[farmers wife]

The option is try and fatten - is it possible?  What are the other options - if any.  Realistically Ive got images of a boney bird on the table.  I know you could prob sell as soup/stock chickens.  I have around 65 hens but getting 42 eggs which is proving an issue and cant keep hens for the fun of it.  I need to replace these birds asap.

[Sbom]

Local poultry auction? Pens of five over a couple of weeks should get something for them.

[Q]

there are a number of end of lay hen rehoming groups across the UK if this is going to be a regular thing for you.

I dont know how the process works eggs-actly but my first hens came from one.

Do these people cover your area?

http://www.rhruk.org.uk/wales/

[Marches Farmer]

I agree.  If they're Warren high egg production types (Lohmann/ISA Brown, etc.)  they'll never fatten up to a worthwhile degree.  If they're utility breeds (Dorking/Sussex, etc.) they may do.  Start selling now before the moult gets going and they look distinctly unappealing.

[farmers wife]

My mistake - Its probably moult but next year I will need to shift them.  I should plan now best route so replacements come at the right time.

[Steph Hen]

Spoken to other people with similar numbers and they sell on at poultry auction as others have said.

[Stereo]

Are you on any poultry facebook groups? Put them on there for a couple quid each and they'll probably fly out (sic).

[macgro7]

Put them for sale on preloved and Gumtree.  People usually sell them for £2-6.
The taste really nice in a chicken soup! Much more flavour than young broiler

[doganjo]

If they're not worth the eating why kill them?  I still have a 7 year old from a cage, laying an egg about every 7 or 8 days - she is very happy.  Give other people like her and me the fun of having a few hens - garden hen keeping is making a comeback - advertise them on Facebook and local papers

[Rosemary]

We're going to use ours for raw dog food this year.

[farmers wife]

If they're not worth the eating why kill them?  I still have a 7 year old from a cage, laying an egg about every 7 or 8 days - she is very happy.  Give other people like her and me the fun of having a few hens - garden hen keeping is making a comeback - advertise them on Facebook and local papers

because its a business that has to pay not a hobby - I started with around 75.  We are on a busy farm and costs and low inputs are essential.

[doganjo]

I didn't question that!  All i said was why kill them if they don't make good eating.  I can see Rosie's reasoning - my dogs get raw chicken wings occasionally.  I made suggestions - you asked for options and got them!

[Rosemary]

All i said was why kill them if they don't make good eating. 

Because if they're deid, ye dinnae need tae feed them 

[doganjo]

That's not what I meant and you know it! <grrrr> 

[Stereo]

When you have redundant hens all you can do is give them the best chance. The idea of selling them for £2 each is that probably anyone who pays is going to look after them. But you can't ever tell. I did give away a load in desperation once as they were mad egg eaters. A guy picked them up within an hour and said he was going to raise them in his garden. From the smell of spice in his van, I suspect he had a takeaway. But no matter, good luck to him.

At the end of the day there are just too many hens out there as we all want as many eggs as we want so they have to go somewhere.