any chicken would have been eaten as Foxy says but old hens have always needed special treatment in the cooking and I wonder if the heat needed to cook them justifies it now !

If you can't face culling them yourself, I'd ask around to see if anyone else that you could trust would do the deed for you.

To bring new hens in before the old ones go, even if you have room, can cause a lot of settling in problems so I'd certainly get rid of the old ones before the new ones arrive.
 
there always some one looking for a pet chicken if cant bring yourself to cul advertise on some of sales sites
 
They don't eat very much when they stop laying so its only an issue of space. We keep ours for as long as they are happy, but we have found that the hybrids start getting ill after two years anyway. Its difficult; Annie Black Rock was looking bad after shedding her egg duct completely and I faced a difficult decision with my favorite little hybrid, but 12 months on and she's very happy -still goes in to lay even though she can't. All our surviving Pedigrees are still laying to programme (years 1-9 from hatching, 20,120,120,100,60,50,35,15,? to total 600 said a French scientist) and some are into their 4th year now.
Traditionally the old layers went into a pot for boiling as they are tough. But suprisingly the breast meat isn't as we have tried it -such a terrible waste otherwise. Could only contemplate eating them if they are culled though obviously.
 
Thanks very much for the advice guys, it's really appreciated.
I don't want any hen to suffer ill health, and at least 2 are hybrids, so I'll watch closely for them shedding any "bits" ( sounds yucky!) But the obvious question to follow all that is about the cull itself.
Would anyone care to share their methods?
And....how do you go about preparing them for the pot? I've plucked/skinned pheasants before...but then took them to the butchers for the rest to be done..is there a site somewhere that could perhaps educate me further?? Maybe these last 2 questions should be a separate thread? LOL x
 
Magpiegemthief said:
Thanks very much for the advice guys, it's really appreciated.
I don't want any hen to suffer ill health, and at least 2 are hybrids, so I'll watch closely for them shedding any "bits" ( sounds yucky!) But the obvious question to follow all that is about the cull itself.
Would anyone care to share their methods?
And....how do you go about preparing them for the pot? I've plucked/skinned pheasants before...but then took them to the butchers for the rest to be done..is there a site somewhere that could perhaps educate me further?? Maybe these last 2 questions should be a separate thread? LOL x
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Broom stick method for me and a sharp knife to ensure the deed has been done. I've never eaten one i've culled as usually they are culled because they are not well. The young chicks and cockerels with deformities are usually killed and then given to my cats as they enjoy the dinner fresh and with feathers. (sorry if this upsets people) Cats are obligatory carnivores and raw chicken and bones are very good for their teeth, only raw bones though. Never thought of taking them to the butchers? I would like to know more about dressing them for the table though so i look forward to the replies. :-)17
 
We have a hand pull wall mounted despatcher. It is set to break the vertibrae and sever the spinal column in one swift movement without breaking the skin. Hang upside down and the blood drains into the head and upper neck. Need to pluck and gut within an hour as the guts start to deteriorate. I've found wormed birds last much longer so it must be the worms that start to rot quickly. Crop needs to be empty so we do it at first light in morning.
Loads of techniques on the internet. Main points. Suggest you pluck immediately when warm as it may be an hour for a first timer to do. Can plunge into very hot water instead if you have split the skin and it's bleeding. Care required to avoid splitting the guts -they should come out complete attached to the vent in one go, which is done by removing the head an neck first and freeing windpipe and crop from skin. Then cutting around vent enough to get your fingers in to free sac from ribcage. I do all this work as my wife finds it rather horrid -and it is!
 
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