How old do your hens REALLY get?

[JacinLarkwell]

Hybrids generally live for much less time than pure breeds

Are you talking about specifically bred hybrids or just mixes in general when comparing to purebred? Because I have 2 mixes that are closing on 10 now

 

[MysteryChicken]

Hybrids generally live for much less time than pure breeds, and hens which lay lots of eggs generally also have shorter lifespans due to increased risk of developing reproductive infections such as egg peritonitis.

Out of the hens I have had (all hybrid egg laying breeds) the oldest any have lived is 4. One had to be euthanized young as she developed chronic lameness and couldn't walk without being in pain, one got sick at about 2 years old, the vet said possibly from an internal tumor, one died just after she turned 4, due to a reproductive infection, and one is 4 and still living but is definitely going downhill and I expect she won't make it much longer. The others are still alive but they are young (about a year old or less). I was also worried I was doing something wrong when I saw online that the 'average chicken lifespan is 7-10 years' and I asked my vet about it and she said for hybrid laying breeds, developing illnesses is relatively common after about 2 years.

Genetics is a big factor in lifespan, so maybe if you got all your hens from the same breeder you could try somewhere else, but honestly I expect you have just been unlucky!

I also get very attached to my birds and I am very sorry for your losses, I know how hard it can be. I wish you all the best with the rest of your hens.

A chicken's average lifespan is 5 - 10 years.

 

[Laurie11111]

How old do your hens really get? I have a mixed group of chickens (roosters, hens, and young ones) free roaming. At night they are locked into the coop and as soon as the sun is about to come up the automatic doors open and they are off.

The reason I’m asking: I get VERY attached to every single one of my birds. Ignoring the few that have been taken by predators we had what feels like too many hens die too young. All the people that I talk to tell me they barely ever loose a hen before they are old and go down due to old age. I’m either making major mistakes in my management practices or I don’t know what’s going on!

I know all my birds by name, can pick them all up easily (even the roosters) and can tell if someone isn’t feeling right! I have the impression that those breeds with higher egg laying numbers just either go downhill when they are about to start laying or after a few months of laying.

I spot clean my coop (12 feet by 12 feet) daily and completely clean it at least every 6 weeks. Droppings never accumulate. They free range all day, have access to mixed flock crumbled feed and water in various locations, have multiple options for oyster shell, dust baths, are getting dewormed regularly, and are checked upon daily!

I’ve just had to euthanize 2 birds again and I’m heartbroken! One was young and started developing neurological issues and the other had an infection in the reproductive system that didn’t respond to treatment. Am I doing something wrong? Or is this just what it is like for you as well? The least problematic breed with no losses we have are brahmas which are a year old now!

So please tell me! How old do your hens get?

From your description above I can tell that you are doing NOTHING wrong. Chickens are hearty and yet fragile at the same time. I have been raising chickens for the past three plus years and sometimes young chickens die and it is nothing that you did. I had a chicken with reproductive cancer and would lay only shell-less eggs the last few months of her life otherwise she seemed "normal". I was able to hold her when she took her last breath telling her what a great friend she was to me. One if my hens laid an egg and just fell down and died for "no reason". ( Sudden Chicken Death Syndrome) I had one get a respiratory infection and was dead in a day, (she was a pullet) and one of my girls was egg bound and died at the vet's. All of these ways of dying and none of it was anyone's fault. It can just be the nature of the chicken. I currently have four girls with three of them being from my OG flock. Those girls are still healthy and thriving. Still laying eggs. And still enjoying life. A friend of mine who had chickens before me said "alway remember that you are giving them an amazing life letting them be chickens instead of in cages and you are doing nothing wrong if one of them dies". I hope this helps. I know it helped me. You are doing great!!

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

It is all about genetics. Usually in my experience, australorp and Americana are rather long lived, often reaching seven or even ten years. The worst I’ve seen is meat birds, Cornish cross seem to die young, and I had one that lived only a few weeks and never grew. Definitely a gene/ inbreeding issue.
Your birds must just have bad luck

 

[nuthatched]

Had two 8-9 yo hens, they were taken by coyotes but still going strong. I think aqueous had a 16 yo wyandotte

 

[Matilda84]

Are you talking about specifically bred hybrids or just mixes in general when comparing to purebred? Because I have 2 mixes that are closing on 10 now

I was mostly talking about specifically bred hybrid hens, that are bred to optimise egg production. But I am sure with any kind of bird there will be many exceptions where some lucky ones have lived nice long lives!

A chicken's average lifespan is 5 - 10 years.

I sincerely apologise if I am mistaken. My vet did say that for hybrid hens like mine, the average lifespan was 2-4 years. Also I did cross check this information with the following resources before posting:
- This says a hybrids lifespan is 3-5 years
- this says it is 2-4

Although checking again, I have now found some other sites that say it is more like 6-8, so I guess it varies? From my limited experience 2-4 has been more accurate, but I absolutely do not claim to be in any ways an expert and I was only speaking from my own limited experience and knowledge. I'm sure you are probably more experienced and qualified to answer this question than me, so I do apologise if the information I provided was wrong, I was just trying to help out and share what I have heard

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I was mostly talking about specifically bred hybrid hens, that are bred to optimise egg production. But I am sure with any kind of bird there will be many exceptions where some lucky ones have lived nice long lives!


I sincerely apologise if I am mistaken. My vet did say that for hybrid hens like mine, the average lifespan was 2-4 years. Also I did cross check this information with the following resources before posting:
- This says a hybrids lifespan is 3-5 years
- this says it is 2-4

Although checking again, I have now found some other sites that say it is more like 6-8, so I guess it varies? From my limited experience 2-4 has been more accurate, but I absolutely do not claim to be in any ways an expert and I was only speaking from my own limited experience and knowledge. I'm sure you are probably more experienced and qualified to answer this question than me, so I do apologise if the information I provided was wrong, I was just trying to help out and share what I have heard

Okay. They way you had said hybrids vs pure breeds made it sound like you were claiming about any bird that wasn't a purebred would live shorter than any purebred

 

[MysteryChicken]

I was mostly talking about specifically bred hybrid hens, that are bred to optimise egg production. But I am sure with any kind of bird there will be many exceptions where some lucky ones have lived nice long lives!


I sincerely apologise if I am mistaken. My vet did say that for hybrid hens like mine, the average lifespan was 2-4 years. Also I did cross check this information with the following resources before posting:
- This says a hybrids lifespan is 3-5 years
- this says it is 2-4

Although checking again, I have now found some other sites that say it is more like 6-8, so I guess it varies? From my limited experience 2-4 has been more accurate, but I absolutely do not claim to be in any ways an expert and I was only speaking from my own limited experience and knowledge. I'm sure you are probably more experienced and qualified to answer this question than me, so I do apologise if the information I provided was wrong, I was just trying to help out and share what I have heard

I was talking about chickens in general, not specific layer hybrids.

 

[Matilda84]

Okay. They way you had said hybrids vs pure breeds made it sound like you were claiming about any bird that wasn't a purebred would live shorter than any purebred

Yeah that wasn't what I meant. Sorry for the confusion!

I was talking about chickens in general, not specific layer hybrids.

ok sorry! I just wanted to make sure I am not giving people incorrect information

 

[StinkyAcres]

I currently have an Easter Egger who is going to be 8 years old in May. She is the oldest hen I've ever had and the reason for that is I don't free range anymore. I had a couple healthy 7-year-olds taken by foxes years ago.

I have the impression that those breeds with higher egg laying numbers just either go downhill when they are about to start laying or after a few months of laying.

This is generally correct. I always recommend getting breeds that were not meant to lay 300 eggs a year if you are raising for pets (my chickens are pets too). It's mainly the high egg production hybrids like the Golden Comet, Cinnamon Queen, Red Sex-link, Black Sex-link, etc., but also some dual-purpose breeds, like hatchery Orpingtons, that are prone to getting overweight. However, mixes like Easter Eggers ("Americanas") are generally very healthy and long-lived.