- Aug 23, 2020
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I know I am the only one who can make this decision, but I would really appreciate some input from other chicken keepers. Three years ago we got our first chicks, I had chickens as a kid, but hadn't had any in years. Our plan was to butcher the chickens when they stopped laying or when they really decreased in laying. This is all good until I've now had these girls for 3 years and am attached.
For some background, I'm an engineer, I live on logic, facts, numbers, and ROI's, but I also love animals and now I'm looking at these lovely ladies who almost all have had something (egg bound, off days, etc) that I've nursed them through and they've been so entertaining and are basically my therapists who pick me back up after my crazy stressful days at work. I have 2 GC's that I know it's best for them to become dinner, I am resigned to that, they are starting to have egg laying issues so I know they aren't going to have lovely long quality lives. But, I can't bring myself to butcher and eat them personally, but I am ok to have my friend come pick them up to eat.
My hardest question for the time is 3 BR's, they are very healthy but since starting to lay again this spring I was getting 1 egg / day from the 3 of them. Not much of a return for the price of feed, but they are healthy... lol. Two weeks ago I integrated them into my other 3 yr old flock of 5 birds, plenty of room in that coop for all 8 chickens and they've lived side by side their whole lives and free range together. No drama, all went well. But, since then, I've only gotten 3 or 4 eggs from those 3 chickens. I gave them a pass due to the stress of being moved, but saw Mosa has laid a shell-less egg off the roost 2 times now.
At what point does the cost of feed input outweigh the egg production to where I should either give them to someone else to eat, or try to muster the oomph to butcher and eat them myself? I have 3 BAs that are also 3 yrs old but still laying very well, and one of those is a favorite who I will keep even if she stops laying.
I think if someone else butchered them I could eat them, but I don't know of anyone locally who would do that. I know some of you would never ever butcher a pet chicken and they'd live out their lives until the very end, and others would have no issues butchering and popping a delicious home raised bird into the pot. I enjoy cooking and baking, so I know I'd really enjoy good flavored chicken and chicken stock... I'm over-thinking all of this I'm pretty sure.
I know only I can make the right choice for me (my husband seems ok to butcher them, but other times not so much...) what are some questions I can go through to help me find the best path? Sorry for the long post, but I've been thinking this one through in so many scenarios over the past few months and I need a kick in the pants to head in a direction
For some background, I'm an engineer, I live on logic, facts, numbers, and ROI's, but I also love animals and now I'm looking at these lovely ladies who almost all have had something (egg bound, off days, etc) that I've nursed them through and they've been so entertaining and are basically my therapists who pick me back up after my crazy stressful days at work. I have 2 GC's that I know it's best for them to become dinner, I am resigned to that, they are starting to have egg laying issues so I know they aren't going to have lovely long quality lives. But, I can't bring myself to butcher and eat them personally, but I am ok to have my friend come pick them up to eat.
My hardest question for the time is 3 BR's, they are very healthy but since starting to lay again this spring I was getting 1 egg / day from the 3 of them. Not much of a return for the price of feed, but they are healthy... lol. Two weeks ago I integrated them into my other 3 yr old flock of 5 birds, plenty of room in that coop for all 8 chickens and they've lived side by side their whole lives and free range together. No drama, all went well. But, since then, I've only gotten 3 or 4 eggs from those 3 chickens. I gave them a pass due to the stress of being moved, but saw Mosa has laid a shell-less egg off the roost 2 times now.
At what point does the cost of feed input outweigh the egg production to where I should either give them to someone else to eat, or try to muster the oomph to butcher and eat them myself? I have 3 BAs that are also 3 yrs old but still laying very well, and one of those is a favorite who I will keep even if she stops laying.
I think if someone else butchered them I could eat them, but I don't know of anyone locally who would do that. I know some of you would never ever butcher a pet chicken and they'd live out their lives until the very end, and others would have no issues butchering and popping a delicious home raised bird into the pot. I enjoy cooking and baking, so I know I'd really enjoy good flavored chicken and chicken stock... I'm over-thinking all of this I'm pretty sure.
I know only I can make the right choice for me (my husband seems ok to butcher them, but other times not so much...) what are some questions I can go through to help me find the best path? Sorry for the long post, but I've been thinking this one through in so many scenarios over the past few months and I need a kick in the pants to head in a direction