Touchy subject - what do you do with your old hen?s

[Bridgets Mum]

Like everyone seems to agree - I feel that we have ex batts so they can have a bit of time doing chickeny things and delight their new humans. Mine are definitely here for as long as they can be happy and healthy.
Having said that, if I ever get any chickens specifically for eggs (not very likely - I've become a serious battie fan) I would keep them until the end of their days too. I'm not a poultry farmer, just a chicken nut.

[p.penn]

I tried to have an even mix of hybrids and rescue, but seem to have got the balance a bit wrong and only 2 of my 7 ladies are hybrids now! I get 1-3 eggs a day, and that is fine. I couldn't possibly dispatch them just because they don't lay. Once they come to live with me they are my forever chooks

When I lose another one, I shall get 2 more hybrids though - or that's the plan anyway!

[Kernow]

Someones got to say it. Mine are not ex bats so no sympathy vote on those grounds. I got my hens for eggs. Living in a farming community the answer is clear when they stop laying then its the pressure cooker. Sorry if this upsets anyone but an opinion was asked for.

[wendy]

I don't have a problem with people eating the food they have reared themsleves. In fact, Kernow I think it is the best way. You know they have had a lovely chicken life and you have done your best for them.
We are talking about rescued Battery hens here, which just my opinion, is not what rescueing these little hens is about. Also of course against the rules of the organisations you rescue them from.

[Steve the Gas]

It says old hens.. I will eat males but wouldn't go out my way to have an old hen though, can't imagine it would be nice or meaty.

[Mercedes]

We took on 4 ex batts and still have 3 of them. None of them are laying now, in fact we think we only had 1 egg from one girl in the whole time we've had them. However as others have said they are pets so no we wouldn't have them PTS unless they were very poorly.

[sandy]

I would not dream of putting my old Abbie to sleep, she has not layed for 10 months but she still eats, drinks,preens, scratches about for insects, sits on my lap, gets excited about mealworms, she can see, hear, and feel. Gismo the cat is old and slow, he dribbles everywhere and eats 4 times as much as he should because he is near the end of his days. He is not in significant pain so he will not be put to sleep, he will be when he is suffering and not enjoying life(well next-door will be taking him to vets cause he isn't ours but thinks he is) as will Abbie. Unless you are a farmer who makes a living from animals I cannot understand why anyone would want to end a creatures life prematurely

[LittleBrownFrog]

I think that there's a difference between killing an animal to eat it (which is fine imo, if done appropriately) and killing an animal because it has reached the end of its 'useful' life (not fine).
We have only ex-bats at the moment, and they've pretty much stopped laying, but they're here for the duration of their lives. We're planning on a couple of posh girls & then some more ex-bats, in stages, so that we can keep up a supply of eggs, because the eggs are part of the 'point' of having chickens, for me. I don't have a problem with the idea of raising birds for meat, if/when we have the space, we will probably go down this route. Don't agree with killing an animal once it's no longer 'earning its keep' so to speak.

[Steve the Gas]

^^

What she says.

[manda]

I live in a farming community and I do kill and butcher my own animals but as far as the hens are concerned once they finish laying they live their life out....I get enough eggs from the exisiting hens to pay for their feed and that of the pigs so I don't feel the need to despatch them.... actually I would be hard pushed to know who is laying and who isn't because I have quite a few.

[Mrs B]

I live in a farming community and I do kill and butcher my own animals but as far as the hens are concerned once they finish laying they live their life out....I get enough eggs from the exisiting hens to pay for their feed and that of the pigs so I don't feel the need to despatch them.... actually I would be hard pushed to know who is laying and who isn't because I have quite a few.

Probably the ones that don't produce babies in your utility room Manda

[Mo]

It can be the space that's a problem, especially if you fall into the trap of cramming your house and run at first. Then when one is too old to lay, they all are.

[LittleBrownFrog]

Yes, we started with the intention of leaving space for more chickens, but then ended up taking on extras from someone who was going to get rid of them because they weren't laying.

[julieann]

When I was discussing the space I have on this site, someone gave me the sound advice not to add to my flock for a couple of years so that when my present girls are past laying the new ones can take over supplying the eggs. This is advice I'm going to take as I love collecting the eggs but want to keep the girls for their whole life. (Unless i manage to increase their run space, then I may add more sooner ) I haven't an isssue with people putting their hens in the pot, I just know I couldn't do it with mine.