Culling the layer flock?

[Lada]

I am just now at the point where my original layers are not laying as well. While I have always said that they would be allowed to retire, I am leaning towards sending some of them away to freezer camp with this batch of broilers.

My question is...if you have a mixed flock that you add to yearly, how do you tell which hens need to go? I can tell right now as I just have a small flock and know which I purchased first, plus I know that my EEs are laying regularly, but the brown egg layers are not. But, if you have many hens, or only one breed, how do you tell? Or do you just keep the flocks separated and cull an entire flock once they reach a certain age?

[KSALguy]

You learn to watch for signs like molting at odd times. Pale comb an wattles. Fatty or bony feel to the abdomin not the soft full feel of a layer in production. I keep a mixed flock of various breeds but if you jus watch you can see the same things in a flock of all one kind.

[oregon woodsmok]

Put colored leg bands on them. Use a different color for each year, so you can tell in a glance how old each hen is.

There are ways to tell whether or not a hen is laying: comb color, width of the pelvic bones, etc.

[springvalley]

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

Put colored leg bands on them. Use a different color for each year, so you can tell in a glance how old each hen is.
There are ways to tell whether or not a hen is laying: comb color, width of the pelvic bones, etc.

This is a very good way to keep track of them, pelvic bone check is best. > Thanks Marc