Getting old

[Tony V]

What to do when a layer gets too old to lay? We have one whose eggs are getting very large, spasmodic, with thin shells and sometimes have no yolk. Finally she's started to eat her own eggs! If she starts to eat her younger chums' eggs, that would just not be acceptable. She's only just over 2 years old.
Do people send for the vet? Or make henny-penny into supper? My dad - a Burma war hero - kept hens which he couldn't bring himself to kill when the time came, although we did end up having very nice chicken stew. I gues someone else did the 'foul' deed.
Sorry if you are squeamish but I really would appreciate advice on 'elderly hen care'.

[Happy chickens!]

I think of my girls as pets so take them to the vet if not well. I wouldn't want them to suffer, but your girl doesn't sound ill, just naughty!! Have you tried the usual remedies such as calcium supplements or false eggs to try and stop the egg eating? (2 doesn't sound old either)

[Egluntyne]

I cull mine when they are ill and it would be cruel to keep them going. I don't cull them because they are no longer laying though. I let them bimble on into retirement.

There are several courses that you can go on now, to learn how to cull. Have a look in the self sufficient life section.

There is very little useful meat on a modern hybrid, so I wouldn't bother stewing them.

[Mollie333]

Meat wouldn't be tender or tasty on a stringy old layer.
Just let her retire.

[Plum]

Mine eat eggs but only softies so doesn't mean she'll touch good eggs

[bluekarin]

Our Daisy bird has stopped laying and she is almost 2 years old. Well, that's what we were told, I am wondering if she is a bit older. She sometimes lays an egg, then sometimes its a softie and sometimes we get to it before one of the other greedy, and very naughty girls get to it, but sometimes not. We have tried extra protein, oyster shell, the powdered horse calcium stuff whose name has totally slipped my mind right now. She is the one who if a chicken is going to be ill, it will be her. When we first got her she was ill right after laying her first egg. She is such a lovely chicken though, and we will miss her terribly when she goes to the nest box in the sky. Unlike Moonshine who is a noisy so and so. That said, she has been quite useful in getting our own back with the neighbours who have had 3 parties in one week - two one night after the other - and with waking the kids who were camping far earlier than they'd like, as she is a noisy waker uper

[craftyhunnypie]

I've always kept my ladies well into retirement. They are my pets. I've got boys who obviously don't lay eggs, but the comedy value they give us makes them priceless!

Emma.x

[majuka]

I guess it depends how you view them, as pets or as a hobby? It does not sound as if she is unwell, just stopped laying and it depends on whether you want to keep a hen that doesn't lay?

Our little Matilda (an ex batt) was put to sleep just days ago. She stopped laying about a month after we got them so hadn't laid for nearly two years when we had her put to sleep. She was for the most part a happy, healthy chick. She developed a heart murmour in May this year. Medication kept her happy and comfortbale. She was nearing the end and we wanted her to go while she still enjoyed life. Apart from one girl who went in her sleep, we have had three put to sleep by the vets. I don't think there is anything wrong with doing it yourself, as long as you know how to do it humanely but it is not something I would like to do to a pet.