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[beckyfitz]

I recently visited a small holding in Wales where they keep a few more hens than me. They don't name them, as when they slow down in their laying they 'do the right thing' with them, ie - the pot.

I've been wondering if this might be the right thing to do too, & wanted to get others opinions.

DH said he would be quite happy to dispatch them ( I don't think I could!)

As we acquired our girls over time, one is just over two years old now, still going strong with laying at the moment, but if she does slow down do you think it would be Ok to use her for meat? She will have had a happy life with us.

I'm kinda thinking that it is the right thing, much more useful all round than waiting fro them to deteriorate & die. We would then replace her with another layer & keep the cycle going.

I've tentatively broached the subject with the children, I think its very healthy for them to have an understanding of the origins of their food.

I know some people keep their chooks as their dearest pets, please don't reply if this upsets you!

Becky xxx

[craftyhunnypie]

I do believe that hens kept for egg laying, then killed when they slow down egg production are never going to be good for meat - tough & tasteless. I'm only going off what I've heard.

Birds for meat are culled at quite a young age, bred entirely for meat & fed differently, to fatten them up.

I personally give my egg layers forever homes. They live out their retirement in lovely housing & enjoy free ranging the garden - eggs are just a bonus. If you want meat - keep meat birds instead. Sorry if these sounds blunt, but it makes sense.

 

Emma.x

[Lewis]

I aggree with Emma. They would be very tough as they're bred as laying birds and not meat birds and so wouldn't have a lot of meat either.

 

If you wanted to do this you should go for a dual bird (meat & egg) like the Light Sussex.

 

Mine will be staying with us as they are pets as they've given us eggs, so its only fair that they can live out their lives ... Dad did say we'll get rid of them when they stop laying + take them to a farm, they won't

[Guest]

I think it sounds like a good idea, there are different breeds for meat and egg production but that's no reason you can't eat egg layers. Meat birds have been bred to give the most meat commercially, it wouldn't make commercial sense to breed a chicken that doesn't produce much meat but I don't see why you couldn't do it for your own table.

 

I would imagine they wouldn't be any good for a Sunday roast but you could use them for soup, stews, stocks etc.

 

I'm not sure I could do it because I think I'd become too attached if the chickens were around for a long time but, as a meat eater myself, I have no qualms with anyone else doing it, why shouldn't you?

[Guest]

....

If you wanted to do this you should go for a dual bird (meat & egg) like the Light Sussex.

 

...:

 

 

Among the best known dual-purpose breeds are the New Hampshire and the Rhode Island Red, the Plymouth Rock, the Orpington and the Dominique. The idea was that these breeds would both lay lots of eggs for eating

 

 

http://www.blurtit.com/q696564.html

[beckyfitz]

I'm not sure I could do it because I think I'd become too attached if the chickens were around for a long time but, as a meat eater myself, I have no qualms with anyone else doing it, why shouldn't you?

I'm not really sure I can either !!! but are giving it serious thought since trying to be a little more self-sufficient. Having some Romany roots, I know there are some folks who would think it was wasteful not to use the chickens once they slow down.

I wouldn't consider keeping them for meat, that is a whole different ball game, its more like making use of a 'by-product'.

We do love our hens, but I think there could be a valuable life lesson in there too, especially in this day & age.

[Redwing]

A laying hen doesnt make the best meat bird as already stated. You wouldnt get much of an ISA brown or leghorn but the thighs and the breast would be of reasonable quality and I ahve read about people using this meat

 

Again as already said there are dual purpose breeds such as the Wyandotte, Welsummer, Sussex, Ixworth that will produce a better meal

 

I guess it depends on how you see your birds, I have two pekins which are definitely pets (you'd get NO meat off them anyway ) and also seven table birds but although I love my laying girls and pander to their every whim they do sit somewhere in the middle for me

[Lewis]

I wouldn't consider keeping them for meat, that is a whole different ball game, its more like making use of a 'by-product'.

See, I'd rather have meat birds and laying birds as two separate things.

I really like the idea of raising some meat birds, but I'm sure if I told my parents they'd really think I had gone crazy

[Egluntyne]

You would have to casserole a laying hen for hours.....and there would be very little meat on it.

 

Hardly worth the bother tbh.

 

Plucking and gutting one hen will take a good hour if you are a beginner.

 

A dual purpose breed might be better, as has been said.

[tom123]

I wouldn't consider keeping them for meat, that is a whole different ball game, its more like making use of a 'by-product'.

See, I'd rather have meat birds and laying birds as two separate things.

I really like the idea of raising some meat birds, but I'm sure if I told my parents they'd really think I had gone crazy

 

I totally agree. I love all my hens as they are pets to me! My parents have a dog and my brother has 2 rabbits. Do they give you anything except food bills? No. So why should we treat chickens differently, they actually give you something and make great pets. My dad wants to eat the hens when they stop laying but I have said no as I asked him the question " so when we going to eat harry? Or are we going to eat my horse when he retires?" No exactly

 

I see them as 3 different things...

 

PET chickens - kept forever

 

EGG chickens - kept until they stop laying then they go for the pot

 

MEAT chickens - Killed for meat

 

 

It's up to you but I think you have to decide whether your hens are

 

Pets with the bonus of eggs

 

or

 

Livestock for eggs

 

 

This way you can not get to attached to them. I personally think you won't be able to do it! It will come to the day and you'll end up saying NOOOO and she'll live out her days with you!

 

It's your decision but like lwescott said, I would love to raise chickens for meat however I would need them to be separate, Meat chickens and pet/egg chickens

 

Sorry to ramble on I get quite 'heated' on this subject, especially with my dad

 

Tom

[Lesley]

I totally agree. I love all my hens as they are pets to me! My parents have a dog and my brother has 2 rabbits. Do they give you anything except food bills? No. So why should we treat chickens differently, they actually give you something and make great pets. My dad wants to eat the hens when they stop laying but I have said no as I asked him the question " so when we going to eat harry? Or are we going to eat my horse when he retires?" No exactly

 

I see them as 3 different things...

 

PET chickens - kept forever

 

EGG chickens - kept until they stop laying then they go for the pot

 

MEAT chickens - Killed for meat

 

 

It's up to you but I think you have to decide whether your hens are

 

Pets with the bonus of eggs

 

or

 

Livestock for eggs

 

 

This way you can not get to attached to them. I personally think you won't be able to do it! It will come to the day and you'll end up saying NOOOO and she'll live out her days with you!

 

It's your decision but like lwescott said, I would love to raise chickens for meat however I would need them to be separate, Meat chickens and pet/egg chickens

 

Sorry to ramble on I get quite 'heated' on this subject, especially with my dad

 

Tom

 

I think this is a very well reasoned argument Tom.

 

We all have to make choices and whatever works for us is the 'right' answer.

 

We name our layers and give them a forever home - we couldn't eat them. We also have table birds for meat, my grandchildren learned a lot from helping to raise them, helped with despatching and preparing and enjoying the final product!

 

It is completely logical to use spent layers for the pot - it just isn't for us!