As feed prices sky rocket in price, chicken breeders and producers are having to make decisions that keep their large egg producing flocks profitable. But these dilemmas are not new to chicken keeping. In the nineteenth century, when growing enough grain to feed a flock meant the farmer and his horse team had to do the back breaking work, unproductive hens had to be removed. This article will discuss the historical July flock cull and how it can help you remain profitable today:
The information in this article is for breeders and keepers who manage a large number of birds and are running a business. Backyard flocks of pet laying hens do NOT need to be sold yearly!
The July Flock Cull
Over a hundred years ago it was a common practice for farmers to reduce the number of hens in the coop around July 1. You see, the farmer knew that the older hens were going to begin to slow down their laying – or completely stop – in the heat of late July and August. And once she stopped, she would not come back into lay until early the next spring. But if kept, she would need to be fed for five, six or seven unproductive months. Farming families could not afford to do this.
Seasonal Food Pressures
Mother Nature contributed to the necessity of a July flock cull in her own way. Mid-summer droughts would cause vegetation to die back and begin to reduce the number of bugs. Chicken keepers knew that if the natural food supply around the farm yard was about to decrease, the chicken flock needed to experience a culling, too.
Pullets and 1 year olds who were still laying would find it easier to consume enough late summer bugs and greens to keep them producing once the older – and greedier – girls were removed. Today keepers can offer nutritional supplements that help keep younger birds laying longer.
Hens Over Age 2 :
Hens that were 2+ years old would stop laying for the year in late July or August then begin their autumn molt sometime in September or October. The earliest she would come back into lay would be January, with March being more likely. This is too long for a profitable egg producing business to keep an unproductive bird. These older girls would be put up for sale and purchased as “slower” layers for smaller households or used as stewing hens for the soup pot. The July 4th holiday and accompanying local fairs were an ideal time to sell these hens.
Making Decisions on Small or Thin Birds
Birds who were visibly losing weight were also removed from the flock. Weight loss tends to appear just before a hen ceases to lay. Hens lower in the pecking order who were never able to gain the proper amount of weight or who always laid a smaller-than-usual egg were also removed from the flock.
Keeping Young Hens in Lay
A keeper knew that it was easier to keep young birds laying through the heat than it was to get a hen to start back up once she had stopped laying. Giving moist grain or feed mash at noon with fresh, cool water was used to help keep the hens eating, healthy, and productive.
Roosters Were Not Exempt from the July Flock Cull
Roosters lose fertility as they age. If breeders want near 100% fertilization of their hatching eggs, they must use fresh, young roosters. Males that are over 1.5 years old should be cycled out of the breeding flock.
Estimated Feed Cost Savings
An adult hen needs at least 1/2 cup of feed per day, which is 1/4 of a pound of feed per hen per day. This means an adult hen consumes a 35 pound bag of feed every 140 days. If she quits laying in the heat of late July and does not resume laying until late January, that is 6 full months, or 180 days. Which equates to 45 pounds of chicken feed consumed by a hen who is not laying any eggs.
Multiply 45 pounds by the cost per pound for your feed to calculate how much it will cost to feed her if you keep her. You can also factor in the expense of additional litter, straw, odor control, scratch grains, treats and nutritional supplements. In short, you’re going to spend a minimum of $25 to feed, shelter and care for an unproductive hen over those 6 months if feed is 50¢ per pound and she only consumes another $2.50 total in other supplies.
July Also Meant Adding Artificial Lighting
Artificial light was added to the coop in July to give hens continuous 14 hour long days. The trick was starting the artificial lighting shortly after the summer solstice passed around June 21 (the longest day of the year). Even during the Great Depression, artificial electric lighting was used in chicken coops through the autumn and winter.
Reducing Your Flock Today
There is no need to send favorite old hens to the soup pot. But if you’re a breeder trying to maintain a profitable bottom line, the old-fashioned wisdom of a July flock cull may be something useful to consider. You’ll find unwanted 2 year olds fairly easy to sell or re-home around the time back-to-school starts. Families will be done with their summer travel but will need to replace any hens lost to predators while they were away.
There are people who enjoy keeping older hens because they lay fewer eggs per week (ideal for smaller households who don’t want to drown in eggs) but the hens still provide plenty of insect and spider control around the property. Some breeders with desirable genetics or beautiful colored egg projects find a late summer sell-off of older birds generates helpful farm income. Either way, July 1 is the perfect time to re-evaluate your flock so you enter the fall chick hatching season and holiday baking season with a high number of productive layers!
How to Score if You’re a Chicken Buyer
If you know breeders reduce their flocks before the Autumn Molt, you can purchase unwanted birds with the genetics you want at bargain prices! Yes, you’ll need to feed an older hen through the winter. But when she comes into lay the next spring, the 3-4 eggs she lays per week should be large and ideal for hatching big, robust chicks.
Don’t be shy about reaching out to a nearby breeder and asking if you can buy the older girls she’s getting rid of. This can be a great way to add incredible egg color genetics into your breeding flock.
You Might Also Enjoy Reading:
What to Feed Hens to Get More Eggs
Hen Rehydration Drink Recipe for Sick or Overheated Birds
Pin for Later:
Leave a Reply