How To Pick The Layers

Sooner or later, the flock will need to be culled. Naturally this doesn’t apply to anyone that has them as pets.

Culling simply means taking the non-layers out of the flock.

Appearance is the easiest thing to observe. If the bird looks like a socialite from the upper end of town with perfect plumage, bright yellow legs, and things of this nature she probably isn’t laying well. This does apply to older birds and not birds that are just starting to lay eggs.

If you have a mixed flock of different breeds, some will do much better than others, but the basics for determining layers is basically the same.

Generally a “fat” hen won’t be one that is laying well. Usually a pound or two more than is normal for the breed is a pretty good indicator. They generally do lay eggs, but will never be a good producer.

If a chicken is lame or injured, they naturally don’t lay well if at all. They are fine for food. If a chicken is lame, it might be from an injury, so it might not lay well, but I would never kill a lame chicken if it was a pet. I have seen chickens with a limp, live for years.

These are characteristics of a hen that is laying well compared to one that isn’t.

The bones talked about in the chart are the bones beside the vent, the ones that can scratch your hand when stuffing or cleaning out a chicken after slaughter.

I personally find that when a older chicken looks all pretty with excellent feathers they are not laying. I also lean toward checking the bones as I think it is one of the simplest and most accurate ways to determine non-layers.

If you have a flock of hens, generally the ones with the rough plumage and faded legs are the producers.

Tags: How To Pick The Layers