Does anyone <whispers> cull unproductive chooks?

[TunipTheVegemal]

I thought I was going to be all ruthless and practical. Now I'm not so sure....

[fondantfancier]

we took ours back to the farm where we got her, the chap was only to happy to take her (and do whatever was necessary) when we bought new ones.

[Pixel]

We are getting hens soon, Dh reckons we should name them Eeny Meeny Miny and Mo, to make it easier to decide which one to eat first.

He thinks he's so funny.

[RunningLatte]

Thats what I'm scared of,too,with the actual dispatching.I'm worried I'd get it wrong and they'd suffer,which would really upset me.

[Bramshott]

Our 80-year old neighbour goes round dispatching unproductive chickens (when invited!) but we haven't had to call on his services yet . . .

[Grockle]

I'd happily pluck & gut too. I am just not confident I could kill a hen quickly and if I maimed it & couldn't finish the job properly, it'd be terrible. I might have a google and see.

[TunipTheVegemal]

I live in a village full of farmers so I can get help with the killing - my cleaner has offered! I wouldn't do it by myself not knowing what I was doing.

I would love to get some new hens and have loads of eggs

[RunningLatte]

I'll do the plucking and gutting happily,just not the actual act of killing.Once they're dead,they're meat to me.Its the actual deading bit I don't like!

But,to be fair,its been a long time since we killed,plucked or gutted any.
The ones we have now are quite safe unless we decide to allow a hen to go broody and have some chicks,in which case we'd need to do a cockerel cull.

[ChasingSquirrels]

Well I planned to, but wasn't confident about doing it quickly and dudnt want a maimed hen - so we had an unproductive one for 18 bloody months.
She died a month or do ago and we have a couple of new ones to keep the remaining one company now.
3 eggs a day is a massive increase from the 1 we have been getting.

[TunipTheVegemal]

does he do all the gutting and plucking too? Or don't you eat them?

[RunningLatte]

When I say 'we',it's the royal 'we'....

I stay indoors singing with my fingers in my ears while DH does the deed

[TunipTheVegemal]

The two that aren't laying are very light-bodied hybrids so I'm not sure I'd get enough meat off them to justify the plucking.
They would doubtless make a very robust stock - would a several-years-old chicken taste gamey in a good way or a bad way?

[MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe]

I despatch cockerals, but not hens since they are happier in a flock and I don't eat mine because they have black skin, so not particulalrly appetising, although they are a Chinese delicacy.

[Grockle]

Running - how do you kill them? Just curious

[RunningLatte]

Oh,just realised I'm in a minority of one...

[RunningLatte]

We cull 'excess' cockerels, but we leave the hens to do their own thing.
I have no qualms at all with anyone who does cull unproductive hens.
We have killed hens to eat though.

[Grockle]

I thought I'd be able to eat mine but they are now definitely pets & egg-producing is a fortunate side-line. No culling of chooks here (unless the fox gets in)

[PinkSpottyBag]

[chickensaresafehere]

Ours are our pets as well as egg producers,so no never.
We just couldn't do it,we love them all too much&they deserve to live out their lives happy,as they have given us lots of lovely,tasty eggs.