Garden View
Hello and Welcome! I decided to start this blog for everyone out there who has an interest, or WANTS to be interested, in living a life that is a little more sustainable. I am still learning, and invite you to follow this blog to learn along with me. I will share what I have learned as we go, and hopefully you will pitch in and share what YOU are doing to live a little more off of what you can grow and DO from home. PLEASE BELIEVE ME when I say, if I can learn how to do this on a very small backyard plot in a city, then ANYONE can do this!!
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Lazy Layers-Is it OK to butcher older hens?
Some of our laying hens will be 3 years old this spring. And they have gotten VERY lazy! What I am referring to is their natural slow-down in egg production. Actually, this is one of the major things that prospective chicken owners MUST (and usually don't) consider when making decisions about purchasing chickens.
Hens will produce a great supply of eggs for you for the first 2 years or so, then they have a significant decline each year thereafter. Each breed will have different productivity levels, so do your homework before choosing a breed. I chose the type of chickens that we have for very specific purposes; most of the breeds that I have were chosen because they are considered "dual purpose." This means that they can be used as layers and/or as meat birds. I wanted a bird that would give us good egg production and then provide food for our table when they slowed down.
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