hen stopped laying

[Zenbirder]

In March or April I will cull all nonlayers and see where we stand.

Please not to start a discussion on "to cull or not to cull", I just wanted to point out that the whether you do or don't can effect egg pricing. The discussion is on egg pricing:

My customers know they pay a premium for eggs because all hens have a guaranteed spot in the hen house for life, regardless of laying. If I were to cull I would lose at least 85% of my premium paying customers that I have now. These are very much animal rights people and when the hens age more all I will need to do is let them know that the eggs they are paying for from the young ones are supporting the living of the older girls, and they will pay. In fact I expect I will get donations, like people give to an animal sanctuary.

Now when I go to Farmer's market there will be a lot of people there who don't care, in fact our market has WIC arrangement. So premium pricing of eggs is determined very much by the mind of the customer.

 

[dacjohns]

Back to the OP.


They do slow down in the winter.

 

[Beekissed]

Zenbirder, that is an interesting concept! I can't imagine anyone here caring one way or another if I had a dinosaur living in my henhouse...long as I had eggs for sale! If I told them I was keeping my chickens for life, they would merely look at me strangely, mutter "that's nice, dear" and scurry away!

No animal lovers here, unless its their pets, of course and they don't see chickens as pets here because they have to smell a horrid stench every fall and spring as all the commercial poultry litter is spread on the hay fields!

Us old country folk have a practical approach to raising chickens, as I don't have chickens for pets, but for food production only. They get good clean housing, fresh free range and sunshine, clean water, and a stress free life.....and they get a good, quick death. I should be so lucky to have the same type of life!!!

Culling to me is an important part of egg production, as I can afford to feed only so many chickens~the ones who are producing an income to pay for themselves. Everyone has a job on this farm, even the cats who eat the mice who eat my grains/feeds!

 

[MorelCabin]

Imagine how much better off our poor would be if we DID cull all our non laying birds and provide them to the poor via a soup kitchen...

 

[Beekissed]

The only people who notice I even have chickens are the nosey busy bodies that drive by and peruse my house and yard looking for clues to my life!

Zen, it must be a local thingy for you, or even a cultural thing where you live, as noone here asks anything about my chickens except if they free range or not. Since everyone in the county knows they do because they stare when they drive by, I don't have to discuss it at all!

I don't volunteer information about my birds except that they are raised without medicines, vaccines, feeding animal byproducts or hormone stimulants. Beyond that, noone would ever know if I cull, if I don't, or if I dress my hens up and have tea parties each Sunday....its just not relevant to the egg sale in my local market.

But, still, interesting way of marketing your eggs if you find yourself surrounded by extreme animal lovers....good selling point on your part!

 

[Homesteadmom]

Imagine how much better off our poor would be if we DID cull all our non laying birds and provide them to the poor via a soup kitchen...

Yes they would be better off, but then we wouldn't have chickens to put in our freezer either. So it is a catch 22 situation.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep, I'm poor enough to appreciate that culled chicky right in my own freezer. Nothing goes to waste here!

 

[Homesteadmom]

Here either!

 

[unclejoe]

UNBIELIVEABLE !!!!
I got a few more eggs this month than I thought. I went out this morning to exchange the frozen water can for a thawed one and found another secret nest with 14 eggs in it. The problem is - they're all frozen and have a crack down the side. I brought them in and let them thaw. 2 of them leaked and the rest didn't. Since this is my first year with birds, I have a question. Are they any good?

 

[Beekissed]

Depends on how long you think they were out there. Think they were in the nest for a long while before freezing weather? Eggs can be stored for a long while unrefrigerated, without spoilage, as long as they are kept in a cool place. As its been cold temps all along, you may be pretty good when they thaw. Some folks would say, if they have a crack that they will have potential for bacteria inside the egg, but I would venture to say they cracked during the freezing process and aren't a threat. Best bet to do a good visual and sniff if you want to use them. Cloudy whites, dull off-color yolks or any bad odor I'd toss to the dogs.