“Of course, there could be other reasons that people have had to surrender their backyard birds other than “I just don’t want them anymore.” As NPR previously noted, some armchair farmers could’ve learned about local regulations that affect their flock—or specifically prohibit roosters from living within city limits—after they brought the animals home, or the hens that they bought to lay eggs have stopped, you know, doing that.”
This part is what’s really sad you done need a Rooster to make eggs!!!!
Roosters are only needed for FERTILE eggs. Mature hens produce eggs on a regular basis whether they have mated or not, for varying periods of up to 10 months of the year, then they go through a “moult”, usually about December. The existing wing and tail feathers drop off and new ones grow in. When the moult is finished the hens resume laying eggs, about March.
Some hens are either poor producers of eggs, or none at all. These are detected by a physical palpation of the hen’s pelvic area, to find the distance between the “pin bones”. Those with less than two fingers space between the pin bones are culled (OK, killed and dressed out), those with three fingers or more spacing between bones are probably good layers, and are retained. Chickens have a productive life up to three years.
I heard a woman say she couldn’t eat eggs because they were aborted chicks and she’s against abortion.
1) The act of laying an egg isn’t abortion.
2) Store bought eggs have never been fertilized. Same with most of these home grown ones.
3) Lots of ignoramuses in this world.