What happens to layers when they stop laying~WARNING: GRAPHIC PICS

I love red sex links. They have calm natures and they lay like crazy. These pictures are from 2013 of my grand daughter and her friend. The little girls chased the RSL's all over the yard, hugged them, carried them around, put them in "jail" (the cage in the background) and the hens never missed a beat. They laid like champions and put up with all the "love" from two little girls. What's not to like about red sex links?

baymule said:

The little girls chased the RSL's all over the yard, hugged them, carried them around, put them in "jail"

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You left out "strangled them".... (as per above picture!)

baymule said:

I love red sex links. They have calm natures and they lay like crazy. These pictures are from 2013 of my grand daughter and her friend. The little girls chased the RSL's all over the yard, hugged them, carried them around, put them in "jail" (the cage in the background) and the hens never missed a beat. They laid like champions and put up with all the "love" from two little girls. What's not to like about red sex links?

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This last bunch I got for canning up were the most vicious and hateful birds I've ever had the displeasure to meet. Not only had they cannibalized one another, any of my flock that accidentally got into their pen was soon screaming and tucked into a corner as the hens took turns eating a hole out of their butt. Any time I reached for one to handle it, it bit me or tried to. Each and every one of them fought like a tiger when handled.

Even after I let them out to free range, they were still fighting and eating one another when they came in contact with each other.

The first group of this bunch I killed, each gizzard was full of feathers and pin feathers of the other birds. I let them out to free range after that and it got slightly better, but they were still the most ill tempered flock of chickens I've ever seen in my life.

It's the first time I can ever remember being glad I was getting to kill some chickens and wishing I were mean enough to torture them a little first.

I'd NEVER get a RSL on purpose for keeping in my regular flock. Each time I've gotten them from other people for the purpose of eating them, they were a horrible experience.

Maybe you should try raising them yourself and giving them better treatment.

baymule said:

Maybe you should try raising them yourself and giving them better treatment.

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Naw....I like a chicken I have time to get to know. I don't want to have to kill all my hens every two years. My WRs are sweet, gentle, beautiful, hardy, hard working, feed thrifty and produce meat and eggs better than any dual purpose breed I've tried and they also can reproduce themselves reliably...and they can do that for up to 5-6 yrs, unlike a hybrid bird.

Do you ship chicks?

baymule said:

Do you ship chicks?

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No, though I've been asked that a lot, even had a few guys at a poultry show wanting to be put on my "list". I had to explain I didn't have a list. I just produce enough for replacement layers and meat.

My neighbor bugs me each year to let him buy some of my WRs, but I wouldn't let him have an old slug worm to raise....he's that clueless and cruel about his animals. Won't kill one, though, just lets them suffer and die, get taken by predators and his own dogs, etc. My brother has hinted at wanting to have a few of my hens as well and I'd NEVER let him have one, even if she was the worst hen I'd ever met...wouldn't even wish him on a RSL bird out of this last flock!

I've seen how folks around these parts, WV and OH, treat their chickens and I'd never let one of my sweet WRs go off this land, unless it was someone like you, Bay, that I knew would give them excellent care and a good death. So far I've not seen that anywhere I travel around here.

Some people just don't appreciate a chicken. They treat the living bird badly, then go to KFC for fried chicken. Go figure. And thank you for that lovely compliment!