What do you do with excess and/or elderly layers?

I have tried selling still-laying birds, and giving older ones away. Now I'm at the point where I must do more. How can I get rid of most of my hens? Do I have to kill them? Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm in the North Okanagan and travel to the Lower Mainland.

Thanks.

Farmchiq Fraser Valley Auction in Langley, Saturday mornings they take 25% commission. Prices in the fall are generally poor due to large volume of birds. You must get them in early or cages may be full.

How many hens do you have?

I'm looking to get rid of about 18-20 birds BCBoy. Some laying just fine, others, not much or at all. As they all run together I can't really tell who isn't, but I know fairly well who is.

You should process them. Take the cleaned carcasses, add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, herbs of your choice and put them all in a large roaster add water and roast for several hours. When it cools strain and jar the stock and can it. It makes the best chicken stock, very healthy. Homemade chicken stock is great for soups, stews, gravies, curry etc.

I say Pressure Can them

Is there a bird of prey sanctuary near you? They will often take the excess birds and use them for raptor food.

Echo 1 wrote:Is there a bird of prey sanctuary near you?  They will often take the excess birds and use them for raptor food.

That is food for thought for surely, but bet my bottom dollar she would like them to go for human food, can't speak for her, but I probably would think that. Farmchiq, have you began to advertise on kijiji or other yet? If you do, I would not suggest you ever give any away, there must be a price on their head, as that discounts the value of the barnyard layer. If I were you, I would take all the birds, and measure the vent and see exactly who is NOT laying and then drop them off for processing (or process yourself, I could help, I got a very nice lesson in how to process birds from Peggy at the abattoir...) just a thought here. For sure, chicken stock or lots of dog food for the pooches...I now supplement my two little ones with raw chicken each day now. Good luck, and have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.