We have five hens: Pam, Isabella, Jubilina, Jacinthe, and Susie. They live in a little red hen house that my dad and unmade for them a few summers ago. We got them when they were a couple months old, past the fragile chick stage, but not quite old enough to start laying. This coming spring they will be three years old.
But the problem with laying hens is that eventually, they stop laying. For some it happens faster than others, but you don't usually expect too many years out of them. Our hens are a battery breed, meaning they're bred to produce an egg almost every day, which I believe means they "burn out" a little faster too. A chicken can only produce so many eggs in its lifetime. Ours appear to have hit that limit.
They tend to slow down their laying in the fall, but this year they slowed down way more than usual, eventually stopping completely. The last egg we had was small, and wasn't well formed on the inside. Typically, even in winter we get a few eggs every couple of days or so, but we haven't had a single one in nearly three weeks now.
I'm not bothered by having to buy eggs from the store for a while. We don't actually eat a ton of eggs in our house, we give most of them away to family and friends. I'll wait until spring to find new laying hens. But if these hens have stopped laying, they're no longer useful. They become, essentially, messy, unfriendly pets. Pets that could go on for another 5-7 years. I want hens that lay, that serve a purpose, not pets. And so, the thing to do is to butcher them, and start fresh with new hens in the spring.
My inlaws used to raise chickens for meat and eggs, so they are experienced in the killing, plucking, and butchering of birds. They readily agreed to come and help us with these ones, once I had made the announcement to my husband that they seemed to be done laying. So, we were trying to plan a day for it to be done. Hens that have been layers are usually not very good for meat; they're lean and tough compared to meat birds which are typically butchered at only a few months old. But they still are okay for soup or stew.
My mother happened to mention to my brother that the hens were done laying; likely he had asked her if she had any spare eggs, as she often does. Now, his wife is a vegetarian, and loves to rescue all sorts of animals. They live on 20 acres, so they have lots of room, and she works part time, so has lots of time to spend with her critters. So, he mentions to her that the hens' days are numbered, and she immediately asks if she can have them instead, to live out their days at their place. He agrees, and phones to ask me.
Now, it was always part of the deal with my husband that the chickens would be useful, and when the time came, I would help, if not with the killing, at least with the plucking and butchering. So, I have been trying to prepare myself for this ever since they came. Despite giving them names, and sort of having a favourite (Pam), I have tried very hard to not get too attached to them. I remember bs myself constantly that they are mean, not only to me (pecking my hands sometimes when I go to feed them), but also to each other (feather picking and fighting. The others all pick on Susie too). I remind myself that they have had a pretty good life, as far as chickens go, and longer than most. But when my brother asked if they could take them, to keep as pets until they died of natural causes, I immediately said yes. For one, it will make my sister-in-law very happy to rescue them from the axe. For another, it's a lot less work for me. But, secretly (my husband mustn't know, he'll think I'm too soft to handle it and not allow me to get new birds), I'm glad they don't have to die. They're not bad, as far as psychotic cannibals go (seriously, Chickens will eat each other), and I've know them for quite a while.
And so, Pam, Isabella, Jubilina, Jacinthe, and Susie are granted a reprieve. They won't go the the headsman's axe, to be made into soup, but live out their days in relative chicken comfort on my brother's dime (not that they're very expensive to feed, but it does add up over time). And I am happy for them.
In the spring we'll get some new chickens. I think only three or four this time, we had too many eggs to deal with sometimes with five. When Avi gets older, i want the chickens to be her responsibility. To feed them, care for them, and yes, even help with the butchering and plucking when the time comes. It is important for her to understand where her food comes from, that meat doesn't just miraculously show up in the grocery store, but has to come from somewhere. I think that maybe from now on, we won't give them names though. I didn't think it would affect me, but it could affect her, being just a child. Who knows, maybe it will be easier for her.
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