baymule
Sustainability Master
Do you ship chicks?
What is a lash egg exactly? We had a friend who sold eggs on a large-ish scale and had production layers, but he culled every year. A guy came up from Boston and paid him $2/bird and sold them in the Asian community down there. Perfect solution really (I mean, as far as production birds go).
We haven't had chickens long enough to have really sorted out any sort of plan for old hens. None of ours are over 4 (well there's one we don't really know how old she is....)
That is pretty horrific, had no clue of these things really.
I firmly believe that open range foraging helps. They get more exercise, eat a variety and select more of what THEY need. Mine also get fresh fruits & veggies, bread, oyster shells available, fresh water in several places & some supplemental feed in PM. They also clean up from any horse & goat feeds that are left or dropped. My birds scour a couple acres daily...they have favorite places for bugs & worms. Had a lot of little grasshoppers this year.
Then they head to their favorite shady dust bath locations. What a life!
ETA: I have NEVER opened a chicken & found stuff like that. The last one, wow, that might make me never open another.....Dang!! That is unreal!