[jen729w]

> In my experience there is no need to kill a chook after 3 years

I assume you don't have ISA Browns? We just had 3, gorgeous girls, but they all started laying lash eggs at about 2yo.

The ISAs are bred to lay, and -- turns out! -- 300 eggs/year isn't sustainable for a poor little chook's insides.

Don't get ISA Browns. It's heartbreaking and, if you decide to treat it vs. letting them die (we did), expensive.

We loved our girls to death. Chickens are amazing pets.

[ammojamo]

We do have some ISA browns which are 2-3 years old, but no lash eggs yet – they all seem pretty happy – I guess it just depends.

That said, I'm not that emotionally attached to them – I like them, care for them, but if I thought they were seriously sick I would put them down. We're all different :-)