Good question! LOL its probably been said but many of my "hatchery" birds rarely make 3 years. I have some that are 4 and older. If cooped and safe, well cared for they should be with you a decade or more. Good breeder stock are slower layers but lay longer. Its all in what you want in keeping a flock. Myself, I commit to who I have and hope they are with us a long time. I try to keep a good breeder stock birds so they become family and have a long life with us.