Useful years for chickens?

[kcult]

Four of my hens are almost four years old. Egg laying has slowed, but I chalked it up to shorter days.

How old can these birds get and still be somewhat productive? The batch behind them are pushing three years old.

 

[SimpleMan]

They'll be really productive when they go into a nice pot of oil, all floured up an everything.

 

[Darkhorse]

4 years is about it.

 

[kcult]

4 years is about it.

Dang. Oh well.

 

[Darkhorse]

They will still lay but not like when they where one and two

 

[REELDOC]

4 years is about it.

Yep. Heck my youngest are only 9 months old and they decided to molt at the same time.

 

[kcult]

I'm not really interested in butchering these birds, well, not today, anyways. That might change later.

Is anyone interested in three barred rock and one leghorn lookalike to add to their free ranging flock? Or you can butcher them yourself. Free, of course. They may not lay very many more eggs, but I imagine they'll still eat critters around your gardens and shrubs and provide plenty of fertilizer. Lol.

 

[NCMedic]

We have a couple of birds that are pushing 5 years old.... they maybe lay once a week or so. Some weeks nothing. Non laying hens are good for brooding fertilized eggs if that's something you want.

 

[kcult]

We have a couple of birds that are pushing 5 years old.... they maybe lay once a week or so. Some weeks nothing. Non laying hens are good for brooding fertilized eggs if that's something you want.

How do you make them sit? I don't think any of these have ever been broody. I had to make a broody jail for a couple of my wife's boys, but not mine.

 

[BigWaylon]

How do you make them sit? I don't think any of these have ever been broody. I had to make a broody jail for a couple of my wife's boys, but not mine.

Well, you start with teaching them to Shake Hands. Then Sit, then Stay. I thought you were an expert when it comes to animals with wings? 🤪

 

[rdinatal]

Don't forget to add the 3-5 years of freezer life.

 

[Windini]

Useful years for chickens?​

I'm not really interested in butchering these birds,

I was gonna say "depends on what you wanna use 'em for," but then you covered that.

 

[NCMedic]

How do you make them sit? I don't think any of these have ever been broody. I had to make a broody jail for a couple of my wife's boys, but not mine.

You can buy some ceramic "eggs", leave them for a few days and see who will sit on them, if you are pulling eggs every morning they probably aren't getting the need to sit them. Some chickens never decide to go broody, our Cochins will go broody at the first chance they get, others not so much.

 

[kcult]

You can buy some ceramic "eggs", leave them for a few days and see who will sit on them, if you are pulling eggs every morning they probably aren't getting the need to sit them. Some chickens never decide to go broody, our Cochins will go broody at the first chance they get, others not so much.

Thanks for the info. I know which of my wife's birds had the propensity for broodiness, but mine? None.