What do you do....

[Ger-annie-um]

When your chooks have aged and stopped laying eggs? I'm so grateful for the time they did give me an egg a day or even just 2 or 3 a week that I can't bring myself to 'dispatch' them as a neighbour does. They live out their days in blissful retirement, probably costing more than if I just bought eggs in the first place..........so what do you do?

[veggiechicken]

Mine live out their days in "blissful retirement" too. They've given their all, they deserve their rest.
I'm down to one hen now, so I'm rehoming 3 from a rescue on Saturday to keep her company. If they lay, great, if they don't, never mind. They'll still keep me amused, turn weeds into compost and produce "manure".

[Scarlet]

I'm having a chicken break at the moment. My electric fence wasn't keeping out the foxes - they've increased in numbers hugely here .

I kept them all - I would never repay a chicken with a death sentence because they couldn't give me an egg! I also ended up having everyone else's surplus.
A chicken is for life - not just for egg time

[Gillykat]

I'm planning on getting a few ladies in the spring and no way could I ever murder them just because they weren't laying eggs..... Even if mine decide after settling in they cannot be bothered to lay I'll be keeping them as pampered ladies who lunch If I';m desperate for eggs I'll just get a couple of younger POL girlies to add to my flock

[Stan79]

Graceful retirement... they help keep the slugs and snails and other pests down in the garden and the soil in the run is amazingly rich whenever i get around to digging it out... Lots of other uses than just egg producing machines!

[Snoop Puss]

On the other hand... We usually let ours live out their lives, but I'm in a quandary now. We have two left and they're getting quite elderly. They rarely lay eggs these days but when they do, one of them eats it. Not sure which of them has turned into the egg eater. Anyway, bringing in more chickens for eggs isn't really going to help matters, as those eggs would disappear too.

[Nicos]

Mine just retire gracefully too. And as a thank you, sometimes lay the most oddly shaped/wrinkly eggs

[SarrissUK]

Do you guys have any problems getting new chickens and adding them with ones you already have?

[Nicos]

No problems at all. Just need to get at least 2 at the same time.
They are always the last oñes to bed and first out in the morning though!

[veggiechicken]

I always get more new ones than I have old. When down to 2 chooks, I booked 3 more, although I'm down to one now, so 2 more would have been enough.
There'll be a bit of squabbling at the start but they soon settle down.
Get more Sarriss, you know you want too!

[Snoop Puss]

I agree, we usually get two new ones when we have one left. The remaining chicken is so glad of company and happy to mother hen them that we've never had problems.