What to do when chickens age out of laying?

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kborio said:
Howdy all! I wanted to query the group about what people are doing when their birds stop laying due to age. We are new to this and just started our flock, so I won't have to worry about this for a little while, but I want to prepare myself and my family for what will be next. We started our flock for eggs, but these birds have very quickly become family members (my daughters had them named before we made it home from the feed store). If space were not a consideration, I would keep every bird until their natural life ended, but we live in a area where chickens are not allowed, and I am not sure how I would fit more in to maintain egg production. I have no interest in eating these birds, and it doesn't seem like anyone suggests that anyway. I'm curious if others find themselves in this situation, and what they do?
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You can re-home them (most likely for free), eat them, or keep them. There aren't any other options beyond that, other than dropping them off in the wilderness, which feels very wrong to say.
 
Realistically you will need to grow the flock or cycle them out as they go, if eggs are your top priority. It would've almost been better if you started with fewer birds and grew the flock over time, for more consistent egg production. I built my set up for 12 but we've never maxxed out, I currently have 9 birds aged 3, 5, 7 years. Even in spring and summer I average about 3-4 eggs a day due to the fact that the older birds don't contribute much, and 2 birds don't lay at all (and count on 2024's numbers to be even lower). So next year we'll add another 3 chicks to push up production again.
 
Auntiejessi3 said:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/supplemental-light-in-coop-why-how/#:~:text=There is no evidence of,some muscle and fat stores.

Give this a read, it may change the way you see things. Not sure how old your kids are, but later down the road maybe they would be willing to part with a few hens so they could get some new chicks🤷 Just a suggestion. I look forward to following your story! Enjoy your ladies, they are some of the neatest dinosaurs in todays time😊
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A very interesting read indeed! How wild it is that misinformation turns to gospel as it gets repeated. I have heard that supplemental light shortens laying dozens of times from every source I have looked at. And they are totally dinosaurs! I watch them go after a cricket or a spider and I know that's where they modeled the velociraptors from Jurassic park!
 
rosemarythyme said:
Realistically you will need to grow the flock or cycle them out as they go, if eggs are your top priority. It would've almost been better if you started with fewer birds and grew the flock over time, for more consistent egg production. I built my set up for 12 but we've never maxxed out, I currently have 9 birds aged 3, 5, 7 years. Even in spring and summer I average about 3-4 eggs a day due to the fact that the older birds don't contribute much, and 2 birds don't lay at all (and count on 2024's numbers to be even lower). So next year we'll add another 3 chicks to push up production again.
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I'm starting to see that I should have started slower...must be where chicken math comes from.
 
kborio said:
I'm starting to see that I should have started slower...must be where chicken math comes from.
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You mentioned you still have space to expand so you still have options down the line. Might just need to spread out and minimize your additions in order to balance flock size and harmony with egg production.

If I left it up to hubby we'd get chicks every year, and that's not happening!
 
rosemarythyme said:
He didn't even want them! Now he pesters me yearly about getting new chicks and runs off in the feed store to look when chick days are in session. He's already picking names for the next batch...
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I didn't realize that they will send them to you in the mail...I got my last six from Meyer hatchery, and didn't even have to leave the house. I can just order them from the couch! I was worried, but they seem to have been very healthy!
 

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